Should you use flash in your website?

What is Flash? You probably have seen flash content often when you browse the internet even though you may not always be aware of it. But usually when you see a nice smooth animation, chances are it was created with Macromedia flash.

In order to see flash content you need to have the flash player installed in your browser. As most browsers have the flash player already installed you will probably have it and according to the latest statistics, 98% of all internet users can see flash content.

So is it something you may consider for your site? Well here are the advantages and disadvantages.

• flash makes your site more visually attractive and dynamic;
• with a short animation you can easily explain your business concepts or attract immediate attention.

On the downside:

• some people may still have to install the flash player (available for free at macromedia.com);
• initial waiting for the page with a big animation may be slightly longer;
• harder to spider for search engines.

To overcome these disadvantages it is important that your flash movie is not too big. You may consider a nice introduction to your site or include a slideshow or small animation in your pages. Another area where flash is used a lot is banner ads.

Have a look at how Escala has used flash for Chess Engineering, CT Training, Creative in Tension, and the Changepaths websites. These clients can be found in the clients section.

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