Pros and Cons of Flash-based Sites and Web TemplatesPros and Cons of Flash-based Sites and Web Templates
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August 28, 2007
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Flash-based sites have been a craze since the past few years, and as
Macromedia compiles more and more great features into Flash, we can
only predict there will be more and more flash sites around the
Internet. However, Flash based sites have been disputed to be bloated
and unnecessary. Where exactly do we draw the line? Here's a simple
breakdown.
The good:
Interactivity
Flash's Actionscript opens up a vast field of possibilities.
Programmers and designers have used Flash to create interactve features
ranging from very lively feedback forms to attractive Flash-based
games. This whole new level of interactivity will always leave visitors
coming back for more.
A standardized site
With Flash, you do not have to worry about cross-browser
compatibility. No more woes over how a certain css code displays
differently in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera. When you position
your site elements in Flash, they will always appear as they are as
long as the user has Flash Player installed.
Better expression through animation
In Flash, one can make use of its animating features to convey a
message in a much more efficient and effective way. Flash is a
lightweight option for animation because it is vector based (and hence
smaller file sizes) as opposed to real "movie files" that are raster
based and hence much larger in size.
The bad and the ugly:
The Flash player
People have to download the Flash player in advance before they can
view Flash movies, so by using Flash your visitor range will decrease
considerably because not everyone will be willing to download the Flash
player just to view your site. You'll also have to put in additional
work in redirecting the user to the Flash download page if he or she
doesn't have the player installed.
Site optimization
If your content was presented in Flash, most search engines wouldn't
be able to index your content. Hence, you will not be able to rank well
in search engines and there will be less traffic heading to your site.
Loading time
Users have to wait longer than usual to load Flash content compared
to regular text and images, and some visitors might just lose their
patience and click the Back button. The longer your Flash takes to
load, the more you risk losing visitors.
The best way to go is to use Flash only when you absolutely need the
interactivity and motion that comes with it. Otherwise, use a mixture
of Flash and HTML or use pure text if your site is purely to present
simple textual and graphical information.
Website templates are very affordable and they save you a lot of
effort and time when you want to create a new layout for your website.
However, a lot of people make mistakes in the process of choosing and
using a web template and end up with something that was unlike the
image they had in mind. Here are some guidelines to help you avoid
those mistakes.
The first obvious mistake you should be aware of is using a template
that is very popular. If many people use the same template, your
website will not appear unique at all and your credibility as a solid,
different website will be tarnished. In other words, you will appear
generic just like your next-door neighbours.
To whole point of using a web template is to save time and effort.
You just change the title and appropriate details and you're done. The
biggest mistake one makes is to customize the template beyond
recognisation. While that may be good in the sense that you're creating
a unique graphic, you're defying the very purpose of using a web
template -- saving time and effort.
However, on the opposite side, if a template you purchase is
suitable but some changes must be made to suit your site's theme, then
you will have to take some time to make the changes. For example, you
can find a very nice template that suits your hobby site except the
original designer has put an image of stamps in the header. You can
find images of garden plants and spades to replace the stamps for your
gardening hobby site. However, do only make the necessary changes and
don't redesign the whole template.
In some circumstances, some people simply make the wrong choice of
templates. This is a very subjective issue but you have to be careful
in selecting templates to suit your audience. Do not choose templates
just because they are pretty, choose them because they serve your
purpose. |