Don’t Use Flash In Website Design

There was a time when websites containing Flash content consumed the Internet.

Flash was everywhere. Flash content looked impressive and probably brought many of those companies credibility because of its cool look. Flash was also fun to interact with. This was the good side to Flash but there was also a bad side to the use of Flash. Today, because of those negatives, Flash use in website design is almost completely non-existent on the internet.

If your current website uses Flash, you should understand both the positives and negative sides of using Flash. This should help you decide if you really want to use an outdated technology in your website.

Current Use Of Flash In Website Design

Flash is mostly dead on the Internet. As mobile devices became more prominent, Flash wasn’t supported on them because Flash was an application that needed to be installed on the device. Phone manufacturers did not want to pre-install Flash on their devices. When Apple removed support for Flash from their operating system, this forced most businesses to completely abandon this type of technology.

Flash consumes a lot of power, slows down browsers and causes your computer to do a lot of unnecessary work. In many cases, the Flash site has to be downloaded first before it can be used. The use of mobile devices are so huge now that websites have to be fast in order to keep up. In recent years almost all websites, including major sites such as YouTube, have moved to HTML 5. HTML 5 is mobile and tablet friendly and is much easier to manage video content. Flash is still in use on some websites in applications but, quite frankly, its days are over.

Flash And Internet Browser Security

Flash has a history of causing computer crashes along with having security flaws that include malware and bugs. There were 63 flash vulnerabilities found in 2011 alone. These kinds of issues have caused security experts to advise against installing Flash on your computer. They also suggest that internet users use tools to block any Flash content. These security concerns have caused people to manually disable Flash in their browsers. This means that they will not see your site’s Flash content even if the browser that they are using supports it.

What Can Happen If You Use Flash In Your Website?

Using Flash on a website can cause major problems. Particularly when it comes to search engine rankings. Search engines can read and index certain parts of Flash, but you will not find any websites fully implemented in Flash ranking high on any competitive search terms. One reason is that search engines love text in all its forms. Flash causes problems for search engines because it is not easily read or understood by internet searching algorithms.

How To Tell If Your Website Has Flash

It’s not hard to tell if your website has Flash built into it. Just go to the website SEO Site Check-up. Type in the URL you are wanting to test. The site will tell you if there is Flash embedded in the site you are testing. If you find out that there is Flash on your website, we recommend that you create a plan to replace Flash with something else. If the Flash content on your website is minor, this can be fixed very easily. If your entire website is built in Flash you will want to begin the process of creating a new website. Several things you will want to consider are content, photography and the fact that there will be a timeframe involved to create a new site. If your website is several years old and you are not sure if there is Flash in your site, you will want to check on this right away.

Flash Is A Software

Flash is a software that is owned by Adobe and they can and do require a license for you to use it. Users with a browser that do not have the Flash plugin installed will be prompted to install this software. Otherwise, they will not be able to access the content. This has made the use of Flash obsolete as most of the technology used on the Internet does not require a software download to use it.

Should You Use Flash?

Only your website designer and you as the website owner can make this decision. Flash is a great tool for adding animation and video to your Web site but should be used very limitedly. If those types of features are important, then you should use Flash.

If You Choose To Use Flash, Never Use It for Website Navigation

Some website designers will use Flash in a website’s navigation. They do this because of all the cool movement and transition they can create. This can make it very attractive to use Flash in the navigation of your website. Navigating your website is the most important thing your customers will do. If your navigation needs a plugin update in order for people to see it or if it cannot be seen on a mobile device, customers will leave your site and go to another website that is not so complicated to use. Your website might look cool with Flash, but technically it is a bad idea to use it.

Your Website Designer

If you are looking to build a new website, make sure you hire a good designer. Look around and compare them. When you find a designer that is good, trust them and their design work. Remember, they do this for a living. At the same time, you should also hire a good SEO company. You want an SEO company that will work with your designer and the developer to make sure that what you create will not only meet your needs, but will also do everything it needs to do in regards to what search engines look for.

If you want a new website that looks great, opens quickly and works well on multiple devices, then give us a call at 918-851-9548. We are professionals at working with companies to create exactly what is needed.

On First Page Inc – Tulsa, OK

SEO Internet Marketing, Web Design, Digital Marketing

PHONE: (918) 851-9548