How to Flash on the web

Flash animations can be some of the coolest things on the Internet. They can also bog down your visitor's system resources and keep them waiting far too long. A good Flash designer knows how to keep load times down and the drain on the visitor's computer resources to a minimum.

Unless you have a heavily art based website, or have a need to be perceived as being on the bleeding edge of technology, an all Flash website is not a smart move. They make it nearly impossible for search engines to index your website's content, and often prove nearly impossible for anyone other than the original designer to make even the most basic changes. stay away from this obvious pitfall.

Using chunks of Flash embedded in standard HTML is almost always the way to go. This allows for a website that is easy for the search engine spiders to index, yet still allows almost the same design functionality of an all Flash site.

Something new on the scene is an IE security message: click to activate and use this control. It is a real pain in the butt, and is the result of a recent IE security update. There is some basic JavaScript that can fix this and I have included a link to it at the bottom of this article. This is a big bummer for sites with a lot of Flash and no continuing relationship with their original website designer. Don't let this happen to your website's Flash movies.

Web animation of any kind should be used sparingly. There is a higher tolerance for animation on entertainment and pop culture websites, and less for corporate and resources sites. The golden rule here is nearly always going to be less is better than more. Don't distract or annoy your visitor. If you need to get their attention, try a better static design first.

The speed and smoothness of a Flash animation can make a huge difference in whether it is perceived as distracting or as attractively informative. Fast jerky animations definitely catch your attention, but then tend to immediately put the viewer off, becoming distracting and annoying. If a Flash movie is smooth and can be running in the background while a visitor is looking at another element on the page without being distracted, then you have hit the mark.

Try and use features that do not require the visitor have the latest Flash Player installed. I typically try to make sure I only use Flash features that have been supported for at least two versions, more if possible. Let someone else's website force their visitors to upgrade their Flash Player. Your goal is to keep your visitors time at your website as productive and easy as possible.

Make it good. Place only quality Flash animations and video clips on your website. Working in Flash can take years to master. Play it smart and hire a pro. Stay focused on what you do best, and let an experienced Flash designer do what they do best. To get quality Flash on your website, higher a designer with a proven track record and examples that you like. Remember to always ask for the native FLA files along with the SWF files when working with a Flash designer.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

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