JavaScript Guides Advanced

Pros and Cons of Flash-based Sites

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
interactive 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.

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Pros and Cons of Flash-based Sites