Often, we have clients who just love the look and the feel of a website programmed completely in Flash. Though there is nothing wrong with a beautiful website, the question to ask before deciding on which technology to use is, “What do you want your website to do for you?”
As online marketing consultants, this post is a short review of the real life advice we give our clients when making decisions about website programming.
1. FLASH WEBSITE
You can have your website programmed completely in Flash. These websites are usually very sleek, beautiful… and expensive. However, they are relatively worthless if you are looking to have your site search engine optimized and hope to gain potential clients by attracting traffic to your website. If your company is a household name in your particular market, then there is no harm done. Clients will find you anyway.
In a nutshell, think of a Flash website as a movie that is inserted into one (1) HTML page. That 1 page is all the search engines will ever see. All other content is invisible to searchbots. If you need your website to generate leads for your business development, then a Flash website is not the best decision for you.
Aidlin Darling Design is completely programmed in Flash: http://www.aidlindarlingdesign.com/
2. HTML / CSS WEBSITE USING AJAX/JAVA SCRIPTING TECHNOLOGIES
AJAX and Java scripts are also cutting edge technologies, all of the bleeds and fades resembling Flash interaction are all possible without sacrificing your search engine optimized content. Imagination and programming savvy using these technologies are equally inspirational and commercial.
Limkokwing University won The Web Marketing Association’s 2009 Webaward For Outstanding Achievement in Web Development in the Creative Technology category.
Check out both the Home Page: http://www.limkokwing.net/
and their
Bali Campus Link: http://www.limkokwing.net/bali/
3. HYBRID HTML/CSS WEBSITE WITH EMBEDDED FLASH CONTENT
We can also create a HYBRID website for you that utilizes the best of ALL technologies. This means Flash movies can be inserted into individual HTML/CSS pages. This gives you the opportunity to maximize your content AND your visual impact.
Anne Geddes won The Web Marketing Association’s 2009 Webaward For Outstanding Achievement in Web Development in the Photography category: http://www.annegeddes.com/
This is a high-end website that maintains a high commercial value.
Whatever you choose, make sure you make the correct decision for your company’s online marketing goals.