My Final Word On Flash Web Site Designs


by Lara Kulpa - Date: 2007-03-16 - Word Count: 569 Share This!

Okay - I will admit, yes, Flash can be cool looking. However I will forever turn down business when the prospective client tries to "demand" a fully Flash site. I won't even get into the usability factors, like the fact that not all people have Flash readers installed on their computers. Despite spending over an hour explaining why Flash (even just a little "too much" in elements) is bad for SEO, I've had no less than three people in the past year get frustrated, tell me they'll have to call me back, and I hang up the phone knowing and not caring that I'll likely never hear from them again.

I'm going to make it plain as day why fully Flash web sites are bad.

Are you ready?

I can't believe this is so hard for people to understand and believe sometimes.

Okay here we go: The search engines cannot read the contents of a Flash file.

Alright, I'll elaborate. One of the biggest, most necessary components to search engine optimization revolves around the content of a web site. Yes folks, content is still king. In order to best optimize a web site for the search engines, I have to tweak and mold the content on that site, so that when the search engines scan through it, they can pick up on what your site's about. What's important about you, your company, and your business. Since the search engines can't read the contents of a Flash file, that means that you can put as many keywords as you want in there, the search engines won't see it. If the search engines don't see it, then they can't help rank you for the keywords that relate to your site. If they can't help rank you, you won't get ranked.

"But Lara, there are Flash websites out there that show up at the top of the search engine results!!!" I can hear you cry out.

Yes, and those sites have either been around for quite some time and developed a "following" (in the form of many, many natural incoming links to the site), they belong to companies that are "known and trusted" by the search engines (for lack of a better term, they've been white-listed), or they're using spam techniques to get there. The first reason can be achieved through internet marketing programs, but also takes lots of time - Lots. Of. Time. - especially when the site is full on Flash, and SEO is not an option.

The bottom line is this: If you want a Flash movie "header" or other element to your site, I'm perfectly okay with that. But no more than one element, and it can't be your navigation (site links) unless we have those same links in hard-coded text elsewhere on the same page. If the site can't be fully optimized for the search engines because there's too much Flash, I'm going to turn your business away. I don't make promises I can't keep, and I'd advise anyone who is hell-bent on having a fully flash website to toss the idea of SEO right out the window. Internet marketing? Maybe. But if I can't optimize a site for the search engines, I'm not going to want to take on a marketing project either, because part of the realm of internet marketing also involves SEO.

So there you have it. My final word on Flash. You can say it's a tad bit angst-ridden, and I'm okay with that, too.


Related Tags: seo, search engine optimization, flash, flash web design, flash is bad

Lara Kulpa - Anubis Marketing Web & Blog Design and Development Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Programs http://www.anubismarketing.com/

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