Flash Web Site Design
Flash by Adobe is basically a movie type software - so you can have text and graphics moving around and it can definitely look much more professional and be easier to use than the more traditional HTML designed website. It is very appropriately named as Flash does sum it up. It can handle all the way from a header that swoops in and delivers your key message to full games that million play online through their web browser. Its all a matter of what you want and what your budget can afford.
Flash Web Site Design - more than just Flash!
A Flash Web Site Design is not just much fancier looking and striking in appearance. While it can take a few seconds (depending on the viewer connection speed) to load up when first visiting the web site - once loaded it is usually much faster. Regular visitors to your site would probably be much happier to wait for it to load knowing that once it is done they can then move around and browse your site much faster than a normal HTML site.
Flash Web Site Design and Search Engine Optimisation
This seems to be a dynamic area - I've seen a number of references on the web detailing how you can have Google pick up the search terms from a Flash site and so rank it as well as an ordinary HTML one. Others recommend a 'shadow site' - Flash and HTML. Since not all people browsing the web can view Flash movies anyway (though most can) we have gone for this option with a choice of which site to view on the home page. This is a lot more work - effectively writing two sites - but it does mean 100% of those on the web can view the site and full Search Engine Optimisation can be done to get it ranked as well.
We will get some web sites online so you can see the possibilities - meanwhile there is our own Flash website viewable by clicking the link above or the Adobe website at www.adobe.com of course. It is specialised programming and the software isn't cheap so it costs more but if it is done well it is worth the effort - especially for sites that should look Flash - high tech or designer types.
