Web Shop Design: Using Flash Effectively By Helen Bradley
September 16, 2008
The question as to what and how much animation is appropriate for a Web site has plagued Web developers ever since the early days of the Internet. While tools such as Flash now include smart features that overcome some of their early limitations, this doesn't mean that every site needs Flash content. In this article, I'll explain some of the benefits and disadvantages of Flash and tell you what you need to do to make sure Flash works for you and not against you.
Flash is a common plug-in with Adobe research showing that 99 percent of Web users have Flash available. So, it is fair to assume that anyone visiting your site can probably view Flash content. If you choose to use Flash, one thing you'll like about it is that it is pretty much browser independent so you can expect your Flash movie to look the same in all browsers, which is not the case with HTML or CSS.
On the downside, Flash movies, particularly those that have not been designed correctly, can be slow to download and display leaving a delay between when the visitor gets to your site and when the content starts to play. This can be particularly annoying when a Web site is created entirely in Flash — a visitor won't see anything until the site has loaded. This experience is bad enough when using a DSL or broadband connection, and for dial-up users it's even worse.
If you employ a Flash intro at your site and there's no option to skip the intro, again your hapless visitor will have no alternative but to sit through the presentation to get to your site. Chances are that many will click their Back button and go elsewhere, which means you lose potential sales.
Other issues with Flash content include accessibility for Web users browsing using text-to-speech browsers. To be accessible, Flash content must be properly written and settings in the program must be configured to ensure the maximum amount of useful information is provided for the use of text to speech browsers.
When to Use Flash
Despite the potential drawbacks, there are some e-commerce sites that can benefit from using Flash content. These include sites that are high-tech related and ones in which the business or person's creativity and technological prowess are part of what they are selling and therefore should be showcased. Other instances in which Flash is appropriate is in cutting-edge sites where you expect to see the content delivered in a sophisticated way. These types of e-businesses might include fashion/apparel and make-up Web shops, graphic design firms, gaming or extreme sports gear sites or a real estate company representing new, up-market housing developments.
Flash is useful for providing small animated transitions such as this one over the main photo on this specialty cheese Web site.
Flash is best used where the content is relatively static and when it does not need to be updated on a regular basis. For regularly updated content, HTML is a better choice because it requires less skill to edit and update the content and it can be done quickly and cost effectively.
If you are considering using Flash on your Web site, ask yourself whether it will really help you to get your message across to your audience and whether the same effect could be achieved in another way. In many cases, most small businesses and e-commerce sites can leverage Flash by using small Flash components to add some visual movement and a sense of excitement to the site rather than creating large portions or all of the site in Flash. A good example is the specialty shop Marin French Cheese. An overlay shows the item being made by hand and puts the product into context, but doesn't overwhelm the page and is over in less than 20 seconds or so. It accomplishes the goal of providing some visual movement for a product — cheese — that might be challenging to show otherwise, as it might be repetitive and less interesting to simply show shots of cheese on a plate.
Avoiding Problems with Flash
If you do determine that a large portion of your Web site should be created in Flash, there are some issues you need to address in the design. One of these is loading speed — the site should be optimized to load fast so you don't risk losing visitors because they are waiting too long for anything navigable to appear.
Make sure that the Flash content is created using metaphors that are understood by Web users. For example, Flash sites should be designed so the Back button works as expected, if not, even after 15 minutes spent browsing a site, a single click of the Back button may take your visitor back to the site they were visiting before they found your site.
Make sure buttons and links look and work in the way users are used to them behaving. When designing using Flash you don't have to adhere to the typical design elements we're used to seeing on the Web so there is a sense of freedom from traditional design constraints. However, on the flip side, you have the responsibility to ensure your visitor can find their way around easily and you should not confuse them even in the name of being "cutting edge."
Ownership Issues
One issue with Flash that isn't always a problem with other Web site coding tools is ownership of the Flash project. If a Flash designer for hire simply gives you the finished Flash movie, you could have trouble down the line if you want to make adjustments. Unless you get all the files as well as the finished movie, you won't be able to make changes to the file without contacting the designer and you'll probably have to contract with them to do the work.
To avoid the hassles, make sure you understand what your contract says about ownership of the original file, and if it is yours, make sure you get it before you need to use it. If it isn't yours, understand you won't be able to make changes to the Web movie file without access to the original project file.
The Search Conundrum
Flash suffers from problems relating to search engines in that it is not the ideal Web design framework for providing information to them. While some search engines can see inside the Flash movie to get access to the content to index it, many can't or won't. Accordingly, if you get most of your visitors from Google, for example, and if you switch your Web site from HTML to Flash, you may suffer a significant drop in visitor numbers because the new Flash site may not be indexed as effectively as the older HTML site was even though Google is now Flash-friendly in terms of search.
Tips and Tricks
Finally, remember essential design elements also apply to the use of Flash. Use a matching color scheme and try to be original with the content. For example, don't replicate the stuff you see everywhere else — page counters and page fade-ins come to mind — as this is not helping your customer learn about your products. Some designers suggest that you (or your Flash designer) do not use the default frame-rate and advise setting it to 31 fps for best results across different operating systems. And finally, remember that for e-commerce sites, Flash often works best when used to provide small animated transitions or to showcase a creative process, how-to information or feature sets.
As with any Web site content, Flash has its place and it is a great technology for delivering a range of different types of content to a range of different Web users. However it does have some problems and it will help you to assess its value to your site if you understand what these are and determine if, for your site and your visitors, the benefits of Flash outweigh its problems.
Helen Bradley is a respected international journalist writing regularly for small business and computer publications in the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK and Australia. You can learn more about her at her Web site, HelenBradley.com.
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