Flash Design Tips

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What are the drawbacks to using Flash Web site design?

The Drawbacks to Flash Web Site Design

With the amazing capabilities of Flash Web site design to add visual imagery to your business online presence, the question is what are the drawbacks? There are a few disadvantages to consider when using Flash Web site design.
• Search engines will not index a homepage with Flash Web design. However, by submitting alternate pages or embedding the Flash, you can circumvent this obstacle.
• Flash Web design can be cumbersome for viewers who have yet to switch over to a faster online connection.
• Set-up time for creating a Flash based site on the Web can be time consuming and complicated.

   
What can Flash Web design be used for on a Web site?

Capabilities of Flash Web Design

By employing the use of Flash Web design, your business Web site will come alive as a rich, interactive experience for the viewer. Flash Web design creates an experience for each Web site visitor, making it a useful marketing tool. To help you communicate with your Web flash designer, it is helpful to know the capabilities of using Flash in Web design. Here are some of the highlights:

• Customize your text and clickable buttons to add punch to the graphics of your business Web site.

• Bring a two dimensional image to life to showcase a product or service.

• Add a voiceover or music to your business Web site to enhance your visitor's overall experience.

• Employ video commercials as a means of relaying information.

• Use Flash Web design to weave an introduction to your company profile and better engage visitors to stay and browse your Web site.

   
Will incorporating Flash Web design into my Web site affect my search engine ranking?

Flash Web Design and Search Engine Optimization

Incorporating Flash Web design into your Web site is a great way to grab the attention of your visitors and give an introduction to your business. The quandary occurs in the fact that adding Flash Web design to the home page of your business Web site will ensure a search engine does not capture your Web site. However, there is a way to get around the lack of ranking. You can keep Flash on your introductory page and simply submit subdirectory pages of your Web site rather than your home page. Another way to ensure search engine ranking is to embed the Flash, creating Web links and text onto your introductory page.

   
What are the benefits to using a Flash Web design template?

Using a Flash Web Design Template

With the high cost of hiring a team of Web designers, programmers, and Flash designers, an option to simplify your Web design could be the use of a Flash Web design template. Widely available from a range of template Web sites and businesses, using a template can be a more cost effective and time saving way to create a Website with Flash for your business. You simply purchase, download, and begin to implement your own information onto the Flash Web design template. Some template businesses offer customer support to assist you should you have any questions or technical difficulties. With some template companies, Web hosting is available as well. You do lose out on the flexibility of a custom designed Flash Web site, but this is an option for those who want to put up Flash Web design in a hurry without paying a great expense.

   
What are the benefits of adding flash animation to my business Web site?

Benefits of Flash Animation

If you're considering incorporating flash animation into your business Web site, you're making an excellent marketing decision. Flash Animation can add a whole new level of interactivity to your Website, showcase your business, and increase the branding power of your products.
• Flash animation can help you control the experience of your Web site visitors by allowing you to implement a storyline to your Web site. Add an animation to introduce your business, introduce audio to get your message across, or create a map that guides your visitors through your business Web site.
• A Web site without flash animation is much like a storybook without pictures. You may be able to get a sense of the plot, but you lose the overall picture. Flash animation can help give your business that extra "edge" for visitors to your Web site by adding a new level of visual imagery and highlighting what you want them to see.
• Branding is a powerful tool that helps differentiate your commodity from your competitors. Flash animation helps you to do just that by adding a level of distinction to your business, defining your image, and creating a sense of connection for your clients.

   
Can Flash Web design be used to showcase my business portfolio?

Use Flash Web Design to Showcase Your Business Portfolio

Flash Web design can boost the look of a number of business Web sites. If you have an architecture firm, interior design studio, or photography studio, then you have a portfolio that you want to let your potential clients see. Your business portfolio can make or break your relationship with a potential client, so it is vital to present it in the best format possible. With Flash Web design, you can set up your business portfolio to highlight the most important aspects of your work and create an interactive environment for your viewers.

   
How well do Web sites with Flash Web design do compared to those without?

Scoring Flash Web Site Design

Web sites using Flash Web site design are at the forefront of areas like content, design, and innovation. The Web Marketing Association has released the results of its nine-year study, the Internet Standards Assessment Report (ISAR). The results noted that among advertising Web sites, those created with Flash Web site design outperformed those without. However, the results indicated that although these Web sites scored high in design originality and content, not every area of Web site design was a strong point. Areas like navigation and ease of use were rated as problem areas. Since Web sites using design with Flash tended to concentrate on exhibiting an advertising firm's work, their Web site design often neglected incorporating a high level of interactivity with the user and a clear site map.

   
What are the drawbacks to using a Flash Web design template?

Drawbacks to Using a Flash Web Design Template

For businesses that neither have the time or money to contend with hiring a Web designer or firm, using a Flash Web design template can be the perfect solution for a fast and affordable way to put up an interactive Website. However, with packaged, inexpensive Web options, you do face some disadvantages.
First, because it is a template, you are locked into a certain range of design and navigational restrictions based on the template that you purchased. With a custom design, you do pay the higher price, but you also get the benefit of a Web site design tailor made to strategically market your business.
Second, you lack the advice and input of a professional or team of professionals that can give you the benefit or their design and marketing experience. With the exception of customer support from the template manufacturer, you are on your own as far as implementing the Web site design, Flash components, and information to your Web site.
Third, although you can find a well-designed Flash web design template, you run the risk of having a generic looking Web site that doesn't best showcase your business. With the number of competitors that have unique, custom made Web sites, you lose a competitive edge in your Web presence.

   
Where can I look at some examples of exemplary Flash design?

Learning the Language of Flash Design

The best way to get Flash design to your Web site is to communicate with your Flash Web designer. You don't have to understand how to make a program work, but it is helpful to know the basics. It would be beneficial to have some knowledge of basic Flash components and design when talking with your Web site designer. To educate yourself on the latest in Flash design, take advantage of the Internet and video classes, or read up on the latest technology. Adobe offers free seminars to showcase the latest capabilities to their products. Simply sign up for a session to that will be simulcast over the Internet. You only need about an hour of your time and the benefits of the knowledge will be worth the effort.

   
Is there an advantage to using Flash based video versus other software programs to create video on the Web?

Flash Based Video

Flash animation is a great tool to create punch to your Website. You can bring life to two-dimensional images, incorporate three-dimensional animation, and add audio to enrich the visual experience. But using Flash based video programs like Squeeze and Flix are an easier and less expensive alternative to adding video to your Web sites than competing programs like QuickTime, Real Player, and Window's Media. Because most Web users already have a Flash plug-in on their computers, using Flash based video is a smart alternative. A video just a few minutes in length can readily compete in visual quality with any of the competing programs. The bonus is the availability of the downloadable component, which would allow viewers to take the video with them on any mobile handheld device with a Flash plug-in.

   
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