Flash -

Flash should be used sparingly. It delivers images with programmable liquid motion that conveys depth and excitement, but that motion has a high cost in download time and possible client-side browser problems. With few exceptions, it is a message medium that requires an expert to revise the content.

Flash shines in games, mobile content, and ads, where the attention grabbing motion is more important than the cost of revising the image. Constantly rotating and replacing flash content is an expense which is not practical except on sites with a large budget.

Although some clients feel a Flash splash (entry) page gives their site a "professional" look, after the first contact, the splash page is just a barrier to getting to the site content. Initial excitement* over the format predicted it would become omnipresent, but even though the plug-in is readily available it remains problematic for a significant portion of the public, especially those with 56K modem dial up.

DSL and cable broadband have gained rapid acceptance in many urban parts of the US, but that does not define the reach of the web. Until rates for fast connections become more moderate, dial up download times remain a significant barrier flash pages.

Because it is so often used for advertising, when the flash starts, the result feels like an ad. Unless the design team can create a visual "hook" that keeps the view interested, the downloading image is ignored while the customer looks for the content, or if it is too intrusive, the visitor simply leaves the page.

We do flash template customization, but unless the client has a topic which requires "movie" qualities, prefer developing pages that stick close to straight html. If you are set on using flash, there are a multitude of inexpensive flash "templates" available. (Monstertemplate.com) Choose carefully, so you pick one with the capacity to hold your content. Many templates only allow space for 3 or 4 lines of text. Although the initial cost is low, customization from the seller is expensive.

Any time you use flash, you need to provide by-pass links to alternate non-flash pages, and make an effort to detect whether your visitor's browser can read it. Those who do not have the flash plug-in can be redirected to an alternate entry page, or can be offered a link to down-load the flash plug-in.

*O'Reilly