| Joe Netuser gets home from a long day of work, | | | | website to be accessed, indexed, and ranked by |
| loosens his tie, and plops down in his comfortable arm | | | | search engines. Though many people do not realize it, |
| chair to browse the internet. He checks his email, flirts | | | | searchability is an incredibly important aspect for the |
| with his girls on MySpace, and looks for the latest | | | | vast majority of websites. It is also the aspect of a |
| deals on iPods. What he does not do, as he partakes | | | | quality website which Flash designs completely and |
| in the most common pleasures of the internet, is come | | | | utterly fail at. A huge part of modern internet marketing |
| across a website that has been designed entirely with | | | | is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is all about |
| Flash. | | | | optimizing your website's searchability to make it rank |
| Of course, this does not occur to Joe as he checks | | | | as high as possible on the top search engines, such as |
| the score of the Yankees game; he is just intent on | | | | Google, Yahoo, and MSN. |
| passing the time until dinner. However, there comes a | | | | When a search engine finds a website, it does a lot of |
| point that Joe receives a link from a well-intentioned | | | | things to analyze how good it is and where it should be |
| friend that takes him to an artist's website. The page | | | | ranked. It looks at the name of the site (the URL), the |
| pops up with a loading bar, quickly finishes loading on | | | | title of the page (the short description at the top of the |
| Joe's upper-middle class broadband connection, and | | | | browser), the meta-tags (bits of code on each |
| proceeds to knock his socks off with flashing and fluid | | | | webpage specifically put there to give search engines |
| imagery. After the splash page is done fascinating Joe | | | | more information about the page), incoming links (how |
| with an in-depth look into the life of the artist, Joe | | | | many other quality websites link to that one), and |
| begins to think. | | | | webpage content. The importance of each factor |
| Like any normal internet user, Joe thinks to himself, | | | | depends on the search engine, because each is |
| "Wow, that was really cool. Definitely very different | | | | designed with its own proprietary software. |
| from everything else I normally see on the internet. It | | | | A Flash website can do fine at all of the elements |
| just looked so much better. I wonder why everyone | | | | except one. Unfortunately, that one is arguably the |
| doesn't have a cool website like that?" Some possible | | | | most important. No matter what, a Flash website will |
| reasons float through Joe's head, but each seems less | | | | get absolutely no points for content. This is the inherent |
| likely than the last. It can't be high-cost, because | | | | nature of Flash websites: the content is put in the Flash |
| certainly has a larger budget for their website than | | | | file, not the actual webpage. The primary result is that |
| some unknown artist. It can't be artistic design, | | | | a designer can produce good looking content. The |
| because the introduction to the artist's website was | | | | secondary result is that a search engine has no idea |
| far superior to the pictures of piled rusted metal | | | | that the page has any content what-so-ever. |
| featured in the artist's gallery. What could it be then? | | | | If the search engine can not find any content on a |
| Unbeknownst to Joe, there is a very logical explanation | | | | webpage, it will automatically assume there is none. It is |
| for the lack of domination of "jaw-dropping" websites | | | | virtually impossible for a webpage with no content to |
| on the internet: websites designed entirely in Flash are | | | | get any decent sort of ranking on any search engine. |
| not good websites. Dropping the allusion to a situation | | | | What I am trying to get at should be obvious by now: |
| which no one really cares about, there are certain key | | | | Flash websites do terribly on search engine rankings. |
| elements which make a website successful. What | | | | There are ways that designers can attempt to work |
| makes a Flash website bad is that it can contain, at | | | | around this draw-back for Flash websites, but the point |
| most, only two of the primary elements. | | | | is that a 100% Flash-designed website simply will not |
| For purposes of this article, we will break a quality | | | | fair will in any sort of marketing campaign. |
| website down into five main categories, which can be | | | | Another very important feature of successful |
| referred to as VUSAF (The acronym is not particularly | | | | websites is accessibility, or, the ability for a website to |
| relevant, but I like to be able to easily refer to a | | | | be accessed by a user. Often while browsing the |
| paradigm). Each category covers a unique aspect of a | | | | internet, a user will come across something interesting |
| website, some of which are often not considered by | | | | and either bookmark it so show someone later, or |
| the average user. However, all of the elements are | | | | share the link with a friend via email or a chat service. |
| very important to a successful website, if not equally | | | | This is a great way for any website to increase its |
| so. | | | | traffic. If it can provide content which will be accessed |
| The first element of a website considered by the | | | | again or shared, it is helping itself grow. |
| average user is Viewability (No, this is not a word. | | | | The unfortunate thing about Flash websites is that their |
| Does it really matter?). Viewability is the ability of a | | | | accessibility is virtually non-existent. Flash websites do |
| website to be looked at. I know it may seem like I am | | | | not change webpages while navigating; instead, they |
| phrasing this definition oddly, but give it a bit of | | | | change frames within the Flash file. This means that |
| consideration. I am positive that anyone reading this | | | | the URL will never change and if a user attempts to |
| article has come across a GeoCities website in their | | | | link directly to a specific webpage, they will end up |
| time. Those websites have no ability to be looked at. | | | | linking to the beginning of the website. Developers |
| Flash websites, on the other hand, high a very large | | | | might try to work around this by having a different |
| ability to be looked at. According to Joe (I won't allude | | | | Flash file for each webpage, so that the URL does |
| again, I promise), flash websites have the largest | | | | change. The result is a massive decrease in usability, |
| viewability of any website. Joe's view is shared by a | | | | as the user will have to wait for the Flash file to load |
| fair number of website developers, who design | | | | again on each page. |
| websites with Flash solely for their viewability. | | | | Flash websites rank interestingly according to the last |
| Usability comes next in our acronym, and also next in | | | | element of a successful website: functionality. |
| our rankings of Flash's performance. Usability (a word | | | | Functionality is does not refer to a website's ability; |
| this time) is the ability for a website to be used. How | | | | functionality is the sum total of all of the features a |
| well can the average internet user get through the | | | | website offers to the user. Instead Flash comes with a |
| website and do what he needs to do? On one hand, | | | | built-in programming language called ActionScript which |
| Flash layouts can be more user-friendly, helping guide | | | | has the potential to greatly increase the functionality of |
| the user to where they "should" be through use of | | | | a website. Any user which likes to play games online |
| animations and highlighting. On the other hand, it can be | | | | has likely witnessed this functionality. However, there is |
| difficult to get where you need to be if you are stuck | | | | another programming language called JavaScript, |
| staring at a bar slowly growing across your screen. | | | | which is native to most browsers today. JavaScript |
| Though the typical Flash website loads in no-time on | | | | has the capability to do just about everything |
| my home cable internet connection, it is sadly not so | | | | ActionScript can, but without being embedded into a |
| for everyone. With a few quick rough estimates, I | | | | Flash file. |
| would say that a Flash website that takes me 3 | | | | There are certainly arguments for and against |
| seconds to load will take the average dial-up user up | | | | ActionScript as a means of increasing functionality, but |
| to 3 minutes. | | | | it essentially comes down to the fact that a website |
| Thus far, it must seem like I am making a case for | | | | designed entirely in Flash is not at all necessary to |
| Flash websites, not against them. At the very least, I | | | | achieve the functionality offered with ActionScript. |
| have not provided enough evidence to condemn Flash | | | | When attempting to design a successful website, any |
| websites to the fiery depths of purgatory. I thought I | | | | web developer must look at all of the aspects of |
| would show you how impartial and fair I could be to | | | | VUSAF. They must then come up with the best |
| Flash in the beginning. Enjoy the rest of the article. If | | | | method of designing the website so that it excels as |
| you do not mind, I will now abandon the ordered | | | | much as possible at each element. Flash websites |
| ranking of Flash websites' capabilities in favor of our | | | | simply are not capable of succeeding at each element, |
| acronym. If this does bother you, please skip down to | | | | and therefore should be avoided when designing |
| F (Come on, really?). | | | | professional-quality websites. |
| Searchability (my last made up word) is the ability of a | | | | |