Have you ever seen a similar message pop up while browsing the web? Do you actually go and download the latest version of Flash Player, or do you just leave the site, frustrated?
Flash used to be a very popular tool for enhancing the look and functionality of websites.
Sure, it definitely has its list of pros:
- It makes adding animated content to websites super easy.
- It makes for a visually interesting user experience.
- It allows you to play video and audio files.
- It’s a great tool for creating interactive presentations.
Flash’s list of cons for online use has been greatly outweighing its pros for years now.
Here are some of the big ones:
- It’s difficult for search engines to read Flash content.
- It’s a pain for the average user to update.
- It’s not compatible with most mobile devices, including Apple’s iPhone and iPad.
- It typically loads slower than non-Flash elements.
- It’s annoying for users to update the Flash Player in their web browsers.
Why It’s Best to Avoid Using Flash on Your Website
In the ever-changing web world, Flash works against three of today’s hottest trends and best practices:
- Good SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of creating relevant, keyword-rich content for your website so that search engines can effectively rank it on their results pages. Good SEO leads to higher rankings and ultimately more targeted website traffic. Search engines have a hard time reading Flash content. So if you use a lot of Flash on your website, there is a good chance you’re missing out on a big chunk of your potential web audience.
- Easily updatable content via a CMS (content management system) is useful for those who don’t know how to code as it provides them with an opportunity to edit their own website. CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are growing exceedingly popular because business owners don’t have to pay a web programmer to frequently make simple updates. Most Flash content cannot be updated using a CMS, and people who don’t know how to program Flash — are out of luck.
- Mobile-friendly websites are a must today, with the rising number of web views coming from mobile device users. Flash is not compatible with many mobile products, such as the iPhone and iPad. Since Apple doesn’t have any plans to make it compatible in the near future, why limit your potential audience by using Flash elements on your website.
Flash Alternatives
The good news is that many of the reasons why we used Flash in the past are now achievable via other methods. Visually appealing animations and highly interactive functionalities can easily be obtained using other increasingly popular technologies such as HTML5, CSS3, Javascript and jQuery.
Contact Sabre today and let’s discuss how to make your website more user-friendly!