Just a note: this is not a technical paper on web development, it speaks in simple terms for those looking to understand basic options and uses for Flash Websites.
When Shannon-Rose first began creating Websites, we generally developed in Macromedia Flash (now owned by Adobe). They were beautiful sites, with incredible transitions and effects. In a sense, Flash is like an interactive movie. When you click to another page, you don’t load another page, you move to another scene of the movie.
There are several issues with purely Flash developed websites, but search engine optimization seems to be the greatest issue. Google has made attempts to index Flash content, but with varied success. Here is an example of a purely Flash driven website we created: www.duramill.com or www.excelsiorpark.com
There are two ways people find your website. First, they search online for a company or product and you show up as a result. Second, you create an advertising campaign, print and online, which will drive people directly to the site.
You will see companies like Nike build giant Flash sites even today. They are fun to look at, but they have a big advertising budget and incredible name recognition. They also have multiple websites with multiple domain names which help in searchability.
Come back soon for Part II of this post.
Posted by Richard Kline