Avoid the F Word on Business Websites!

Posted by Laura Bergells

July 16, 2007

stop flashing me I was shocked to hear the “F” word three times this month during business meetings.
Yep, that’s right: three businesses were actually considering using Flash to develop their websites.

Regular readers know that a Flash-driven website can be a HUGE problem for oh, so many reasons. Do a search for “Flash” at this very blog, and you’ll see all kinds of issues that the Flash platform can bring a business. Before you develop an all-Flash site, consider these four questions>>>

Is search engine traffic important to your business? Then Flash is not your best platform for web development. However, you can use Flash sparingly and still get good rankings. Don’t believe me? Read what Google has to say.
Are conversations and multiple touchpoints important to your business? They don’t call it “all Flash, no substance” for nothing. A Flash approach is usually superficial and doesn’t help facilitate a deeper conversation.
Will you be adding new content to your site? Most successful businesses need to frequently add fresh ideas to their sites: news, press releases, products, specials, etc. Flash won’t let you easily grow your online business.
Is measuring your online success important? Many all-Flash sites don’t let you easily measure many valuable marketing metrics. And if you can’t measure - you won’t know what’s working and what’s not.

Remember the old adage — “you cannot manage what you cannot measure.”

And remember the new adage — “if I’m at your website, you already have my attention. So stop flashing me!”