| There are many different types of web design, from | | | | confuse visitors who just want to quickly interact |
| those built using website templates and 'build your | | | | with the website and not be amazed by the way the |
| own' site building applications to complex content | | | | menu animates. Just because you can do these |
| managed and e-commerce web designs such as | | | | things in Flash, it doesn't mean they have any real |
| those used by big brand names like Amazon, eBay | | | | working value in the real world. They may look |
| and Tesco. Some companies, even some big name | | | | pretty, but if they are not functional and only irritate |
| companies, have unprofessional looking and badly | | | | the visitor then they have no real value. |
| designed websites. Some have amazing looking | | | | Flash Web Design & SEO |
| websites but because of their high graphical content | | | | Another argument against using Flash to create a |
| and minimal text content can take an age to load, | | | | whole website is that it dramatically reduces the |
| are not user friendly and do not provide what the | | | | effectiveness of your websites' Search Engine |
| visitor wants. | | | | Optimisation. Flash web designs are made up of one |
| Good Website Design | | | | main file within a web page which search engines find |
| Though many aspects of website design differ from | | | | difficult to index. This is because the text within them |
| site to site, many things remain the same throughout | | | | is usually graphical text and therefore is not usually |
| the majority of websites on the internet. Most | | | | accessible by search engines. Some recent |
| notably is the navigation or menu. The way in which | | | | developments allow some text to be displayed for |
| a website's menu works and looks is very important, | | | | search engines in Flash websites, but this is nowhere |
| as ultimately, visitors to a website are looking for | | | | near as effective as text content within traditional |
| certain criteria that will make them either stay and | | | | HTML based websites. |
| interact or leave. This ability for a website to keep | | | | Don't Write Off Flash in Web Design |
| visitors interested is sometimes referred to as | | | | Although Flash does have its limitations it also has its |
| stickiness. Visitors want an attractive visually exciting | | | | good points if used correctly. For instance; Flash |
| experience, but perhaps more importantly, they want | | | | animation is usually smaller in file size than traditional |
| 'ease of use'. Website usability is a key factor for | | | | gif animation and because of the way it is made the |
| websites that want their visitors to stick around, | | | | animation flows smoother than gif animation too. |
| make an enquiry and ultimately complete a | | | | Having said this, I would recommend only using Flash |
| transaction and order a product or service. | | | | in small areas within a site to compliment other |
| Easy to Use Web Design | | | | imagery that makes up the overall design. Finding a |
| Internet users tend to prefer easy to use websites, | | | | balance between minimal graphical elements, imagery, |
| because they do not want to have to learn how to | | | | Flash and good quality informative text is the key to |
| use a website every time they find a new one. They | | | | a successful user friendly website. This isn't to say |
| should be able to use a website after only a few | | | | that web design needs be boring. By working with |
| seconds of looking around a homepage, any more | | | | quality web design companies there's no reason why |
| and they will leave and browse elsewhere. The need | | | | you couldn't have a visually exciting, well designed, |
| for fast user interaction is vital and therefore having | | | | easy to use and successful website. |
| a fast loading website is also important for a website | | | | Visually Stimulating Web Design |
| to succeed. Even with faster internet connections | | | | When visitors first arrive at a website, they want to |
| such as broadband, internet users don't want to wait | | | | be impressed and engaged with what the website |
| around. | | | | has to offer. This will be determined by the ways in |
| Just imagine, if you go to a shop on the high street | | | | which the web designer has laid out the website's |
| and are totally ignored by shop assistants at the | | | | content text, images and features. Arranging |
| counter for 5 minutes, even after you have made it | | | | elements such as imagery, text, graphics, flash and |
| clear you want help. There is a correlation here to | | | | video in such a way as to keep the visitor interested |
| how an internet user may feel, when they arrive at a | | | | in the website is the key to good web design. If a |
| website that has been poorly designed, is difficult to | | | | website has poor design and doesn't grab the |
| use, unfriendly and slow to load. Making sure that a | | | | attention of the visitor in the first few seconds, then |
| website has been well thought out and designed with | | | | it may well be dismissed as just another average |
| the user in mind, displays a company's unique selling | | | | website. This ultimately means the visitor will go |
| points within easily recognizable eye catching calls for | | | | elsewhere to spend their time and, more importantly, |
| action and has a clear, easy to use menu is key to | | | | money. |
| its success. | | | | Good Web Design Layout |
| Flash Web Design | | | | A lot of time and money is spent making sure that |
| With recent web design advancements, such as the | | | | the right elements of websites are positioned in the |
| introduction of Flash animation and high definition | | | | right places. Companies spend large amounts of |
| video content, impressive websites have been | | | | money conducting research into how internet users |
| produced to take advantage of much higher levels of | | | | use their websites. This type of research shows |
| visual effects and interaction. However with this 'high | | | | where their visitors' eyes concentrate the most, |
| end' web design, comes a price, more often than | | | | which elements of the website they click on first and |
| not, web designs which rely heavily upon Flash | | | | generally how they interact and use their websites. |
| content are often ridiculously slow to load. They | | | | Most internet users will look primarily from the top |
| often have a progress bar, which slowly goes across | | | | left either across the page, or down the left hand |
| the web browser to signify when the website will | | | | side of the web page through an internet browser |
| finish loading. | | | | via a computer, mobile phone or TV set. |
| This is much like the progress bars that you may be | | | | I would hazard a guess, that they are looking for the |
| familiar with if you use video editing or 3D rendering | | | | company's name or logo, their main selling points or |
| software, or if you use games consoles where they | | | | slogans and then what the website has to offer in |
| are displayed whilst you wait for games to load. | | | | terms of what is featured in the menu. After which |
| Internet users on the whole do not want to wait 3 - | | | | their eyes are probably drawn across the page |
| 5 minutes for a web page to load even if it does | | | | content and over to the right hand side. Successful |
| feature high resolution images, animation or video. | | | | web design usually takes this into consideration and |
| They want fast informative content rich websites. If | | | | will ultimately affect the way a website looks. |
| they wanted to watch an animation or video they | | | | There are of course rather famous exceptions to |
| would watch TV. | | | | this rule for instance one rather well known search |
| Good Flash Web Design | | | | engine has a web design which is quite different. The |
| This is not to say that Flash animation is all bad news | | | | main focus and core functionality in their web design |
| and shouldn't be used in web design. If used subtly | | | | is located right in the centre of the page. This |
| and in small amounts it can make a website more | | | | however, isn't any ordinary website with tens or |
| visually appealing without slowing the load time down | | | | even hundreds of pages of products and services to |
| too much. Suitable uses for Flash animation in web | | | | display, its main focus is its recognisable logo and of |
| design are things such as; Flash banner | | | | course its search box. It does however feature a |
| advertisements, Flash video and interactive Flash | | | | small minimal menu across the top of the web design, |
| forms for online questionnaires or business | | | | which flows from left to right. So even they have |
| presentations. | | | | taken onboard some of the research undertaken into |
| Using Flash for a whole website design however, is | | | | internet users' habits. If you go looking at websites |
| not such a good idea. It slows the user's experience | | | | after reading this article, I can guarantee that most |
| down because they have to wait for elements of it | | | | of the web designs you'll see, will have a left hand |
| to load. Also, sites totally developed in Flash tend to | | | | menu and a defined header bar with a company logo |
| use unfamiliar menu structures and features. This can | | | | and slogan across it. |