What's wrong with Flash?

[codescool]

I think I've read on this site where they recommend against using Flash. If I am correct about that may I ask why ?

I have found flash Slide Shows manipulating Church Pictures to be very
nice looking. 3" x 2 " shows of church people in various activities and events helps show where people can belong and therefore be inviting.

Certainly you can over-do it but a well-thought out Flash Slide-show can be beautiful ... IMHO.

Cheers!

Charlie

[David Gillaspey]

I think I've read on this site where they recommend against using Flash. If I am correct about that may I ask why ?Hi Charlie,

Generally, the material you see on my website (which hosts this forum) and on this forum discourage using Flash to make an entire site. Personally, I think Flash is ideal for animations, audio, and video, all uses at which Flash excels. Some members of this forum don't much like Flash at all, however, so you get a range of opinion.

[generalhavok]

I totally agree. Flash is fine, but its limitations should be recognized. Most Flash objects can't be read by search engines, so it should NEVER be used for navigation without additional consideration. Any mission-critical item on the website should work as intended when people don't have the Flash plugin.

In other words: make a good website, and augment it with Flash...but don't use Flash instead of making a good website.
:)

[flutem3]

In other words: make a good website, and augment it with Flash...but don't use Flash instead of making a good website.

Hi to one and all,

Could someone please give me an illustration of a website on which flash has been used well?

Sometimes I don't recognize what I am looking at. Sometimes, I do.

By the way, take a look at this web site. Tell me what you think just in general. Be advised there are a number of sections to it.

www.willowcreek.org (http://www.willowcreek.org/)



Thanks!

Carol

[generalhavok]

Hi, Carol! :)

Here's a website that uses Flash to make things just a little nicer:
http://missionincrease.org/

Notice the moving water? It's actually laid on top of the photo...so, if someone doesn't have Flash, they just see the photo without the animation. A simple example, but a neat one.

The Willow Creek website is neato. That's why most people use Flash: it adds a coolness factor. If someone knows the ups and downs, they can make a good decision about Flash. For example: Ford Motors uses Flash on their website. It doesn't seem to hurt them at all, and their website is very well-built. Here's the difference between Ford and our churches:

Ford spends tons of money on advertising for brand recognition and to drive people to their websites. Our churches don't. Without that corollary advertising, our churches must rely on word of mouth and search engine traffic to get visitors. With a Flash page like Willow Creek's main page, here's what search engines can read:

Willow Creek Community Church
(C) Willow Creek Community Church
67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL 60010
(847) 765-5000
General e-mail: info@willowcreek.org
Church Resources: wca@willowcreek.org
About this Site

If you read it yourself, you can see MUCH more content on that page...but search engines can't. If Willow's point is to get the word out, they might want to rethink their approach. If they're not concerned about that (and they might justify being unworried), they don't need to think about it at all. My church, however, isn't Willow Creek. We want strangers to find us easily, and can't spend tons on advertising to do it.

Because we're concerned about it, we're #3 on Google (of almost 2 million) for the phrase "churches in [our town]". With a Flash site, we'd be all but invisible.

Make sense? Flash is great, but people need to think about their goals before making a website with it.

[flutem3]

My church, however, isn't Willow Creek. We want strangers to find us easily, and can't spend tons on advertising to do it.

Hi, General,

I tried "churches in Wabash" on Google. We were listed fourth. I did not include the state just to make certain of what I would get. I think that is reasonable. The Friends Church is number one. It was done by a professional group. However, I am going to need to talk to Mark about putting people before buildings. :D

Carol

[generalhavok]

I tried "churches in Wabash" on Google. We were listed fourth.That's awesome! A website is only effective if it gets the word out, and when someone is looking for a church in your town, you can be found. That's the goal.

[flutem3]

Hi, General,

I was pleased as well. When I started our website, I put our name on all district and conference stuff, UMC stuff, Chamber of Commerce, Church Angel, Yahoo, MSN...everywhere I could think of. People seem to have no trouble at all finding us. For that I am grateful. I agree there is little sense in having a website if nobody can find it.

In fact I have tried all kinds of combination's of the words, Wabash, Methodist, United Methodist, etc. together. It is easy to find us...at least it is easy for me! :D

I am grateful.

Carol

[codescool]

http://www.bpbc.com/ Is a beautiful website and definitely uses Flash.

Maybe using a slow-loading Flash Header or Intro page should be reconsidered but to me, using well designed Flash slide-shows for top events or recent sermons in panels are very attractive and have a staying-on-site effect.

Interesting ..... searching google with "churches in South Barrington" returns Willow Creek on top but there may be other factors.

Point taken about being searchable.

[JackWolfgang]

http://www.bpbc.com/ Is a beautiful website and definitely uses Flash.

But without Flash, you lose 80% of the content. Without Flash, you have 17 links, a church name, an address, and a copyright statement.

[codescool]

http://www.bpbc.com/ Is a beautiful website and definitely uses Flash.

But without Flash, you lose 80% of the content. Without Flash, you have 17 links, a church name, an address, and a copyright statement.


I'm not sure I'm understanding your point. Do you mind clarifying ?

[flutem3]

I'm not sure I'm understanding your point. Do you mind clarifying ?

Hi,

I am not Jack, but I can tell you from my own experience. I didn't know beans about JavaScript. It turns out that is what my software uses to make menus. However, if a person doesn't have JavaScript enabled, he/she cannot navigate most of our website.

So if people do not have flash, and many people don't, they won't be able to see much of your website. Part of it depends upon the age of your target group. Younger people will probably have Flash. People my age are afraid to download it. However, I have it.

That, I think, is the point Jack was making. If not, I will not have learned my lessons on here very well. :D And I have learned a lot here!!!

Carol

[JackWolfgang]

http://www.bpbc.com/ Is a beautiful website and definitely uses Flash.

But without Flash, you lose 80% of the content. Without Flash, you have 17 links, a church name, an address, and a copyright statement.


I'm not sure I'm understanding your point. Do you mind clarifying ?

Blackshear Place website, with Flash enabled:
http://images.JackWolfgang.com/GreatChurchWebsites/200809Sep23/BlackshearPlaceFlash.jpg

Blackshear Place website, with Flash disabled/not integrated with the browser/not installed:
http://images.JackWolfgang.com/GreatChurchWebsites/200809Sep23/BlackshearPlaceNoFlash.jpg

As you can see from the screenshots, the website with Flash unavailable becomes a virtual blank canvas.