Flash. Who hasn’t heard of Flash? Since its release it rapidly gained in popularity and use until there was flash in everything you saw, every header, every navigation menu, every advert – Flash, Flash, Flash. The key to using Macromedia’s tool in web development is to use it in moderation, which is the subject of this article.

Macromedia Will Tell You that Flash is the answer to your prayers when it comes to being used as a way to incorporate a professional look to your website, and they’re not wrong either. Here are the reasons why you should listen to them:

• The Load Time of Flash movies is fast (as long as you don’t put it in everything) and saves download time since it is a vector based vessel whereas HTML isn’t.
• Flash caches its movies, which is actually what a browser does as well so as to save reload time. The two working in conjunction give the application a streamlined and quick experience.
• Flash is all about the user having a rich client experience due to its responsive nature.

So this is all well and good – after all, you’re here because you’ve decided absolutely to incorporate Flash into your website. But knowing the reasons why and just how Flash can help you accomplish your goals and visions is an important part in developing any website.

New technologies like Microsoft’s ASP.net and Java Server Faces, HTML is no longer a boring, static tool to build websites but can provide the same or similar rich client experience that Flash promises. So why use Flash? Because despite these applications, Flash makes difficult and complex things easy for instance hardcore animations are more easily developed in Flash than with any other tool.

Also, Flash has crossplatform support and can work on virtually any browser enabling a uniform look on either Mac or PC.

To avoid the overuse of Flash in every component of your website, understand where exactly you’re going to use Flash and why you’re using it. Once you have the goals clearly defined, you can proceed forward with the design and development.

Always have two versions of the website in both Flash and non-Flash yet still incorporating the same level of interactivity with the user, because a lot of users are now switching to Firefox which doesn’t come with a pre-installed Flash plugin and a pure Flash website will not display much of its content to such browsers.

Use Flash in presentation-type movies similar to a commercial where a user sits back and enjoys the show as the movie delivers the message with animation, sound and video. Do not make this an obligatory part of your website like an intro or a flashy header but leave it to the user as a choice to learn more about a product or service.

Think ‘rich ui’ applications. These are navigational systems and calendars which would look extremely lacklustre if it weren’t for the interactivity and user friendliness that Flash provides.

Ensure a quick load by not clustering your application with too much unnecessary information and providing only what your client can use. Though preloaders are a good measure of control, they should follow through quickly with no delay.

Remember Your Message and help Flash deliver it effectively, because if you’re just filling up space you’re not selling anything. Flash is an excellent tool, use it to help and not hinder you.

If Flash is used well, it is still an extremely powerful tool to incorporate into websites providing users with a rich, crisp viewing and browsing experience.