Flash or Html

[franklin]

Does anyone have any preferences over flash or HTML for e-commerce sites? and why?

Any comments would be really useful!

Thanks.

[compar]

Kill the flash idea right away.

Reasons:

1. The search engines can't read it and won't index a pure flash page.
2. It is sometime interesting the first time you see it. After that is is just a pain in the ass you have to wait through or click by to get at the meat of the site.
3. It may look cute. But it has no place on an e-Commerce site. E-Commerce sites are dedicated to selling. Anything that slows the purchase process down will just drive visitors away.

[spidersam]

Originally Posted by compar

Kill the flash idea right away.

Agreed

[SVB]

Also, a flash website feels more like a program than a website, and im sure alot of people would rather enter their credit card number to a secure looking website than a program in their web browser.

[alpha3m]

agree. flash idea goes in the trash bin.

[thebassman]

Though having some flash to compliment specific parts of the site can be good.

[RockNRollPig]

Originally Posted by thebassman

Though having some flash to compliment specific parts of the site can be good.

VERY little, if any. For the most part, it's pointelss on an e-commerce site.

[maxim]

simply dont use flash if you want a high turn over of constant traffic that creates actual sales!
It has been proven that the average new visitor will allow upto 20 seconds for a page to load, any longer and they simply press 'back' and there of to another site.
people surf quickly now more than ever,and are hungry for information that counts!
Especially if there coming from a search engine they have found you deliberatly and pretty much already know what their looking for. if they see a site they like the sound of, they click the link and have to sit nd wait only to be presented with a useless often uninformative fast moving graphic that is essentially useless. if your gonna give someone a present make sure its something they want instead of something you want them to have.

I learnt this in the adult industry (the hard way).

[maplelium]

Hi guys, sorry I have to disagree...

Take a look at the big companies, Nike for example, they are a heavy-duty user of flash, and it's impressive the way they use for marketing their product.

I think it depends on who your audience is, what product do you sell, etc.

Flash is a very good tools to make your site happening/lively, that's why macromedia is rising up to the surface now, alot of people love it.

[thebassman]

Yes, good for company's that have an established website and brand, but awful for the rest of us who need SEO and whatnot... If people are not going to find your site by opening up their browser and typeing www.yourdomain.com, but rather have to search to find it, flash isn't for you.

[maxim]

exaclty like i said its no good if people are coming from search engines, if you want to impress them and your companies called NIKE and your all about fashion,style and your known all around the world then flash is fine otherwise think twice.

max.

[Natasha]

Flash doesn't sound like a good idea to me. People likely won't wait for it to load, and they might think it a little weird/suspicious looking, since most e-commerce sites don't use flash. Someone mentioned Nike uses it and uses it well, but not many people are Nike... they can get away with it. Really there is no need for Flash.

[Atom]

I have a very strong feeling that flash will, in the not too distant future, capture the entire net by storm, and in a very big way. I predict that "every" site will employ it, and it will be unheard of for "any" site to not use at least some. I don't know if this will happen in the time I have left.. which should be about 30 years if all goes well, but it is most certainly coming. This is something that is quite inevitable, to me. Behold your future, ladies and gentlemen.

As for the present ... well... ya gotta do what ya gotta do..... go with the flow .. put the eats on the table... all that good stuff... whatever puts the $ in the pocket... no doubt.

It's coming though ... it is going to hit w/a vengeance, and sooner than many "webmasters".. currently think. This is my prediction.

But yes, I agree... it's bad.... it's no good... it's a waste .... it's just a novelty ...

..for now.

[compar]

Atom,

If I didn't know better I'd say you sound conflicted.

[LazyJim]

Atom m8 sounds like you've given in to the unstoppable locamotive of Flash!

I say there's better technology than Flash that can be used to add value without being an obsticle for user's to get past (or wait to load/finish). (Also Flash can be used in better ways than we see evidence of up till now, for example, product demos and virtual tours).

I intend to provide examples when I can afford to pick my clients that are suitable for experimenting. Hopefully this won't be too far into the future that Flash has already taken over.

I am concerned about Flash. If it does poliferate like you say, in its current state, it would be horrid! The technology is getting better though, and the people that impliment it need to get better too.

I think sites will become more dynamic and have more special-FX, but that doesn't mean Flash. Hopefulyl it means standards based technology such as XML and SVG, and it will have to be implimented very very thoughtfully.


Some Don'ts:

3rd biggest Flash mistake...
Putting 'skip into' inside Flash!

2nd biggest Flash mitake...
Using Flash! (You should not have a splash page, flash into, or flash-based site.)

TOP FLASH MISTAKE...
Indulging your ego rather than addressing the needs of your site visitors.

[Fusion]

Originally Posted by compar

Kill the flash idea right away.

Reasons:

1. The search engines can't read it and won't index a pure flash page.
2. It is sometime interesting the first time you see it. After that is is just a pain in the *** you have to wait through or click by to get at the meat of the site.
3. It may look cute. But it has no place on an e-Commerce site. E-Commerce sites are dedicated to selling. Anything that slows the purchase process down will just drive visitors away.

I would be careful of dismissing Flash this way. It seems like many people you have been brainwashed by the ubiquitous Flash intros, swirly text and skip intros.

Now this is a shame, when Flash first arrived all hell broke loose with multitudes of poor designers, abusing its real potential. The core technology allows users to be connected in the experience. Its just that most people don't know how to use it.

I agree with the search engines or Google mania not being able to index the sites properly, although the .swf can be de-compiled etc.

But saying Flash has no purpose in e-commerce is unstubstantiated. For example minisite USA, a purpose built Flash RIA. 75% of all people who registered their interest via the minisite -- fully customised the mini to their own personal specification. The mini went on to shatter all sales targets.

Your right in some of your points...

Some sites that utilise Flash in some form:

Nike
Puma
Budweiser
Gillette
Audi
Disney
CNN
Reebok
Cisco
IBM
Nickelodeon
BBC
Volvo

Information is still information regardless of the technology used. Its matters not whether its HTML or XML or Flash. One of the concerns though is the web was made for everyone.

The web has come a long way since Timm Berners-Lee thought up HTML. However HTML (hyper-text mark-up language) core design structure was designed to share scientific documents, not create RIA's. The notion of a web page on it's own merits, dictates a linear prose best suited to publishing, rather than for software interface design.

[edbarton]

Originally Posted by FuSion

Nike
Puma
Budweiser
Gillette
Audi
Disney
CNN
Reebok
Cisco
IBM
Nickelodeon
BBC
Volvo

My main argument for not building flash sites are the seo. All the above sites don't rely on search engines very much, instead on word of mouth and clients.

[Atom]

Originally Posted by compar

Atom,

If I didn't know better I'd say you sound conflicted.

Now that you mention it ... I kinda do don't I? ..

No worries though... I've an exorcism appointment tomorrow at 2:00pm... they said they even make house calls ...

[Fusion]

Originally Posted by cardesign

My main argument for not building flash sites are the seo. All the above sites don't rely on search engines very much, instead on word of mouth and clients.

Yeah, Thanks Google

[Atom]

Yeah, Thanks Google [/quote]