There are a few good reasons to use Flash from Adobe (originally Macromedia) on a site. Most have to do with when you need to integrate time, motion and sound together. Step-by-step procedures work great- as does my favorite class example from the ACLU on what happens when the web goes too far: Pizza
The problem with Flash is that you can’t bookmark specific parts of the embedded movie- or select and read the type.
The following article has some tips on how to make it work- sort of- and how to use Flash to render type for callouts and headlines- using a neat technology called sIFR, but even with all these extra steps- the best solution for search- which means traffic and customers, is to skip Flash if at all possible.
Creating a More Search Engine Friendly Flash Web Site – MarketPosition
Most SEOs and many web designers know that Flash based web sites are a challenge not only to get indexed but to even get the site or pages to rank well in the search engines.
Please note- one of the main ways we drive traffic to our main site, www.thenextwave.biz is by placing a list of our competition on the site in a readable format. Most ad agencies love Flash- which makes them invisible. Good for us, bad for companies that are supposed to be experts at exposing a message to the masses.
Found this very long, but insightful piece on Blog systems compared, and using blog tools to manage a starter website. The key is being able to put you in control of your site- not some geek.
Bop on over to this informative article- it’s long, but useful.
Weblog Tools Collection » Blogging: The Not-So-New Trend
Probably thanks to MySpace’s confused contribution to the world, these days even “normal†people have heard of blogging. Blogging allows amateurs to freely publish information and manage sophisticated online, two-way communication with readers around the world.But, blogging isn’t just for geeks and aspiring musicians anymore. Businesses have jumped on the bandwagon and use blogging as a fluid way to gauge and manage customer sentiment.
Blogs also tend to be a compliment – and in some cases a complete replacement – to traditional online customer support.
So how can blogging help your business?
Use A Blog For Your First WebsiteWhile blogs are often only one aspect of a company’s web presence, I’ve noticed another pleasant trend: blogs as a starting point for businesses. Despite the lack of structure – or maybe because of it – blogging is helping expand website creation beyond its techie origins.
Blogs are making it easier for non-technical people to get involved.
Remember, once your site is built in a database, it can be transported into other more sophisticated site management tools easily- a hard coded site cannot. You also have the opportunity to deliver your content on cell phones- or change the look of your site with the push of a button- but best of all, you can get to the top of search if you’ve taken our Websitetology seminar.
Found this in research for a client project. I’m not sure I agree with his first statement, since content gets you connections, but the rest is there.
As to taking more homework to understand the social media aspects of web 2.0, that’s why we teach Websitetology, we give our students the knowledge to make sites that work.
Getting small fast isn’t as important as being fast period. Sometimes the window for getting attention is so short that someone else will eat your lunch before you even finish ordering it.
Ketchum Interview on PR & Social Media at Like It Matters
Social media is about connection, not content.
Social media is about them, not you.
Social media may be cheaper initially, but it takes far more homework.
Get small fast. (Niche is nice. Think smaller feature sets, more targeted audiences, less chatter from you, and so on.)
Relax, it’s early in the social media game. You’re not behind, because everyone’s just trying to figure out the new environment.
We’ve been running the seminar for almost a year now- and people still are resisting the idea that a website can be a lot more than a brochure or a store. Ideally, you are building a community of like-minded people who are interested in the needs your business serves.
Target marketing is finally becoming a reality with social media.