When not to use flash
Flash is great, but only in moderation. Don't let your website depend on Flash, make sure everyone can enjoy the same content. You should not use Flash for the most important elements on your website. Flash is great to draw people's attention, but if you use it for your main layout be aware!
I am not against Flash, I am sure it can be used for very useful purposes. But when designing pages with Flash, make sure you use it sparse.
Drawbacks of Using Flash
- Most companies have restrictions on their employees' desktops. This means that employees cannot install Flash or other plug-ins themselves, leaving them often with a page full of nonsense.
- Using a Flash website has serious implications on your websites' search engine optimization. Sure, there are various work arounds, but they only work half as good as a non-flash site.
- Who's going to update your flashy website? Better start saving money to hire an expert or take a course in Flash. Anyone can at least make a small update to a 'regular' website, but not everyone can update flash.
- Flash can take a long time to load. And you better make sure it is worth it. If the term "bounce rate" means anything to you, you'll know what I mean
A real world example
When I was working for a company, I wanted to check out the deals for broadband internet access in my area. So I checked the website of my telephone company to see what offers they had available, the resulting page is below:
As an employee I was not allowed to install a Flash plugin. So it looks I was missing out on some great deals.