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A Guide to Successful Flashing

I'm trying to read an online article but an obnoxious little ad pulsates and twitches beside it. I cover it with a Post-It note so I can focus on the article. That's Flash!

I'm immersed in a mind-blowing Web site. The opening screen displays detailed, morphing images and motivating text. A driving beat has my heart thumping. My mouseovers make buttons and icons glow, intricate menus unfurl and tiny graphics swell into high-res displays of colour, light and movement. One click launches a video; another changes the soundtrack. Animated figures float by - I chase 'em down and click to - hehehe - annihilate them. Captivated, I cannot avert my eyes, release my mouse or go to the washroom. That's Flash!

Flash is the multimedia software most commonly used to create the Internet's plethora of animation, interactive forms, immersive game experiences, calculators and super-cool (and even useful) tools.

The Flash player is installed on 98% of all computers, making it, according to its owners, "the most widely distributed piece of software in the history of the Web". Valuable, too: Adobe paid Macromedia $3.4 billion for it. Flash video made YouTube (supposedly) worth $1.65 billion.

What can Flash do for your Web site? For one, make striking visual impressions. On your home page, movement, transformations of colour and form attract eyes, and - if the message is right - draw them in deeper to where you want them - typically to a specific section, product or service.

Flash scales graphics to any size with no loss of clarity, so product shots, artwork and technical illustration stand out in startling detail. Zoom and 360-degree views, animations of moving parts and exploding internals make it a natural for design portfolios, product showcases and process demonstrations.

With high-speed connectivity so common, Flash's loading times are no longer a critical concern. The latest player (# 9) is optimized for Web 2.0-style user contribution and collaboration. Note, though, that content designed for the new player is not backwards compatible - viewers will have to download the free player to access it.

Know too that a pure Flash site may not rank well in the search engines. At present, Google's quality filters won't risk serving up Flash - since they could deliver good or bad content.

Stick to Flash for the rich media stuff, and - like YouTube - use HTML for the page framework, content and navigation. This will keep your site accessible to those using weird or ancient browsers, cell phones and PDAs, and to the blind using screen readers.

Humans generally don't like to be pushed. Flash-enabled controls let viewers 'pull' in site content at the rate, intensity and for the duration they themselves choose. Deeper and longer engagement buys you brand exposure and more chances to frame and deliver impactful marketing messages.

If engaged, users will quite happily endure extended, barefaced brand pimping - witness the number of commercials we'll sit through when tuned into our fave TV shows.

So serve up a Flash-enabled interactive game, calculator, timeline, product demo or decision support tool! Let users navigate through interactive maps, fill shopping carts, 'build' custom product variations, calculate rates, click, poke, slide and tweak controls, draw, erase, colourize and vapourize. But don't forget your purposes in engaging them: to promote your brand and present calls to action that convert them to your goals.

Flash: versatile, powerful and ubiquitous. And potentially: a waste of money, opportunity and bandwidth. If you're thinking Flash, start with a whole-hog examination of your target market and your business goals. Skip that step and you'll likely end up with a costly, difficult-to-update, über-cool-looking Flash in the pan.

Flash is a trade mark of Macromedia® Corp.

(Adapted from an article printed from 'Business Thompson Okanagan' October '07 publication)

Have you any questions or comments? Can we help you at all with your Internet-based marketing needs? Please contact:
Seth Klapman, Marketing
Acro Media Inc.
103 - 2303 Leckie Road
Kelowna, BC, CANADA
V1X 6Y5
tel: 250.763.8884
fax: 250.763.6936

About Acro Media
Acro Media is a professional Web design company and full service Web marketing firm delivering:

The privately held interactive agency is BC's second largest, and very likely, the world's friendliest. Our team of 35 eagerly await your Web-based mission. Standing by.

Acro Media guarantees their work, and builds W3C valid search engine friendly Web sites.

A Guide to Successful Flashing November 14, 2007 Kelowna, BC Use Flash to Attract and Engage
A Guide to Successful Flashing I'm trying to read an online article but an obnoxious little ad pulsates and twitches beside it. I cover it with a Post-It note so I can focus on the article. That's Flash! I'm immersed in a mind-blowing Web site. The opening screen displays detailed, morphing images and motivating text. A driving beat has my heart thumping. My mouseovers make buttons and icons glow, intricate menus unfurl and tiny graphics swell into high-res displays of colour, light and movement. One click launches a video; another changes the soundtrack. Animated figures float by - I chase 'em down and click to - hehehe - annihilate them. Captivated, I cannot avert my eyes, release my mouse or go to the washroom. That's Flash! Flash is the multimedia software most commonly used to create the Internet's plethora of animation, interactive forms, immersive game experiences, calculators and super-cool (and even useful) tools. The Flash player is installed on 98% of all computers, making it, according to its owners, "the most widely distributed piece of software in the history of the Web". Valuable, too: Adobe paid Macromedia $3.4 billion for it. Flash video made YouTube (supposedly) worth $1.65 billion. What can Flash do for your Web site? For one, make striking visual impressions. On your home page, movement, transformations of colour and form attract eyes, and - if the message is right - draw them in deeper to where you want them - typically to a specific section, product or service. Flash scales graphics to any size with no loss of clarity, so product shots, artwork and technical illustration stand out in startling detail. Zoom and 360-degree views, animations of moving parts and exploding internals make it a natural for design portfolios, product showcases and process demonstrations. With high-speed connectivity so common, Flash's loading times are no longer a critical concern. The latest player (# 9) is optimized for Web 2.0-style user contribution and collaboration. Note, though, that content designed for the new player is not backwards compatible - viewers will have to download the free player to access it. Know too that a pure Flash site may not rank well in the search engines. At present, Google's quality filters won't risk serving up Flash - since they could deliver good or bad content. Stick to Flash for the rich media stuff, and - like YouTube - use HTML for the page framework, content and navigation. This will keep your site accessible to those using weird or ancient browsers, cell phones and PDAs, and to the blind using screen readers. Humans generally don't like to be pushed. Flash-enabled controls let viewers 'pull' in site content at the rate, intensity and for the duration they themselves choose. Deeper and longer engagement buys you brand exposure and more chances to frame and deliver impactful marketing messages. If engaged, users will quite happily endure extended, barefaced brand pimping - witness the number of commercials we'll sit through when tuned into our fave TV shows. So serve up a Flash-enabled interactive game, calculator, timeline, product demo or decision support tool! Let users navigate through interactive maps, fill shopping carts, 'build' custom product variations, calculate rates, click, poke, slide and tweak controls, draw, erase, colourize and vapourize. But don't forget your purposes in engaging them: to promote your brand and present calls to action that convert them to your goals. Flash: versatile, powerful and ubiquitous. And potentially: a waste of money, opportunity and bandwidth. If you're thinking Flash, start with a whole-hog examination of your target market and your business goals. Skip that step and you'll likely end up with a costly, difficult-to-update, über-cool-looking Flash in the pan. Flash is a trade mark of Macromedia® Corp. (Adapted from an article printed from 'Business Thompson Okanagan' October '07 publication) Have you any questions or comments? Can we help you at all with your Internet-based marketing needs? Please contact: Seth Klapman, Marketing Acro Media Inc. 103 - 2303 Leckie Road Kelowna, BC, CANADA V1X 6Y5 tel: 250.763.8884 fax: 250.763.6936 About Acro Media Acro Media is a professional Web design company and full service Web marketing firm delivering: Branding, logo designs, & identity packages Corporate marketing & communication Web site design & implementation Web site promotion & Internet marketing Ecommerce software solutions & Web site hosting Custom software & Web applications Multimedia/Flash design & development The privately held interactive agency is BC's second largest, and very likely, the world's friendliest. Our team of 35 eagerly await your Web-based mission. Standing by. Acro Media guarantees their work, and builds W3C valid search engine friendly Web sites.
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A Guide to Successful Flashing November 14, 2007 Kelowna, BC Use Flash to Attract and Engage

A Guide to Successful Flashing

A Guide to Successful Flashing
November 14, 2007
Kelowna, BC
Use Flash to Attract and Engage