Installing Panic Buttons or Get-out-of-Flash Links
When you’re considering the design of your website, always put yourself in the website visitor’s shoes. Not all website visitors have fast internet connection. Not all of them will be viewing your website from flash-compatible gadgets. While flash videos give websites an “edge” because they look more modern and are, without a doubt, fancier, flash videos can take forever to load. On certain gadgets, the website might even be inaccessible because all your navigational buttons are on the flash video itself.
This is why it’s extremely important for websites to have a get-out-of-flash link. This link or button redirects the visitor from the default flash site to a simpler html website. Is a flash site a waste of money, then? No. People who can view the flash video are bound to be impressed by it if it’s well designed. We have to face the fact that we’re living in an audio-visual age. Sometimes, still images and fancy typography just don’t fit the bill anymore. Unfortunately, in some corners of the world, technology hasn’t quite caught on yet.
So, while flash videos are generally encouraged, it’s still nice to give the website visitor a choice. Perhaps you can even incorporate a nice little modal box explaining how the page is downloading slower than usual. You can install the get-out-of-flash link on your modal box so it’s not permanently placed on your flash site. That way, those who do have internet connections which are fast enough for the design element could see all the work you’ve put into your flash presentation.
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A word of caution, though: never take the alternative html web page for granted because more than 50% of your visitors will probably be choosing this page to the flash page, no matter how fast their internet connection is. This is because internet browsers are generally impatient, and if the flash website takes more than a few seconds to load, they might turn away from your page or click on your alternative html page. To make that alternative html page attractive, apply everything you’ve learned about manipulating white space, typography, and images.
For a professional website that meets the highest level of website design, contact Ignition Media. Our Gold Coast website designers will design and develop a custom website to your needs.