Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Don’t Let Your Content Get Flashed
byThe dawn of a mainstream mobile web is upon us. Cell phones and smart phones have had rudimentary internet capabilities for some time now, and the iPhone has brought us the richest experience yet. However, one thing that most of these mobile devices don’t yet provide is full Adobe Flash support.
Thanks in part to social video sites like YouTube, Flash has become a very popular way to distribute online media. Flash is a great way to enhance existing content in a web page, such as providing interactive charts, demonstrative animations, or videos. In extreme cases (see just about any Hollywood movie web site), Flash can be used for navigation and content...or even the entire site. And for the millions of users out there with modern desktop and notebook computers, it usually works just fine.
But the number of users viewing web sites on the go is increasing, as well as the number of platforms and browsers they’re using. In the mobile sector alone, there are dozens of platforms, all capable of rendering HTML, but not full Flash (although some support Flash Lite, a less capable version of Flash meant for simple user interface and animation...but it’s not the same thing). Developing using web standards has never been more important. Depending on proprietary technology like Flash for critical information is becoming harder to justify. In web sites where Flash is used to present content, mobile users are being shut out.
This can also affect advertising campaigns on the web. Flash and rich media banner ads are very popular today, but how effective will they be as more and more people won’t be able to see them? Text ads, such as Google’s AdWords and AdSense will no doubt continue to grow in popularity.
This is not a call to stop using Flash. It is great technology when used wisely. But as the mobile web continues to become more mainstream, it becomes more important to keep your content accessible to everyone.
