Myth: If you build a site in Flash, search engines can’t see it.
Myth: Sites built in Flash are hard to use because the browser controls don’t work.
Myth: Flash sites are unusable by visitors that need assistive technologies.

One of the many common assumptions of website design is that you can have rich interactivity using Flash or, you can have a site that is easy to use, accessible and also search engine friendly. We’re happy to let you know that this is no longer the case. You can have it all, but you have to plan for it and do some extra work.

In our recent work for Burgerville, we faced these and many other hurdles that evolved from our commitment to be both compelling AND technically savvy to the search engine marketing world we live in.

In general, the shortcomings with Flash fall into three key categories: usability, accessibility, and search engine blindness.

• Usability
  • Browser Back/Forward button doesn’t usually work as users’ expect.
  • Browser bookmarking is not possible for a section within the animation/application.
  • Non-standard GUI controls (scrollbars, etc.) are used.
  • Gratuitous animation can become annoying.
• Accessibility
  • Flash is not readable by text-only browsers for the visually impaired.
  • Keyboard navigation is frequently not provided.
  • Screen readers cannot read Flash action script without specific effort on the part of the developers.
• Search Engine Compatibility
  • Search engines do not index Flash websites because they cannot see readable text, metadata, or body copy.

Many of these shortcomings with Flash had to be overcome if we were going to help Burgerville be successful. Well-known usability, accessibility, and search engine problems demanded technical creativity and innovative thinking.

A Look Under the Hood

When we created the Burgerville site, we put the known issues with Flash into the creative mix and came up with some solutions.

• Usability
  • Back/Forward and bookmarking functionality is fully supported.
  • There are no non-standard GUI components within Flash.
  • Flash-based content is an integrated element within the site.
  • Generous hit areas and obvious calls to action were implemented so that users know that they can interact with the Flash section of the website.
  • The majority of the user experience is contained within Flash and separate from the indexed content; while customers are navigating the site, they will notice the integrated animation, but only if they choose to.
  • The system does not force site visitors to finish watching animations before presenting content.
• Accessibility
  • We designed the site to allow virtually any browser, even a text-only web browser, to have access to all the content on the website.
• Search Engine Compatibility
  • The bulk of the site content is created using HTML and is readily indexed by search engine crawlers.
  • All major website guidelines published by Google for webmasters were implemented for the site.

Key Technologies

We employed both server-side and client-side programming techniques to maximize the website experience. On the server-side, technologies include Microsoft .NET and Microsoft SQL Server, which provide a powerful framework for the entire Burgerville website. Client-side technologies include Flash and Javascript, which enhance the user experience with fluid animations and page transitions.

The content for the entire website is housed and maintained within a Content Management System (CMS). This provides a convenient way for one or more content authors to collaborate and manage content on the website.

So, in the argument between Flash vs. SEO, both sides can be declared winners. It just takes planning and know-how.