Flash has a strong reputation for creating visually stunning websites, and rightfully so. Just head over to The FWA to see some of the best flash-based websites ever designed. As good as flash is at delivering rich media to the web, there are some serious downsides to consider.

One of the largest drawbacks to flash content is it’s relative invisibility to search engines and accessibility programs. The criticism is true when talking about Flash as a closed platform. The code written is compiled into a SWF, and then embedded online. This makes searching an indexing flash content extremely difficult for most search engines. Accessing Flash content is also a problem for screen readers and other accessibility programs.

These issues, combined with the popularity of the Apple devices, create a lot of hesitancy for companies to fully embrace Flash content in their projects and sirs. I’m going to talk about a few key principals that will help Flash gain visibility and accessibility across multiple platforms, and at the same time make Flash content easier to update and maintain.

Does it need to be Flash?

The first step, of course, is to figure out what content needs to be in Flash, and what does not. There’s no point to constructing a site using flash if the same design can be achieved using more open, standards-compliant code. Once the decisions have been made as to what content will be built in Flash, than it’s time to start thinking along the same lines as proponents of web standards.

Use the Principals of Web Standards

The primary rule in web development today is the separation of content from presentation. The same principal can be applied to Flash projects. Separating the content from the design means updating and maintaining the Flash site will be much easier if the code doesn’t need to be recompiled and edited every time a change needs to be made. Making things like the navigation, links, and photos flexible and external are all great steps to create clean, smart, and flexible projects.

Smart Degradation

If the Flash content and design are properly separated, than re-purposing the content is extremely easy. If the content is in XML format, it can be applied to an XML site-map which will help search engines index the site’s content much easier. In addition, there are browser and platform detection scripts which could allow you to display the XML content in regular HTML format if the browser or device isn’t compatible with Flash. (iPad anyone?) You can also detect older browsers and Flash players. Content can then be delivered in the most efficient way possible to all users.

For example, head over to the BKWLD site on an iPad or iPhone, and you will see that the features on the homepage are still visible and interactive. This helps serve the most people possible the site’s content, no matter what environment they are using to visit the site.

Hybrids

There is also the option of creating hybrid sites, which are very popular because they combine flash elements with standard HTML markup. This allows the user to have a rich experience, as well as giving search engines easy access to the site’s content. Making use of flashvars and XML/JSON add to the flexibility of the site by allowing Flash to communicate directly with the rest of the site.

SWFObject & Deep Linking

Making use of programs like SWFAddress and SWFObject allow the Flash content to be more transparent and visible to search engines. SWFAddress will create a specific URL for each page in a full-browser Flash experience. Knowing what section the user is on, and showing that section in the browser’s address bar allow search engines to look at specific pages, and create extremely accurate analytical reports.

SWFObject is a way to create valid code though the W3C Validation tools. Also, SWFObject has the ability to replace Flash content with a static image, which maintains the visual design if the user doesn’t have flash enabled.

Conclusion

It’s ultimately about choosing the right tool for the right project. Flash has many advantages, which need to be carefully weighed against the areas in which Flash falls short. The ideas described here can certainly help Flash communicate better with browsers, search engines, analytical tools, and accessibility programs.