Flash is a very useful tool and when used correctly enhances a web site. Unfortunately there are some that believe, incorrectly I might add, that their entire site should be Flash. Or maybe their web developer (groan) thought they could…well make a lot of money off of a client that is uneducated. Flash sites should “do” something interesting and not act as a “static” site.

Flash drawbacks:
You have to sit and wait for it to download.
It’s lousy for search engine optimization
You can’t bookmark or print anything.
It’s expensive to maintain.
You’ll use a lot more bandwidth.
It won’t print.
If you fall under the ADA it can’t be read by braille readers.

Quite often Flash is used as a splash page and to be honest I hate dislike them. I’ll do them if the client insists, but will always advise against it.

I recently read this analogy, and it is a good one.

Go to the grocery store and take a mime with you. Have the mime stand in front of the store and give a 2-minute presentation to each person wanting to enter as to how to find the bread on aisle 4, and the milk in the refrigerator section.

Now would you as a shopper stop and watch the mime or just go through the door? Besides you can spend the money on something else. Something that is actually useful.