Please do not answer that question with “Yeah! I’m heading out now to the mall to make all the lady shoppers happy!”
What I’m referring to is Adobe flash graphics on your website. Flash on websites has for years been not only desirable but required if you want to capture visitors attention with the beauty of photos, graphic animations, etc. The problem is, however, that all these awesome websites with their flashing graphics cannot be seen on Apple devices. Granted Windows desktop systems and smart phones still hold the lion’s share of the market. But how much does Apple have? While the Windows platform is still the largest in desktop and laptop users as well as Android and other mobile devices, Apple remains huge in and of itself, with iPhones giving Androids a run, iPods a favorite, and iPads a very popular choice among tablet computers. So the answer is: Apple is BIG ENOUGH that you’d better take notice.
What do you do about that? Don’t use flash in your website graphics, that’s what. I have so many clients that rely heavily on their website visitors’ ability to see their portfolios, whether it’s of custom homes, photography, jewelry or just a graphic story on their business. Imagine a potential client typing in your web address, your name and logo appears at the top of the screen, and then….nothing. Blank page. That’s what someone with an Apple iPad sees. Nothing.
Solution: Hire a web designer that can build you a jquery gallery or fancy-schmancy flashing thing. (That could be me). The result is that regardless of what kind of device a potential client is using to surf the web, they will be able to see your “flash-like” graphics. And with the ever-increasing use of iPads, iPhones and iPods, you don’t have to worry – your graphics can be seen on those as well. Throw in a responsive layout, and your website will size down to fit a phone’s screen. Is that cool or what?
I’ve kept it very simple here and it is really more involved than I’ve explained, but I hope you get the picture…literally.
For more information and an interesting letter from Steve Jobs at Apple, visit HERE. He explains his reasons for not incorporating flash capabilities into Apple devices.
So go flash with the best and success to you!
