If you haven’t noticed yet, we designed and developed a new Media Genesis website. As you already know, we are a website development company, so keeping up with trends and new technology was a must for this site. Our goals were to have more collaborative content, the ability to easily update the site and simplicity in design.

So, want to find out how we accomplished these goals?

One of the main decisions that led to the structure and look of the site was based on the platform we chose. We first looked to the former MG site which was primarily built in Flash. Flash is software commonly used to create animation, incorporate video into web pages, and recently, to develop Internet applications. In our case, using this platform had its limitations and challenges.

The new MG site is built using a combination of HTML, CSS and jQuery. HTML and CSS are supported by all browsers and are very search engine friendly.  If a site is primarily or completely built in Flash, it is not as accommodating to search engines. The search engines will view the site or the section of the site as one file, meaning there is not the same opportunity to optimize different pages for different keywords, titles and descriptions.  An HTML build also lends itself to be updated frequently and by almost anyone.

Now, does this mean you shouldn’t develop a site in Flash or use Flash components within your website? Not necessarily. It depends on the purpose of the website. For example, Nintendo, in some cases, is using Flash microsites to promote their new games. It makes sense for these sites to be Flash based on the motion and interactivity needed to simulate the experience of the game. Also, when using complicated animation in sections of your website, using Flash is still the preferred way to go.

We still utilized Flash on the new site, but we achieved some of the same experiential effects and motion by using jQuery. jQuery is a JavaScript Library that simplifies HTML document traversing, event handling, animating and Ajax interactions for rapid web development. jQuery can also be used in web applications regardless of programming language or browser type. The portfolio section of the new site, which was developed in jQuery, would previously have required Flash for the transitions and motion within the section. Were it done in Flash, it would require longer loading times and be less search engine friendly. Flash is also not currently supported by several popular mobile platforms, including Apple’s iPhone. This focus on search engine optimization and mobile friendliness has led to a 300% increase in site traffic since the new site’s launch.

In the end, the lesson from this article is not a discussion over whether  HTML or Flash is better as a whole, but what is better for your company and how you want users to interact with your website.