Website question/help

I have a friend who builds log homes. He has a friend who does web design. The web friend put together a web page for him, I'm not impressed but I'm not up-to-date on web design either.
http://cedarsoflebanon.biz/
So my main question is--is using Flash for the whole site common?
I couldn't get it to download, all I saw was the homepage. Is there a problem? My computer or the site?
Any input on the site would be welcome either here or to the webmaster. Thanks

My personal opinion???

It is about the dumbest thing you can do, website design wise.

This happens much more often than it should, especially when a computer ignorant business owner hires a business ignorant website designer.

Most smart surfers keep their Active-X controls turned off for security purposes, only allowing it to run on trusted sites. And for Flash to run, active-x needs to be on.

A large percentage of e-mail viruses exploit through Active-X too.

It is a waste of bandwidth and time besides.

If you are trying to show off your designing abilities or have a website that is strictly for entertainment, Flash has its place.

Flash on a business site is about as useful as giving a fish a bicycle.

If you really want the "oooh and ahhh gimmickry" of Flash, at least have the sense to have a non-Flash entry page and a non-Flash site that gives all the useful information running in parallel with the Flash stuff.

i disagree with silviron. perhaps he would still be using lynx and reading text ads? =) Flash can be done very well and add a depth to a web site that is impossible with plain html. as anyone in business knows; advertising is key, the better your web site comes off the better people will view your product. of course, if you go to an all flash web sight you will loose some potential costomer base, those with older computers or ones, like silviron, who aren't interested in flashy flash.

having said that, all i get when i click on the link is a blank teal colored screen.

since we're on web-sites, i'll share one that i made for a friend's business. www.goshenhouse.com. let me know how you like it.

Maybe I'm just abnormal, but when I go to a business website, I want to know what they offer, how much it costs and how to get it if it is something I need or want. A picture is usually nice, and specifications if it is something technical.

Yeah, you can do neat things with Flash, but to me 99% of it is "Stupid computer tricks" that just waste my time and irritate me.

Might be different if I could get broadband here and there were no security holes so easily exploitable through Active-X.

As far as browsers, I occasionally DO look at a site with a text only browser, mostly for troubleshooting or real security concerns. But I mostly use IE6 when I'm running Windows, although sometimes Opera, and a litttle less often Netscape, and that mostly to make sure one of my sites WILL function with Netscape.

When I'm running Linux, I prefer Opera, although Konqueror is OK. Don't really like Netscape or Mozilla.

papasan: A nice clean design. You should'a entered the CPF design contest! I'd only suggest making the body text a size or two smaller so it's easier to read, but it's no big deal. Good work!

witsend: I've gotta ditto Silviron and here's why: flash has its place in web design, but not as a website's backbone ... at least not yet. When done in tandem with an html option, maybe it's a different story. Just consider that broadband Internet access has penetrated less than 30% of all computing homes. That means more than 70% of potential viewers will experience slow (or no) response from the site. Granted ... folks in the log home market demographic are more likely than most to have broadband access, but limiting exposure goes cross-grain to marketing wisdom.

Even after dropping my system's security and leaving it wide open, the site's flash window doesn't load within a minute (cable speed @ 3 megabits/sec this morning, 1 megabyte download = 2.8 secs). I did get a nice aqua pop-up window, but no data (and I had to turn off my pop-up stopper to get that since I, like many others, hate pop-ups and don't allow them).

It looks like the site's designer has an incorrect URL embedded in his flash reference (maybe he used a relative URL instead of an absolute one and got it wrong?).

IMHO, flash works best right now for product animation, attention getting devices and navigation systems ... and only then as long as alternatives are available for those who's systems don't support flash and the flash elements don't interfere with a site's basic goal of providing information.

Silviron: Good grief you type fast. Got your response in before I could.
Hope this helps!

I would have to agree with Mark. Careful use of Flash on a website can enhance it considerably, but using it for the entire site is a big mistake, since not everyone has the latest version of Flash or is willing to install it.

Even when Flash is used, an alternative using simpler HTML should be offered for people with slow connections etc.

When I see a site that expects me to download/install a viewer or plugin, without any alternative, or any kind of indication of what wonders I will get if I do, my reaction is to hit the back button and go somewhere else.

I couldn't get that thing to load either..

Graham

Thanks for input, I'll pass it along. More would be welcome

Wouldn't work here either. It sat for about four minutes with the "data in" indicator in my systray going at full blast for the entire duration (indicating my computer was accepting the continuous stream of Flash data, probably close to a megabyte's worth), and that was it. The data light went out, the "graphic loading" icon in the frame disappeared, and that was the end of that. Teal screen. Deader than a doorknob. What a waste.

I checked out every page.

It seems ok.

I am with Silviron. When I go to a companys site I want easy to follow clear pages and quick to load. I don't mind flashy things, but not unlesss I look for them, if they are "pushed" in my face I tend to just leave the site almost immediately. I want to be able to look around at my own pace.

I'd say compatibility and ease of use and layout are much more importaint than flash, java and javascript. Typically the latter options get in the way of the compatability.

Your website should work well with:

Netscape 4.x
Netscape 6.x
Mozilla
IE 5.x
IE 6.x
Opera

With and without plugins (that means don't use them).

Otherwise you just discourage potential customers. Nothing is more irritating than a companies site that dosen't work right or you can't access. Many older distributions of web browsers didn't come with flash and the users don't know how to add it.

It possible to have a well designed website that looks sharp and professional w/nothing by html.

Also, more content and more updates are more importaint than gee wiz stuff.

A good web designer will also work to optimize graphics for performance so that the site feels snappy and works for people on modems.

You should interview a potential web site developer and ask them about these things. If they give you answers about how compatibility isn't importaint or that you don't need to optimize your use of graphics then I would suggest you move on to another canidate.

Content.
Ease of navigation/Layout.
Compatibility.
Updates.

-john

The site worked for me, except in the "project showcase" screen, I was not able to access all three pages. Just the first. I do agree however with everyone who says a simple, small, fast loading page should be the first to see, with added extra's like Flash as a bonus for those who like it...

Loaded today for me, too. My monitor is at 1280x960 resolution and for me the body text is very small and hard to read. A darker green shade as the background would help contrast and readability ... black text on a lighter background would be better, though.

i just checked it again and it worked out well this time. took a second to pop up (literally) and it flowed smoothly. i didn't see an awful lot to justify full flash, but some of the transitions were nice.

i still feel that html is a bit old fashioned, at least in its pure form. without at least javascripting the world wide web would be a bland place. there should, however, be a more traditional option for those that want to forego esthetics for simplicity. just not my first choice personally, but then i have that luxury having broadband.

for some cool flash check out www.heavy.com . good stuff, too bad it went subscriber based for the good stuff.

Ah, but while we're on text colours....Website designers need to remember colour blind people. Certain combinations are like a kiss of death to these poor people, like red on green...makes the text impossible to see!

So if you can see it, it looks good?

Silviron said--This happens much more often than it should, especially when a computer ignorant business owner hires a business ignorant website designer.----

I think the site designer was getting lots of positive feedback, but that may have been from other "business ignorant website designer"(s).

I'd be interested in hearing what those who can see the Flash have to say.

Ran a little slow on my laptop and the only section of the site that was fully functional was the "Company Info" section. Everything else was, oh shall we say, in prototype stage or so it would seem. Sections were there, content was not.