FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

**djw** · 03-22-2007, 06:31 PM

After a few years patching cables in networks and helping friends out with some basic web work thought I would start to learn more . Started the easy way with FLASH (its a joke!!! never worked so hard in my life)) - my site is now 80% complete. Used a purchased FLASH template - had great fun learnt a tremedous amount and only scratched the surface!! Still please if you have time take a look - particilarly interested in the following:
Are the pop up windows complete with text? They are on my PC, but viewing some others there is no text - think maybe they have had the pop up ability disabled from their network centre.
Any opinions gratefully recieved - I have so much to learn about something I really enjoy.

http://www.dxswebdesign.com

**Aliens Anonymous** · 03-22-2007, 06:53 PM

First thing first, i don't know on what size computer you built it on but you might want to think about reducing the size, as it burst out the side of my computers and i have 1152 by 862 and most of it was half way down my screen and i could not see the right side with out scrolling.

You have the setting width="1262" height="1448" , open the html page and change the width="1262" height="1448" i beleave there are three places two inside the OBJECT tags and one just below the body tag.

**webb and romic** · 03-22-2007, 09:17 PM

Hi there
yes I agree with the other post > everything was so big. The main title was theonly thing on the screen plus it took along time to load. I have a wide screen but it is best to centre it for 800 or 900 and then some people with smaller screens will have to scroll
Keep up the good work though as there is so much to learn. But I would really concentrate on resizing first and foremost and maybe using more dynamic color scheme as this did not inspire me it was a little flat. That is just my opinion and I am sure others will love the colors. anyway have fun and look forward to seeing the revised site
james

**kenb** · 03-22-2007, 09:28 PM

Yes the size problem is there. Those scroll over pics that light up are great but can U have them open to more info? I really liked the soft stops of the screen when vertical scrolling. Can you share that secret? All in all pretty impressive. I love flash sites!

**Aliens Anonymous** · 03-23-2007, 12:17 AM

Your getting there, in the line.
<BODY bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<DIV style="position:absolute;left:8px;top:40px;width:848px;height:541px;z-index:0" align="left">

Change FFFFFF TO 000000 this should change the background to black from white.
then try changing the left to centre,
in the top:40px try reducing to 10 or 20 this will pull the movie up towards the screen tool bar.

you might want to increase the height to 700 or 800 this make the text larger

**Bethers** · 03-23-2007, 03:34 AM

You must have sized it down - but now I can't read anything it says -

**Vasili** · 03-23-2007, 05:58 AM

I can't get it to load whatsoever......I wonder if it is the IDM tool I have that is preventing auto-loads of certain sites? I can load other Flash sites, but not one that is VH hosted it seems....how odd is that?

I so much wanted to see one of the few Flash sites in VodaLand!

(I have always been bothered by the fact the IDM pops up to "download" music files and other elements on sites....and I cannot find a way to turn it off, other than completely send it to the bin. Since I paid for it, that seems stupid to me. Any ideas on how to "shut off" or diasble my IDM, even selectively? It does offer some "protection" from nefarious downloads, I must admit.)

**SherylT** · 03-23-2007, 06:04 AM

I agree with Beth. Everything is so small on my screen that I can't read a thing.

**motoxxx** · 03-23-2007, 06:12 AM

I can't read anything either and I am on a 21 inch monitor! The site is pretty cool but for SEO purposes the flash will be a hinderence. I really like the stereo imaging of the music though.

**Vasili** · 03-23-2007, 06:25 AM

Finally loaded.....(you must have been reloading?).....I saw this template and liked it too. There is actually a similarly designed intro, one of the few complimentary pairs I saw.....did you see it too?

Me tends to believe you must be doing your work on a widescreen, so it appears normal to you, and is contributing to your "issues." Most all templates are best left alone in the size and demensions originally created, as they are designed to optimally present.

Aliens has the words and suggestions to follow, my man, so seems like we're all waiting for your next move!!

**Aliens Anonymous** · 03-23-2007, 08:58 AM

Hi again
sorry half asleep last night.
you can also change and probably better and easier if you open the source file for the template ( one you open to edit ) in the tool bar at the top click modify, then click Document, you can change the size and background color there. the other fix is a quick fix and will disappear if you edit the file and republish.

**Mook25** · 03-23-2007, 10:43 AM

The site itself looks good, well layed out and very professional looking. However as has already been said before, you definately need to increase the size of your font so that we can read it, I'd say at least to 12 so that we can read it. You also need to name the page. At the moment you have the title of the page as index.

**proactivator** · 03-23-2007, 01:38 PM

Hi,
I do agree that you have mastered the use of flash very well indeed, but I could not read anything on my screen (1024 x 76

. Why do so many designers use large screens and high resolution and then forget about their site visitors? If you used a screen more like those your viewers use then such mistakes would not occur. Is this site meant for media customers and the like? If so, all well and good. If you're looking for mainstream business then this is just wrong. Why do I not like this site? Because it says "look at me, do you like my purple and orange suit, I'm the cats whiskers". ie I think you should tone it down it down and use flash judiciously. But I do think you have great skills.
Regards, James.

**Mook25** · 03-23-2007, 02:16 PM

i would also add that not everyone has flash players so you could lose visitors this way. Have you ever considered making an HTML version of your site and having the index page of the domain as a splash page so that users can choose whether to view your flash or HTML site.

**djw** · 03-23-2007, 05:10 PM

Thank you all for taking the time to look - very constructive and very useful feedback. I've always suspected since I first published a month ago that different PCs got different views and your feedback confirms it! I will spend the weekend playing around some more, I too love FLASH - its the future, a Japanese movie site inspired me to get to know it more it was something I just wanted to keep and look at - truly stunning as are the templates available from Vodahost's providers - the designers deserve an award at least . I have followed some of Aliens guidance, a useful, knowledgeable and helpful person to know. Five years to try and turn a hobby into something more professional - sure to let youknow when its completed and updated

**carey,brandin** · 03-23-2007, 05:24 PM

it looks great now. although you might want to consider bringing up the size of the font. it is really hard to read.

brandin

**Aliens Anonymous** · 03-23-2007, 05:43 PM

Don't adjust the size of the text before you have redone the movie size width and height. because as you have seen when you reduced the size the text shrank to fit. if you in crease the width and height the text will also increase.
first address the size of the movie swf the size of the text will reassign it's self larger as you go, then once you have it centered and the height may be 700 0r 800 the if then the text is still hard to read same change it but i think once you have changed the height and centered you will find it better

**Bethers** · 03-23-2007, 07:35 PM

Just a comment - your website is called webdesign - and flash, while it has some great uses, is not a good for most webdesign as it will not be seen properly by search engines (or many people).

Make sure you are targetting a side of the web that doesn't and isn't going to need the search engines to send traffic (unless it's via some sort of advertising).

**Vasili** · 03-23-2007, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Bethers

Just a comment - your website is called webdesign - and flash, while it has some great uses, is not a good for most webdesign as it will not be seen properly by search engines (or many people).
Make sure you are targetting a side of the web that doesn't and isn't going to need the search engines to send traffic (unless it's via some sort of advertising).

Coming from our resident "SEO Guru" I am flabbergasted that you would make such a comment, Beth!

Flash (ColdFusion, Swish, Java, and especially Dreamweaver) created websites produce amazing visual dynamics that make websites sizzle, to be sure, but they too need to be optimized for optimal performance!
There is a lot that can be done to clean up code, inserting meta and Alt info, managing Key Words and Content relevance and other commonly discussed elements of SEO in Flash.....since it is rarely done, it is obvious where this erroneous conclusion comes from!

Similar to how Blue Voda *******tes metrics in CSS and HTML, it is a common practice to create and publish HTML files as a means of "ghosting" data for proper caching and "ranking" (if you will) by the SE's, thereby not diminishing optimal results merely by using Flash, Swish, or any other dynamic code. As this can be a laborious and exacting practice, it explains why the majority of such sites are not truly optimized, and why the fees for professional optimization are seeming more than commonly understood.

In every "constructed" website (via a template, carts, forums, turn-key, or other foundation) the perponderance for sloppy coding and persistent errors and useless code that should have been deleted and not left to stand is so prevalent that this optimization process needs be performed to even achieve minimal acceptance! The one area that typically poses the most problems is actually links, and how they were set up via code: most of the time the page structure itself is not compliant, and less than perfect links and linking strategies thwart a basic Se review process. Another common practice is "overwriting" code, which unlike BV does not replace one item with another, but actually leaves previous coding present but simply tries to insert additional code with a command or structure that is "more important" by means of action commands, thus causing confusion (and dysfunction for visitors) to the SE's as they try to follow the logical string. When I mention "sloppy code" I refer to numerous areas of concern that should be addressed and "cleaned up" and remind this practice to be applied even to our Forums, carts, and other "pre-constructed" technologies we mistakenly assume are perfected!

Blue Voda is the superlative web building tool in use today, but manipulating the different layout aspects ("bring to front", add this last, etc.) and properly completing elements of design (Meta, Key Words, description, etc.) according to our defined "checklist" is the best that can be done to make our BV websites "SEO-prepared" but should not be considered "optimized"! In all honesty, this is a confusion between optimized construction and the process of optimizing "net validation" and SE compliance. Below are handy references to learn more about the issues I've commented on, chosen for their "readability" and clarity.

Specific Flash Optimization Techniques (Whitepaper)
More on True Optimization Practices (Article + W3C Validation Info)

Your post above made me conclude that it is time this be brought out into the open so everyone can properly understand the fine details that they are so preoccupied with and never fully quite understand. Don't you agree?

**Bethers** · 03-23-2007, 09:51 PM

I did not say to not use flash, I said to be careful is using it and didn't phrase myself correctly.

I apologize.

Flash needs to be optimized completely differently than other sites - and it's important to know this and do so - or you will fall into the factors that it cannot be seen.

I happen to like this article on optimizing for flash and I should have given it before: How to SEO Flash

Thank you Vasilli for posting. I agree with all you say.

I will stand by my belief that for most sites today, especially people doing their own work and own SEO, they need to use flash very carefully.

**Aliens Anonymous** · 03-23-2007, 10:16 PM

First there was black and white tv then there was colour, then teltex, then flat screen, lcd, ******, and digital and now HD tv, technology moves on faster and faster these day, google and other search engines will catch up one day, same as why does everyone build and is advised to build sites that conform to 800 wide , when scents the introduction of usb and Ethernet the average monitor is is 18inch 80% of internet users use larger monitors. Why because were told too, blaaar

**Aliens Anonymous** · 03-23-2007, 10:38 PM

Just as a after thought if people rely on google and others, people with iframes on the site are bo####ed

**Vasili** · 03-23-2007, 10:45 PM

LOL!
I can't figure out the "iFrame" comment, Alien! Wished I could....I need a laugh about now!

I am stuck with iFrame use until I can find enough energy to convert my sites to php......so until I can figure out your "observation" above, I don't know if I should look forward to smiling in agreement or hang my head in embarrassment!
PS: That "email package" will be arriving today as promised!

(Beth: No problem, kiddo! Page has been turned and we're still friends!)

**Aliens Anonymous** · 03-23-2007, 10:50 PM

if google brings the veiwer to the page within the iframe the effect of having the iframe is lost.

No problem will sort it

**Bethers** · 03-24-2007, 01:36 AM

Vasili, I'm glad you commented as you did - cuz I shouldn't ever make a blanket statement like I did - but, unfortunately, most of the sites I see using flash haven't spent any time considering how everyone will see it - as you and I both keep trying to say - people have to do their homework.

Aliens, the 800 width is very important if people don't want to alienate - especially in certain types of sites - but, yes, it can be worked around - to a degree. I'm sure I lose a little business by going about 1000 wide - but I also designed my 1000 wide pages to accommodate those who only have 800 wide. And, the size of your monitor has NOTHING to do with what the resolution that monitor is set to.

Vasili, I think I put an extra l in your name in post above - slap me silly!

**lyndataylor@bellsouth.net** · 03-24-2007, 05:13 PM

I have to agree with the other comments that the text is much, much too small. Also (and this is just my opinion) I didn't care for the music in the background. The design was excellent, but feel that more color on a lighter background would make it easier to read also.
Lynda
www.thevirtualword.com

**kenb** · 03-24-2007, 07:18 PM

After looking at your site, I started searching other posts but realized that the background music was still on. And this is after looking at three more posts. I had to exit IE to cut it off???

**Collectors-info** · 03-24-2007, 07:26 PM

Ditto with others! Looks nice, but the text feels like it is sized at about NO:2.

Good luck

**Cheap Television** · 03-25-2007, 01:40 AM

Sorry man but I can't read anything as it is tiny!

Design is pretty average for a flash site and you said you brought the flash template but are using the site as a way to advertise as a webdesigner? I don't get it!!!

As for flash being the future I doubt it, I used to think that back when I would spend ages creating eye candy, but content is king is the world wide web. A combination of html and flash is the best of both worlds though in my opinion.

**webb and romic** · 03-25-2007, 02:37 AM

I have read all the comments on your posting and I have to say that for me the site is not a good advertisment for someone who is going to be doing web design. I think the best way for you is to make in clear clean and have a good graphic content as most people do not bother with flash as it takes to long to load and becomes very annoying after a while. I alwys skip flash intros. I go to a site to be informed. i thin maybe you should have a secion for flash intros flash sites etc. but keep the main body of the pages simple and use high quality graphics. as to be honest i would be scared to use your company for web design if i saw your own site not working how it should.
I hope I did not offend but i just wanted to be honest and state what i thought. there is alot of competition out there for your service so you need to have something that will give a positive and professional signal.
thanks james

**vodafreak** · 03-26-2007, 07:40 PM

I don't care what they^ say, I LOVE IT!! Me being a newbie, probably. where did you get the template?

**Vasili** · 03-27-2007, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by vodafreak

I don't care what they^ say, I LOVE IT!! Me being a newbie, probably. where did you get the template?

No need to get tweaky, Freaky! No one said they did not like the site, just that there were certain particulars that must be addressed when using this foundation.....specifically, optimization of Flash, and the peculiarities presented.

It is available as a VodaHost Premium Template.

**webb and romic** · 03-27-2007, 06:25 PM

yes this is a what do you think about my page forum....if people do not want to know what others think then DO NOT POST IT
we are all trying to be constructive. and if you are looking for a person who you will be paying money to .. to make your website then i think that they should have a website that reflects the item them are promoting. It is not easy finding a balance between flash and regular graphics. Sometimes i think it is better to keep it simple and easy to navigate with samples of your work in flash. plus load time is quicker
thanks
James

**djw** · 03-27-2007, 10:02 PM

I neverenvisaged Flash would provoke such a debate but as I expected and wanted there are many useful and thought provoking points made.

I try to be brief but just some backdround :

The site itself is mainly for PR at present. I wish to show it to some people in order to demonstrate what is available and possible for their site using flash. I thought it would demonstrate the uniqueness and make the information contained memorable for their visitors. However as has been pointed out it is not without its problems which I will come to in a minute.
The template was bought from Vodahost templates - a search through that was highly instructive for me. There are wild ones and some more subtle ones, most have creative design. for any one like me still learning Flash, very useful to deconstruct and see how they have been made.
I principally wanted some feed back as it stood(and it wasn't finished and is still far from completion) as I was certain some of the pop ups weren't working, however I think I have got to the bottom of that now as the network providers on the site I was using are restricting certain things on their workstations for the users pop ups one of them.
Thanks to Aliens I have amended the size.
The font should be readable now although its still not pefect - to change the fonts upsets the cells causing further problems ( and I've had plenty of them!
The audio on the site can be turned on and off by clicking on the graphic equalizer (bottom L/H side)
I was thinking of adding a pre-entry page with the facility to download a Flash player. Any thoughts?
The few sites I have done in the past have had a banner at the top and a menu on the L/H side - I so wanted something different.
It could do with some splashes of colour and I am looking for suitable images - might take some snaps of some of the patching panels I work on complete with LEDS but am looking for something more original - any ideas?
Back to the marketing - the people I,m looking to convince at present are mostly small business people, club, bar and restaurant owners . A couple of them have sites at the moment which they are mot particularly happy with and feel could be improved - so I hoped this might convince them.
At present the SEO issues personally don't bother me, although it would them so it is something that needs addressing, but with Flash it is largely out of my hands although I do Know some other businesses that could help alleviate that problem which I could refer them, but still all I can do is to ensure its making the most of what is currently available.Hopefully it will become a personal concern for me in the future.
Just one more thing for now - Vassilli what have you done with your hair!! most have been a good night

Keep the comments coming - they are all of use to me!!! Bring it on.

Derek.

**Vasili** · 03-27-2007, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by djw

Just one more thing for now - Vassilli what have you done with your hair!! most have been a good night
Derek.

LOL
Twas the "cat's meow" for sure!

A bit more on SEO-preparing Flash....I am curretnly finishing up a Flash site of my own (first of 3), and I have decided to opt for a 50% solution the "poor man's way": I am *******ting a visually complimentary site in BV for all of the content (which on this site is the meat of it all anyway) and actually offering this as an option via a link to visitors as well.

Since I will have this link on the Flash pages globally, and the SE's will see minimal "content" of the index and following Flash pages, with the embedded bot.txt file in the Flash index instructing them to this one 'hardened' interior site link, they will follow to the logical "mapped" BV pages and find relevant Content, and then balance the construct with tight Content (and cache, hopefully).

Whether it works well or not is not the point....it will have to suffice, at least until I can budget SEO for the three sites which by then will have been proven beyond basic tweaks and initial changes in Content and form!

(I mean, if the same principle works for multi-lingual sites, why not different "code"???)

**jrlgtwt@msn.com** · 05-20-2007, 10:39 PM

Everything looks great from my view. The thing I would note is maybe turn the music off after the load. Pretty annoying.

**Luna** · 05-20-2007, 11:05 PM

Hi,
I like it. Everything looks really good, but I agree with the comment about the music, maybe to add an option where the customer can mute the music if they wish, because some people don't mind that the music is playing, others do. Other than that I love it.

**webb and romic** · 06-06-2007, 06:43 PM

hi there
i havelooked at the site again and now you have the information there
but i found it very difficult to read any of the information. when i clicked on read more
when the panel came up it was just very blurred and not clear atall and very hard to read.

LinkBack

Thread Tools

FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Re: FLASH Site 80% complete - your valued opinions required

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Posting Permissions