If you’ve gone through my site (Hint! Hint!) you’ve read that I’m not a big fan of opening a website with Macromedia’s Flash. ( "Open with Flash, Lose Cash." )

But ... I hear the choruses of savvy high tech web designers everywhere saying I’m behind the time – and nuts.

Here’s why I’m not.

I recently did an evaluation for a company that sold specialized music CD’s for niche businesses. Suntan Salons, Health Studios, and the like.

Their music is meant to soothe and relax, giving the listener a calming and enjoyable experience.

It was high tech on overdrive. It not only opened with Flash – you had no option to go to a HTML version.

In effect their site said: Use Flash or get lost. So:

No way to bypass the bouncer at the front door.

Also - not just any version of Flash would do. You had to have the latest in order to even view their home page!

First, you had to go to the Macromedia Website – hunt for the upgrade link – download and install the latest Flash viewer – then go back to where you were and re-load the page.

Right. Unless you were absolutely committed to buying their CD, you’d be long gone to another website.

Not everyone uses DSL or a Cable Modem! In fact – 60% of the Internet viewing public still use dial-up at 56K speeds. What this means is simple: You’ve lost 60% of the people right at the outset.

Why? Because it took over a minute and a half to load the initial Flash animation with dial up, that’s why. And unless you can grab someone’s interest within the first FIVE to FIFTEEN SECONDS – you’ve lost ‘em. They're gone. History. Bye–Bye. Ain’t commin’ back. (Get my point?)

And if they’re gone – they can’t buy.

Even if someone had nothing better to do and stick around for the initial Splash page to load – the rest of the site was FLASH driven as well. So any page you wanted to see involved the same very tedious load time waiting game.

Since the entire site was Flash, their text was in graphical format. Search engines can't read it. Which means the site becomes invisible. Invisible site means invisible rankings.

It seems that rather than have a site that sold product these good people were trying to impress the geeks with their technical know-how and website expertise.

Unfortunately – that doesn’t put money in the bank.

Listen Up! If opening with Flash or having an entire Flash based site is such a good idea and sold product – why doesn’t HSN, QVC, SHOPATHOME, BN, AMAZON, and so on so forth use it?

If a Flash entry way would increase sales, don’t you think these big players would be using it on their sites?

Of course they would! That’s why they spend mega bucks in marketing and research. To find out what works. And since you don’t see them using it – draw the proper conclusion.

I never heard back from this company. I’m sure they think I’m crazy, off base and just locked away in the cyber stone age.

Perhaps. But one thing is for certain. If they stay with Flash – they’ll continue to lose cash.