Last decade, flashy websites were the craze; it seemed like the flashier the site, the better.  But was the Internet has evolved, it has become evident that user-friendliness always trumps visual bling.  Think: Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter.  What's common denominator in the design of these extremely popular sites? In one word, Simplicity.  

Your site should be easy enough for a baby (or even a baby-boomer for that matter) to navigate.  Information should able to be accessed quickly.  Your visitors should not have to sit through an elaborate Flash loading sequence to get to the information they want to see.

Certainly, when it comes to displaying some information in rotation or photos in a rotating slideshow, Flash is a great option.  Flash is also an excellent choice for delivering streaming video because of its worldwide ubiquity (99% of browser have flash installed).  But, Flash is a poor choice as a platform on which to build your entire site.

Here are 4 top reasons why you should not develop your entire site in Flash:

1Flash is Heavy (That's a Bad Thing)
By heavy, we mean that Flash files are large.  Larger files mean longer download times.  Typically, a flash site requires several seconds (or even several minutes) to load for a visitor.  Research shows that the longer your visitors have to wait, the more likely they will leave your site to go someplace else.  Why would you work hard to get visitors to you site just to have them leave before they see your info?

2Flash Sites Are Extremely Difficult to Update
Updating Flash files is a lot harder than updating other web file types.  It requires you to open and edit the source file (.fla), export it as a .swf file, and then upload the new version to your server.  And if the source file get lost or corrupted, then you’re pretty much stuck.

3Flash Sites Are Not Search Engine Friendly
It is important for your site to be able to be indexed by search engines.  Over 90% of Internet users use search engines.  When they're looking for your products and services via the search engines, will they be able to find you?  The answer will be most likely "no" if your content is buried within a flash site that can't be "read" by the search engine bots.

4Flash Sites Cannot Be Viewed On Mobile Devices
Less than half of mobile phones and smartphones have the ability to view flash content. If you want your market to be able to view information on your company from their iPhones, Blackberry, or other devices, you better make sure Flash isn't keeping them from connecting with you.

Flashy does not equal better. Bells and Whistles are for the middle school marching band, not your website.  Opt to be user-friendly instead.