Hybrid Website build advice
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- Dancer0
Interesting. this was only released a week ago so I imagine the technology will not be out for a while.
- 23kon0
why not just a text-only html version
that could save a shitload of time.you could use flash image replacement to display headers in a sexyfont in flash rather than html. google can still read the text.
im about to start on an extremely hybrid site.
the page background is going to be built in flash a a fullscreen flash image, then a transparent div overlay over that (that can change in opacity) then sitting over this is an html website driven by a cms and the headers and subheaders all use image replacement using the company's corporate font.
It'll have a lot of slickness of a flash website whilst being search engine friendly and client updateable :)- that will failmimeartist
- in what way?23kon
- layering all that stuffmimeartist
- acescence0
google has actually been indexing flash content for a while now, and their "improved" algorithm has been in place since at least january... but, it will still rank lower than an seo optimized html site. anyway, since you asked, i don't think nav should ever be in flash
- ok cool. that is kind of what I thought. just trying to justify costDancer
- Dancer0
" why not just a text-only html version
that could save a shitload of time."becasue the nav has a multiple drop down menu and to rebuild it may take more time, and as it is already built in flash why not use that.
- October0
i think i read somewhere google will be updating the search results by the end of the week. if not, it shouldnt take very long.
there are ways to optimize flash sites for search engines tho.
as an example, google "product design". # 6 on the results is a full flash site.on your question, i dont believe theres much of a difference on navigation as long as the all important content can be seen by search engines. anyone feel free to correct me if im wrong on this.
- Stugoo0
personally i would recommend using alternative content if your menu is in flash.
i.e an unordered list for your menu.
Assuming you use swfobject, your flash site runs on XML you can output an XSLT version in the div where the exisiting content lives for a basic xhtml layout. goood for seo and accessibility.
- Dancer0
No XML just a straight forward flash site
- moth0
The nav (and page headers - or titles) are actually pretty important for search engines - if they can't find the internal links, they wont follow them.
If you're using flash as animated leaders or something - supplementary to the nav - then I would say that's the best way to go.
- or use flash vars to simulate deep linking.bulletfactory
- trooper0
just use sIFR of UFO to show the flash to people with javascript and flash turned on and have a WELL DESIGNED text based site fully seo'd for those without - i do it all the time. just make sure you UFO all pages!
- moth0
And this just personal - but a flash version AND an html version of a site strikes me as a bit 1990.
- Dancer0
A few things/comments have thrown me:
Moth, "If you're using flash as animated leaders or something - supplementary to the nav - " Animated leaders?
trooper, I know what sIFR is but UFO?Thanks for the feedback people
- moth0
What I mean is dancer, you might have plain html menu;
First link
Second linkand you might also have a flash/animated thing that takes you through to "Second link" too.
- Jnr_Madison0
Make page titles relevant to key terms used in page then company name - not company name first.
Make good use of H1 & H2 tags
Have a forward facing sitemap and a sitemap.xml
Use a breadcrumb.
Have plain text links to main pages on footer.
Make sure any other domains are 301'd to the main domain.
Always link back to root not mysite.com/index.html
etc etc
- 301'd ?Dancer
- 301 is permanent redirection, most forwarding use a 302 - temporary which is bad.Jnr_Madison
- Dancer0
moth, had thought about this but the design is already there. So I would have to get confirmation from the client I do not know how happy they would be about changing the design
- kelpie0
don't do the nav in flash, that's one of the most important bits
- Dancer0
FYI: Site in question:
http://www.beautyboxpangbourne.c…