16 Sep Website Developers: Say Goodbye to Flash

Flash used to be top of the line when it came to website design and development. But just like when we were facing thedawn of “Web 2.0,” Flash is quickly becoming obsolete. Ad Age warns ad agencies to take heed or they will be left behind.

One reason for the shift? Browsing the web using multiple devices. Currently, the Flash plugin needs to be enabled in order for people to view rich-media ads running on desktop devices, but browsers like Firefox and Safari have taken steps to make it even harder for users to see flash ads.  Within six months they may even stop supporting them altogether. This doesn’t even take into account tablets, mobile devices and smart watches.

Ad Age projects that once major browsers disable Flash, agencies could be looking at a scenario where roughly 84% of banners across the internet would not be viewable on desktop browsers. Rather than clicking on a visually dynamic, animated ad created to capture attention with movement and video, users would instead see a static banner in place of the intended ad, and most agencies rarely create “static” back up ads for this scenario.

So what’s next?

It’s time to start creating banner ads in the same HTML5 language used to create ads for mobile. Not just a challenge for developers, media buyers will soon need to persuade the websites they are advertising on to start supporting HTML5 as well. This will require them to accept larger file sizes and possibly adjust their specs.

Another challenge is to deal with how different browsers support HTML5, which will ultimately mean designers must complete cross-browser testing on desktop and mobile units.

What are the benefits? Being able to run the same creative no matter what the device, which will in turn create a seamless experience for consumers. Say goodbye to “mobile-specific” ad designs and hello to true branding across the digital world.