I started as a Flash designer in high school (circa 1998).  I thought Flash was possibly the coolest thing in the world (and at the time it just might have been).

I would show people websites like www.GaboCorp.com and www.Eye4U.com any chance I got – and they blew people away.  They’re still pretty impressive.  My own stuff?  Well, let’s just say I soon realized that my strengths lie in other areas.

When it’s done well Flash can be jaw-dropping (check out this Flash interface created by Gabo Mendoza of GaboCorp.com).  It also powers many of the sites we use every day (YouTube.com, Hulu.com, Mint.com, etc).  Without Flash the web wouldn’t be nearly as great as it is.

But Flash can create some real problems for your website’s search engine visibility.  If you’re considering having your business website built in Flash there are a few things you need to know.

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John ran an eCommerce store selling specialty kitchen appliances.

The website had been up for four years and had gained some decent search engine rankings and traffic levels in that time, but the design was aging and needed a refresh. He also wanted to upgrade his eCommerce system to something more search engine and user friendly.

John approached three web developers about the project and submitted requests for proposals.  In his request he covered the basics, made sure he was clear on his desired color scheme and the emphasis on usability he wanted to maintain.  He had a half hour discussion with each developer about the project.  A week later the proposals were in.

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Work in web development long enough and you realize no two projects are exactly alike.

Projects I’ve been involved with (around 200 to my best guess) run the gamut from single-page sales pitches to full-blown (and overly complex) social communities. And everything in between.

And there’s a common thread that has run through every one of them: feature creep.

Feature creep, or “scope creep,” happens when a project’s overall scope (and workload) inflates because of unforeseen or unspecified features and functions. The result is usually confusion, frustration and, to varying degrees, the loss of profitability on the project. Mild cases are annoying. Bad cases can throw you into an existential crisis (“Why am I even doing this?” “What’s the point if I can’t turn a profit?” “Maybe I should get the band back together…”)

There are ways to manage this phenomenon, to nip it in the bud before it kills your spirit and profitability.

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