Day: August 9, 2004

PR websites…. Flash is NOT cool..

The UK’s tech zine The Inquirer often spends a disprorportionate amount of time slagging off the PR people (or in their terminology ‘PR Bunnies’) it interacts with on a daily basis.  However, their latest installment struck a chord with me. 

They examined the usability of PR firm websites.

Now regular readers will know my concerns with PR websites.  In fact, I have pinned my colors to the mast with my own little campaign around the Flash Hall of Fame which showcases some of the worst Flash excesses.

Why is it that so many (not all) PR firms have so little knowledge about web design? Here’s a very brief crash course:

1) *Standard* Internet navigation is standard because people expect to use it. (You see this isn’t rocket science) While veering away from standard navigation (think top toolbar for sections and left-hand column for information in a given section) may be ‘cool’ it reduces the effectiveness of your website. People don’t have the time or the inclination to search around your site for the right click

2) Search Engines and people both prefer plain HTML text on a webpage.  While images are lovely, they stop people cutting-and-pasting text. If you don’t want people to cut-and-paste from your site, don’t put the information there in the first place.

3) What is it with Flash? The people who designed and built Flash warn against Flash intros AND Flash navigation on websites, yet a ridiculously high proportion of PR firms insist on using it. Why?

4) Understand how websites and search engine optimization work.  While PR firms should be able to consult with clients about effective web design, it seems to me that many of them need to learn the basics from their clients.

For the record, The Inquirer highlight the following UK firms:

You can read my tirade against Flash here and view a full listing of the Flash Hall of Shame here.

For the love of all things holy, please do some research on good web development practice and/or send your web staff on a course. Flash, bad navigation and poor design reflect badly on your business and your understanding of online communication – not to mention the industry as a whole. It’s all about communication… seriously.

Update: Bad to Worse

I just noticed that the Red Consultancy has taken their website down (the holding page is a Flash file) – I’m not sure if this is because of The Inquirer story or otherwise, but once again a PR firm is demonstrating a complete lack of understanding on the web. You don’t take down your website during a re-design…. well not since 1996…. oh dear… next they’ll have the construction workers online…