Broadband advances do not rule out text sites

Google has pointed out the pitfalls of using Flash to deliver website content via broadband connections, without considering the alternatives to ensure accessibility on different platforms.

As mobile broadband becomes more powerful, many companies might be forgiven for thinking a Flash-based website becomes a better option.

However, as mobile phone handsets may be less likely to support the Flash plug-in than desktop PCs, providing a text alternative for the multimedia content could help keep both mobile visitors and the search engines happy.

Flash is famously not available for Apple-made products like the iPhone, meaning sites with no alternative content could shut out the smartphone's user base from potential visitors.

The Official Google Webmaster Central Blog post says Flash sites can also cause difficulty in the screenshot-style previews that now accompany Google search results.

By ensuring a lo-fi alternative to multimedia content is available, webmasters can make sure their site previews correctly - regardless of the bandwidth of their visitors' broadband connections.