FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

It's no secret that Apple devices do NOT support Flash. What this means is if a business has a website that uses flash, their website will NOT show up on popular mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads.

Imagine walking into a restaurant, or any other business for that matter, and showing the owner that their website is nothing more than a blank screen on your iPhone.

This is what it looks like:


Imagine the shock and imagine how quickly that business owner is going to want to solve that problem. A lot of the owners will even be a little embarrassed they didn't know the problem existed.

Obviously they could have their main website built again without flash OR they could just have a mobile optimized version of their website created that works properly on all popular mobile devices.

That is where you come in. You can whip out your phone and show them exactly what a mobile website looks like and exactly how it will solve their current problem.

So, how do we find these businesses using flash websites?

Simple. Go to Google.com and type in search phrases like this:

“You need to upgrade your flash player” restaurant sydney
“get adobe flash player” restaurant sydney
"filetype:swf restaurant sydney"

Obviously you will want to change restaurant sydney to the type of business you are searching for.

Remember, a lot of the selling can be done BEFORE you even contact the client. By searching for those clients who are in desperate need of your service you are going to find closing the deals MUCH easier.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

I'm also finding some results with City + Keyword + .ASPX.

There's a provider of restaurant websites called Ordereze that does a lot of work in Flash too.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Thanks for your email on this Will...always appreciated mate! :D

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

thanks Will, I have read this from other threads, of course posted by you but whenever I search with that keyword, most of the websites have partial flash ,ie like a banner, menu or something else. Do you suggest telling them to make a mobile website or just make changes to the regular website, ie change the part that has flash on it to non-flash?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

It really depends how much of their website is flash and which parts of the website. Personally I like to spend a little extra time in the searching phase and find those websites that are built entirely using flash. There's a lot of them around especially in the restaurant niche it seems. But by spending that little extra time finding those gold nuggets you will be rewarded in better conversions when you come to sell your service to them.

If you come across other sites that only have sections of the website in flash you need to make a call. If things like the navigation bar, address, contact numbers, are in flash, then they definitely have a problem that needs fixing. Also those sites that have flash intro pages before you even get to the site.

Let's not forget that EVERY business really needs to start thinking about a mobile version of their website. So even those websites that have NO flash or only minimal bits still need your services. This trick is just about finding those businesses that desperately need your service as it is going to be a much easier sell to them.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

awesome, thanks for your detailed response. And by the way, i think your mobile WSO is probably the best out there :)

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Will, do you need an iPhone for this?
Droids have no prob with flash as I've heard.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Yes, as mentioned in my original post it is Apple devices that do not support flash. As you know Apple has a HUGE market share so this is a big problem for flash website owners.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Killer tip! Thanks alot!

Cheers

Jute

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

I agree great info and I have many of the mobile products yours still has to be the best

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Awesome tidbit. Some things we just overlook! I am going to try this out on a few sites I just found in my city. This should be a breeze though as anyone can understand what a blank page staring at them means.

Thanks.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

I found a towing/auto repair shop that was using flash for the whole home page.

I emailed them with an attachment of a blank screen shot (it WAS theirs) using an online Emulator...and I also attached a screen shot from Mobilizer (using the iPhone emulator) that showed the upper left hand of the home page, but it was NOT blank!

I don't have a mobile phone yet.

I called them and said that Apple phones/browsers (iPhones) do not show flash. They need a Mobile-ready website, yada, yada... They said call back tomorrow.

Called back next day....the owner said that everybody in the office/shop tried the URL on their mobile phones and every one of them could see it just fine...on their iPhones!

Then was let to know that I shouldn't call them ever again!

So....am I the only one that this has happened to?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Ruben,

Are you able to show us the URL?

1. Emulators do NOT replicate the exact function of phones. An emulator or simulator is just that - they are not 100% perfect and they will use the resources of your computer. So if you're computer has flash installed then the website will still show up fine. The only way to replicate issues like the flash one are with a REAL smartphone.

2. If their website uses flash for the whole homepage then it will not show up on Apple devices. Apple does not support flash. Either the webpage only used flash for some part of it which means the rest of the page could be seen OR those guys had possibly jailbroken their phones to allow additional apps that supported flash. There's no other way they could be viewing flash otherwise.

For this method to work best you need to find those sites where majority (75%+) of the page is using flash. If you find a page that just maybe uses flash effects for the navigation bar or something similar then it means the rest of the page will show up fine except for that little flash element. So the more of the page that is using flash the better. Those pages that are built using ONLY flash, like in the example I gave above, are the best as they will just show up a blank screen.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Thank you, Will...

I don't feel comfortable sharing their URL.

I appreciate your clearing up the Emulator thingy. Here's the one I use online...I thought it would be close to the "Real Thing" : Mobile Phone Emulator: Apple, RIM, DoCoMo, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung | MobileMoxie: Mobile Marketing and SEO Consulting and Free Tools

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Ruben,

There's actually a really simple Firefox plugin you can use that blocks Flash from any websites you navigate to so you can see exactly what the result of having no flash on that website will look like. Ie: You will see exactly what a person on any Apple device will see.

The plugin can be download here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...on/flashblock/

Here is a test I did with the following website:
Zenobia Restaurants

This first image is what the website looks like being viewed through a normal browser with Flash enabled:

http://i.imgur.com/et6Nx.gif

This second image is what the exact same website looks like with flash disabled:

http://i.imgur.com/0n3xw.gif

You can see the problem for a business owner. A blank screen is NOT good.

So by using this plugin it will allow you to very easily see the extent of the flash problem for any given website.

I hope that helps!

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Will,

The FlashBlock is EXCELLENT!!! :D

I used it with mobilemoxie and it works like a Charm! :)

Thank You! :D

Ruben James :cool:

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

awesome info here. thanks all!!

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

I am in France at the moment for a month, the restaurants love flash websites or huge images. I have not seen much evidence of google places optimisation.

Wish I had taken more notice in the French lessons at School. My children are bilingual, but only aged 11 and 7, and are more interested in "beyblades" and a japanese cartoon "onepiece" than mobile websites.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Another way to find flash site is to use this search string in Google... filetype:swf city+Niche

So a search for Miami restaurants with flash would look like...
filetype:swf miami restaurants

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Thank you for the tutorial, Will. It is a great tip for finding customers for mobile websites!

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

How to find Business that have flash based websites (Rahmat's Style)

1. Go to www.google.com (make sure it is google.com)
2. Type in NICHE KEYWORDS filetype:swf (change NICHE KEYWORDS with the list of keywords below. example: reflexology filetype:swf)
3. Click 'Show search tools' on Google's left navigation menu
4. Click 'Custom Location' on Google's left navigation menu
5. Enter your city and click enter
6. See the search results. Go to the respective homepage.

NICHE KEYWORDS

Beauty business:

• health
• spa
• massage
• reflexology
• skin care
• perfume
• body shop
• face shop
• hair

Food business:

• cafe
• coffee
• tea
• food
• snack
• convectionary
• bakery
• dessert
• donut
• burger
• restaurants
• bar

Clothing business:

• shirt
• t-shirt
• sunglass
• watches
• women's apparel
• men's apparel
• footwear
• shoes
• bags
• sandals
• sports
• sportswear
• boutique

Health Business:

• optic
• eye care
• pharmacy
• gym
• dental
• dentist
• clinic
• radiology
• surgery

Jewellery Business:

• gift
• jewel
• diamond
• gold
• pearl
• gems

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Will, thanks! I'm gonna try your way this week, heh heh to prepare for the coming BRAND NEW YEAR!

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Sounds good..

I heard some new versions of Flash can save in HTML5 though. However Im not too clear on this

Is Flash still a no go for iPhones totally?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Yes, Steve Jobs always said flash was old outdated technology and not needed. Things like HTML5 will do the same things as flash but much better so it won't be long before flash is a thing of the past.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Flash and Mobile usually dont go well together... Majority of devices dont have the most current flash installed. Be cautious.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

If you have an Android device you can simulate the effect by going under Settings in your browser and disabling Addons. It will turn Flash off on your phomne and show what an Iphone would see.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Buying WillR's WSO would be a great place to start. Just click on the link in his sig. four posts above this one.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

So if some1 has jailbreak their Iphone then they will see a website built on flash just fine?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

That's awesome- yet another great tip Will

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Jail Breaking an IPhone will NOT enable them to view flash

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

What wiil make an iphone to show/support flash?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Here is a summary by arstechnica about flash on apple devices:
The year Flash lost the mobile war: a look back at 2011's top IT stories

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

However, based on this article, you can enable flash if it is jailbroken...
Flash for iPhone Now Available, Thanks to Jailbreak | PCWorld

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Don't forget the security risk Flash presents as another reason Steve Jobs was very much against allowing Flash on the iPhone and iPad.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

I have an Android 2.2.1 version and i can't see flash website at all:D

Juan

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Hey Warriors, what a great thread right?

Using the methods above I have found the best results come from dentists.
I knocked this email up & sent it out to 10 dentists per day.

Feel free to edit it as you will but it got my phone ringing ;)

NOTE: Phone numbers not real!

Robbie

.
.
.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Thanks for that sample email. What sort of subject line did you use for your emails? What sort of conversions did you see from your email campaigns?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Will, do we need a different redirect script for flash websites, or will the HTML script works just as well?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

It's exactly the same -- shouldn't matter.

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Thanks Will
I love your WSO, just created another website, it still takes me a couple of hours for each one, but I'm getting the hang of it :)

Is there a way to make the sitemap look like a site map on a regular website
& instead of showing just the code?

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

If you have any questions at all contact me through the members area.

Thanks!

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

Great thread Thanks for the flash website tip!!

Re: FLASH Websites need MOBILE Websites [Tutorial]
 

The number of flash based sites are just staggering. Finding prospects certainly won't be a problem for a long time as a result of it.

Thanks Will for these search tips.