July 8, 2009
Splash Pages Are So 2000-Late
A splash page is a frequent request from clients. It’s basically a page that loads before the home page. Splash pages often contain obnoxiously overbearing flash movies that really serve no purpose other than to make the site owner feel cool.
IMHO, splash pages are a big no-no. Here’s why:
- Splash pages usually take a loooooooong time to load. Do you like having to wait when you do your web surfing?
- Your site’s most important page is the home page. Why would you want to make it harder for visitors to get there?
- They get old real quick. Would you watch your own flash movie 100 times without losing interest?
- Every portion of your site should have a reason for being there. What purpose does your splash page serve?
- They are usually expensive. Flash development isn’t cheap and depending on the depth of your splash page, it could potentially cost more to create than the rest of your site.
I’m sure there are plenty of other good reasons NOT to use splash pages and it’s hard to think of a good reason for creating one. So, don’t waste your time or budget!
7:28 am on July 24th, 2009
I agree with you on this. I always try to steer people away from the idea when they want a splash page. I think one of the main reasons I try to persuade people not to want one is because most of the time the splash page acts as a shield for search engines. How often does the content on a splash page change? Usually the answer is never. Thus search engines index the splash page, see that 6 months later the content is stale and the page gets kicked down the ranks. It’s just plain bad for SEO.
I remember one time trying to steer someone away from doing a splash for their website, but they were insistent on having it. Then a few months later they came back to me and asked why their search engine rank dropped considerably. They went from having the home page having tons of great relevant content, to having a fancy image with some bullet points and an enter button; none of which ever changed.
8:24 am on January 17th, 2011
I hate splash pages too, however as a developer, I’m forced to implement them sometimes too when working with novice designer.
Of course I tried to tell them how bad it is but the client/project leader would always trust the judgement of a designer and ask me to know my “boundary”. And when I mention about the Search ranking factor, they would just say social media such as facebook and twitter have made search ranking irrelevant & call me to brush up on my current knowledge.
They were still having a good business, thanks to facebook & twitter, but I always felt they could potentially have more sales if only they listened to me. It’s just so frustrating to be marked down for something that you know you are right in.
12:11 pm on January 17th, 2011
Hello Ariel,
All you can do is state your case and make recommendations. The client will ultimately choose what they want, regardless of how well-informed we attempt to make them.
I wrote this post for the sole purpose of referring clients to it when they ask for a splash page. Surprisingly, no one has asked me for a splash page since.
Best,
Jack