Why You Shouldn't Use A Splash Page as Your Index Page

A splash page is an introductory page to a website. It usually consists of a company logo, and a simple "Click here to enter" or "Enter Now" text link. Once you click the link, you will be at the true main page of the web site you are visiting.

Why use splash pages? Some are convinced it gives visitors a chance to reorient themselves with the website, yet others are sure that the splash page is only there for the sole purpose of annoying them by making them click an extra time to see if it is a site they really want to visit.

From a business owner's point of view, a splash page is just another opportunity to show off their fabulously expensive company logo, and web designers (who often know better!) cater to the whims of those paying the bills.

But from a surfer's point of view they are extremely annoying. Some estimates are as many as one quarter of all visitors will never go beyond the introductory splash page to actually enter the main part of the site.

Why should you keep the content from the visitor? In the highly competitive world of the world wide web, you should not to anything that could possibly keep a visitor (and potential customer or advertiser) from getting right to the heart of your website, regardless of whether you sell products, or are simply an information-based site.

Using a splash page should only be done under certain circumstances. Are you offering a special limited time offer for three days only? Perhaps this warrants a splash page. But once that promotion is over, don't simply replace it with another new splash page featuring another new promotion. Using this technique once every four to six months can be an effective technique, but once every four to six days falls under the category of useless.

Never use a splash page just because you (or your client) thinks it looks cool. None of the biggest players in the online world use a splash screen, so why should you? And those big players have the high-powered online marketing gurus behind them who told them that splash pages don't work. So follow their lead, and make splash pages a piece of your web past.

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