Splash Pages: Why?

[DariusMonsef]

Ok so there are a few things that just get to me and one of those is splash pages that really don't serve much of a purpose. I don't mean to say I am the definitive word on site design, and I'm open to ideas from those who use them as to what benefit they see it providing.

For me I think a splash page ONLY works if:

A. you have to versions of your site and a viewer needs to choose where to go. ie. Corporate or Experimental or Low Bandwidth or High Bandwidth.

B. if your site is not done yet and it should rather be a coming soon page then a splash page.

It jsut doesn't make any sense to me to have a page that lods up and then says enter... Yeah I wanted to enter that's why I clicked the link to get to this site. It's almost like you're confirming I actually wanted to view your site. Like... Thanks for coming to our site, now are you really sure you want to see it? Sure you're sure?

YES! that's why I'm here... let's get the show on!

thanks for the rant

[paddy.]

You need a splash page if you have a Flash site so that you can prompt people to download Flash Player before they enter. Otherwise they won't see anything and they'll just think there's nothing there. I wouldn't use a splash page on a purely HTML site.

[DariusMonsef]

Why not jsut add a tag under the layout that says. Site using Macromedia Flash. Click here to download. And aren't there scripts that check to see if a person has a flash or not?

[reverendflash]

Why not jsut add a tag under the layout that says. Site using Macromedia Flash. Click here to download. And aren't there scripts that check to see if a person has a flash or not?
none of them work 100% of the time.

also, if the client can not see Flash, it is thought to be more friendly to have an image appear, to at least give the user something to visualize, then make the choice to download if they choose.

and finally, prob most important IMO, search engines have historically had difficulty reading Flash content. A Splash Page enables the designer to "load up" for the search engines, since the spiders prob can't read anything beyond it, with invisible text, etc.

[paddy.]

And aren't there scripts that check to see if a person has a flash or not?Yeah but I think it's just easier to have a splash. Is this thread because Liquideye's site had two splash pages by any chance? That annoyed me too. But I guess some people just like them more than others. I don't really use them myself. Couldn't be arsed to be honest. They're just more work to do.

EDIT: I agree with the Rev, who posted while I was typing the above. That search engine thing is a good point.

[DariusMonsef]

Granted this is from macromedia
"Macromedia Flash Player is the leading rich client on the Internet, with more than 98 percent of online users able to view Macromedia Flash content today across leading platforms and devices. More than two million online users download Macromedia Flash Player every day."

I would venture a guess that most people can see flash these days.

I would also say that a one page image isn't going to help you in the engines any more than your meta being filled in with useful information and some text underneath your swf. include.

[RelandR]

9 out of 10 ppl have flash allready ... the offer to download flash is ever becoming a useless link IMO

a splash is good as a portal-point as Ethan said, inwhich case it probably shouldn't be done in flash so as to allow the text-readers and non-flash fans a way out

otherwise (again IMO) ...they are a useless waste of both parties time

..same as for preloading content that really doesn't need to be pre-loaded

[DariusMonsef]

It was because I had jsut site checked that site and thought it was really great except the 2 splash pages. And splash pages just seem to stop me from getting to what I want.

[REEF·]

The main reason for splash pages is too look cool IMO.

[reverendflash]

Granted this is from macromedia
"Macromedia Flash Player is the leading rich client on the Internet, with more than 98 percent of online users able to view Macromedia Flash content today across leading platforms and devices. More than two million online users download Macromedia Flash Player every day."

I would venture a guess that most people can see flash these days.

I would also say that a one page image isn't going to help you in the engines any more than your meta being filled in with useful information and some text underneath your swf. include. ahhhh, but it doesn't say which player, now does it? if you look at thier saturation #'s, it is still quite high, but not 98%.

It also makes a difference what your demigraphic is. If it is Mac OS9 AOL, then you have to do things differently than you do if your demigraphic is high end gamers.

You don't know how many calls I get from clients, who say "I just spoke to a customer, and he can't see the Flash. All he gets is a white box."

and it isn't an image which helps the search engines, it is the content of the page, and the ability to "verify" the content of the site to match your meta tags and such. If the engines can not verify the content matches your meta tags (using sex, so they rank higher, etc.), some will not rank you at all. The image is there so the end-user has something pretty to look at, while you give them some information.

[Digitalosophy]

actually the stats for flash player 7 is much lower then 98%. i think it's actually around 50 %.

i'm not a fan of splash pages unless you have to for search engines, check for flash player, or if you have HTML and Flash versions of your site.

i think splash's are way over used and in most cases don't even serve the purpose they are supposed to ;)

[DariusMonsef]

and it isn't an image which helps the search engines, it is the content of the page, and the ability to "verify" the content of the site to match your meta tags and such. If the engines can not verify the content matches your meta tags (using sex, so they rank higher, etc.), some will not rank you at all. The image is there so the end-user has something pretty to look at, while you give them some information.

Yes but most splash pages are simply a graphic that has the standard welcome to our site... site requires... on it.

That image has less impact on the engines than having some actual text underneath the flash movie like some contact information or name of company and copyright date, etc.

[reverendflash]

Yes but most splash pages are simply a graphic that has the standard welcome to our site... site requires... on it.

That image has less impact on the engines than having some actual text underneath the flash movie like some contact information or name of company and copyright date, etc.
I thought you asked for the reasons for a splash page, not the reasons people put them up. My bad.

[REEF·]

There are so many reasons for splash pages.

I see people with a huge 3d bug/engine looking thing (like on whoswe) and I automatically know its gonna be a cool 3d site. Splash pages give the user a little hint of whats it gonna be like before they actually go into the website. Splash pages can also be used for search engines, to tell people some necessary things and requirements. I usually use splash pages, like I said, to make it look good. I let the user enter when he/she wants to, just incase he has some things running in the background that he wants to turn off :).

[DariusMonsef]

I thought you asked for the reasons for a splash page, not the reasons people put them up. My bad.

No I did want the real reasons, but your logical reasoning wasn't matching up with every illogical splash screen I've seen.

[DariusMonsef]

I wonder if a majority of splash pages are a result of the "because 2A did it" reasoning.

[minimalistik]

everything doesnt revolve around 2ad so dont bring them up.

[DariusMonsef]

I suppose you are right, but not everything that has to do with doing something before it's needed has to do with carts or horses.

I was just listing an example of one of the early great flash development companies doing something and a lot of newer people following suit without really knowing why.


everything doesnt revolve around 2ad so dont bring them up.