Can you build an animated Splash Page for my new site?

Can you build an animated Splash Page for my new site?

If you mean, “are you technically capable of building a Flash animated introduction page for my new site?” The answer would be, “Yes.”  Would we recommend a Splash Page?  Absolutely not!

There are two main reasons why we recommend against having one of those sexy Splash pages.

• Reason 1: Search Engines Don’t Like Them
• Reason 2: People Don’t Like Them

Search engines like your home page to be rich in content and links.  Splash pages usually contain an image or animation with very little text and one link in to a main page.

Usually, searchers have a goal in mind.  While the Splash Page sometimes offers a pretty distraction, it doesn’t get them any closer to their goal.  Most usability studies show that the only thing people hate more than splash pages is pop-up windows.

So, while we can do Splash Pages, for the success of your site we suggest you integrate a small area of animation in a real home page that contains at least 250 words of text and links to most of the major pages or sections within your site.

But don’t take our word for it.  Here’s a great article on Splash Pages, usability and search engine optimization at www.websiteoptimization.com.