Does your website have a splash page? Why? Aside from annoying your visitors, what are you hoping to accomplish? Are you trying to awe you visitors with your amazing creativity and abilities? You’re completely missing the boat.
Think with me about those ubiquitous Walmart greeters, they are there to say “Hello”, give you a cart, and answer any questions you may have.
Now imagine that those same greeters now are instructed to block your way and hold you up to tell you about how great of a company Walmart is? Perhaps they’d regale you with the history of Walmart and how many Walmart stores there are. I’m sure you’d like to hear about Walmart’s latest philanthropic efforts when all you’re there for is a box of diapers and a bag of Doritos. Of course, as visitors, we’d just sneak around the greeter and go on our merry way. Suppose Walmart realized that visitors were missing out on hearing about the wonderfulness that is Walmart? Perhaps they’d stop letting people into the store until they’ve heard the message of greeter?
Ridiculous? Walmart would be out of business if they started this practice. We enter brick and mortar stores expecting to be unimpeded. Why do so many websites do the opposite when it comes to their visitors? There are only three reasons why people come to your website: They are looking for information, they are looking to purchase something, or they are looking to be entertained. Delaying and annoying your visitors by opening with a splash page will only serve to weaken your web presence.