Web Site Tip of the Month - April '07

This Month's Tip - I'm Not Waiting

Having this little, monthly, chat gives me the opportunity to talk about one of my internet pet peeves. I'm talking about splash screens.

You know what I mean, you type in a url or click a link and instead of a page with text and information you get a fancy animated little scene or worse an animated "loading" graphic that informs you that the animation is yet to come.

Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against animation. In fact, I love it. Many is the happy hour I have spent watching animation or making my own. What I am against is waiting.

When I go to a web site, I want to go right there. I don't want to wait around until the site decides that I can enter. Sure, some of the intros are clever; the first time. But do I really want to see it every time I go back to the site. It's irritating to wait for the page to load and the little "show" to end and then have to click again to get to the page I should have started at.

The thoughtful sites give you the option of "skipping intro". The really thoughtful ones make the intro the option.

Now, in this matter, context is important. If I'm just surfing the web with a lot of time on my hands and a fast connection, I tend to be a lot more patient with entry pages. But when I am searching for information or looking for good/services, I'm less tolerant. And if my connection is slow, I don't wait; I go elsewhere.

So, are you thinking of putting up a new web site for your business with a splash screen? Consider these points:

Arguments Against :

• Takes time to load - on the internet speed is everything. Why wait when it's so easy to click elsewhere. Remember, less than half of US households have high speed internet.
• Impact is quickly lost for repeat viewers. After the first time, the intro is just in the way. You do want people to come back, don't you?
• Extra expense - You'll have to pay more for the added "feature", even if people "skip intro".

Arguments For (and my arguments against) :

• Shows off my creativity - Isn't there plenty of room to be creative inside your web site?
• I like the way it looks - Remember, your web site is for your customers. Why delay them from getting to the good stuff?

Are there any exceptions where a splash screen intro might work? Well, maybe on an entertainment site with games and/or videos. Or a site for a Flash programmer who makes splash screen intros but, I don't want to encourage this sort of thing.

Basically, I feel that a splash screen is just a way of delaying your customers from getting to your site. Who needs that?

If, after all my ranting you still want to put a splash screen intro on your web site, here are my final tips: make it quick, give the option to skip intro, and don't ask me to build it for you.

Remember, on the web, your web site is you

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