Website Branding

I can hear an objection rising. What about branding? Doesn't a slash page give you an opportunity to make an impact for your brand image? In my 1999 article I argued that for sites like Coca Cola a splash page is appropriate because their branding was all about glitz. I might still hold this view in that particular case but there are very few instances such as this, and even in this case there are probably better things to do for a brand like Coke, than spin its logo.

I don't think splash pages do very much for branding. First of all we need to remember that for as much as 25% of your visitors, it's making zero impact for your brand (or even worse, a negative impact). Of the remaining 75% I would venture to guess that the majority of them click the "skip into" link before the Flash animation has downloaded and run. Finally, I would suggest that what a person sees and experiences after the splash, with regard to the site's clarity, your company's positioning, their ability to use the site's functionally, and their ability to find the information they need, all are going to create a brand impact far greater than if they watch a Flash intro. Take the time spent on conceptualizing and building a splash page and instead spend it on the home page's message and its supporting content and overall brand impact will be far greater than what a splash page would ever accomplish on its own.

Another facet of emphasizing the whole site as branding, over a splash page, is that your positioning and marketing message should be continually refined (not changed, but refined). It's potentially much easier to make ongoing adjustments to a home page and supporting site pages especially if you use the NewfangledCMS (hey, I have to get some self-promotion into this thing some how) than it is to make substantive adjustments to a Flash animation.

Another very important aspect of the branding question is how using a splash page positions you in your prospect's mind, simply as a result of the fact that you are using a splash page. Since splash pages aren't preferred by most users, and since your client's site would not likely benefit from a splash page, how does the fact that your site uses a splash page impact your position in their mind?


Finally, and certainly less importantly these days, I would remind us that splash pages typically use large Flash animations with embedded sound files that take time to download (especially for those who still use dial up - they're still out there). Putting a large barrier in front of your site, even with a "skip into" option is always to be avoided. Providing a choice like "Flash" or "non-Flash" might make the download voluntary, but it still puts one more click in the way of your primary site.

All things considered there are very few up sides to using a splash page on your website. I would assume, that like me, the reason so many agencies and design firms still use them is that we just like them too much. It's a tough decision, but I believe it is the right one to make for the ultimate effectiveness of our sites.