What are splash pages?

A splash page is a special introductory Web page that users see before they can continue on to the main content of the site. Also known as a landing page or splash screen, this introductory page often contains high-design visuals, such as animated graphics or logo-centric designs (1).

Some splash pages automatically bring the user to the main site after a certain number of seconds, while other sites require the users to navigate past the splash page. Interactivity on this page is generally limited to a few simple control buttons or text options, such as learning more about the company, registering or logging into the site, or moving onto the main site.

For some sites, splash pages act as a gatekeeper. For instance, if a site's content is limited to registered users, a splash page may prompt log-in or registration for the site. If an online store requires customers be a certain minimum age, a splash page can require them to enter their date of birth before allowing them access to the site's main content.

Splash pages can add visual impact to an online store and offer an element of necessary functionality for those sites that require some type of gated access. However, site developers must weigh these pluses against some possible drawbacks. Splash pages that rely on Flash may require users to have a Flash plug-in to properly view the page. Also, especially intricate splash pages may take a long time to fully load, which means they have the potential to negatively impact a site's average page load time. That could damage your site's search engine rankings and sales conversions (2).

1. "Splash page"

2. "What does Splash page mean?"