Splash pages are one of the more controversial topics in web design. While they can give more options to the general web developer, they also pose a great deal of other issues associated with them. Hopefully this guide will help you to decide whether o not to use a splash page.

PROS
The major reason that I would ever use a splash page on a website is to control the use of the website. This is why many adult oriented websites are choosing to use websites. The splash page clearly states that if someone is under the age of 18, then they should leave immediately, but if they are of age, they can proceed. By using this type of a splash page, businesses are being community sensitive. This of course serves a major purpose, even if it could be in a reality a major negative for that website owner.

Splash pages can be used in order to automatically or upon user command take them to the most appropriate website for their particular browser, operating system, whatever. This use of a splash page can make sure that the user is best served by the website.

Splash pages are also a great means of creating a nice intro to the site, using Flash animations, using simple script to tell a story or lead into the following page.

Finally, splash pages provide a way of getting users to consent to the use of your website. It can also be used as a means of mentioning site supporters or other information that you just don't want to display on the site itself. Sometimes users will throw counters and such on these pages in order to keep them off of their main pages.

Many webmasters are now user the splash page as a means of hiding key words for the website in order to get picked up by search engines. This is done by making the background and the text color for the search terms the same color in order to hide them. In doing so, users can't see what you are doing, but search engine spiders will be able to read it. While this can be effective, some users are turned off by splash pages and could leave the altogether.

CONS
Splash pages make it more difficult for your users to use your site. Many will just leave the site rather than selecting an option, because they feel as if the page might take them somewhere different than where they really want to be. There are just far too many online scams that make user leery of doing things such as clicking through to an unknown page. This is especially true if a user doesn't see a purpose to the splash page.

Splash

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