The Dreaded Flash Intro Page
One of the biggest web design dislikes is the Flash intro page also known as the ‘Flash Splash’ page. This page is often the first thing you see when you click on a link or type in a web address and is also the most annoying. The Flash intro page is not popular with the usability and accessibility communities either.
There is nothing worse than waiting for a page to load and being faced with things which shoot across the screen, play tinny music or try and be amusing (when they’re not!) especially when you are in hurry. You sit there drumming your fingers whilst waiting for the page to load and thinking of a thousand other things you could be doing. And what happens…..you get fed up of waiting and leave before the site has fully loaded.
But the Flash intro page negates all of that by forcing the visitor to sit and watch an unwanted animation however innovative it is. Unless there is an option to skip this they have to wait until this had finished before accessing the content and the rest of the site.
The Splash page causes problems for the search engines and is a huge turn off for visitors. If you have a website with one of these irritants and have wondered why your conversion rates have dropped then this could be the reason why….
And don’t think that having ‘skip intro’ on this splash page will get around the problem because unfortunately it doesn’t. It does enable visitors to access your content more quickly than if there were no option present. But, they still distract the visitor from their main purpose which is to achieve their goal using your website, e.g. buying a product.
There is nothing worse than waiting for a page to load and being faced with things which shoot across the screen, play tinny music or try and be amusing (when they’re not!) especially when you are in hurry. You sit there drumming your fingers whilst waiting for the page to load and thinking of a thousand other things you could be doing. And what happens…..you get fed up of waiting and leave before the site has fully loaded.
The problem of the Flash intro page
So, what is it about this bit of multimedia wizardry which drives visitors up the wall? The main problem with the intro page is that it takes too long to load and distracts the user from the important aspect – the content. And the content is the most important feature of any website.Passive web
The advent of Web 2.0 with its emphasis on user generated content, social media and interaction has turned our experience of the internet from a passive state to active engagement.But the Flash intro page negates all of that by forcing the visitor to sit and watch an unwanted animation however innovative it is. Unless there is an option to skip this they have to wait until this had finished before accessing the content and the rest of the site.
Other Flash intro problems
In nearly all cases, a Flash intro page doesn’t add any value to a website and can be a tedious and boring affair. Plus it is bad news for anyone with a disability who uses assistive technology, e.g. a screen reader to view a website. A Flash intro page means ‘no can do’ and excludes them from using the website which then ruins their experience.The Splash page causes problems for the search engines and is a huge turn off for visitors. If you have a website with one of these irritants and have wondered why your conversion rates have dropped then this could be the reason why….
And don’t think that having ‘skip intro’ on this splash page will get around the problem because unfortunately it doesn’t. It does enable visitors to access your content more quickly than if there were no option present. But, they still distract the visitor from their main purpose which is to achieve their goal using your website, e.g. buying a product.