When it comes to business websites, first impressions matter. The tiny details that make up your Strikingly website are just as important as the bigger picture. And with people expecting a lot from the sites they visit, the challenge is for you to be able to maximize every single aspect of your website, each touchpoint, every link, and image that directs traffic to your pages - including your splash page.
To create splash page, you need to know and understand a few things. You don't need to prepare a lot, but you do need to know how to create a splash page properly. A good splash page doesn't always have a great design, but all good splash pages can convey a message effectively.
Primarily, what you need to create splash page is the ability to communicate effectively. If you can communicate your message then you will master how to create a splash page well.
For more details, let's take a look at how to create a good splash page and the reasons why you need to create a splash page for your website.
What is a Splash Page?
A splash page usually pops up before a user can explore the rest of the website he is visiting. This element should not be confused with a landing page which is an actual web page that is designed to fulfill a particular conversion goal; or a static under construction pages for upcoming releases. Splash pages are like a prologue to a book - they feature minimal content and are designed to relay a message that may not be related to your homepage but is meant to fulfill a certain objective such as signing up for a newsletter or going directly to a page that features products on sale for a limited time.
Splash Page Example
• Pretty Olive Interiors
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
• Inspire Organics
*Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
• Fighting Pretty
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
Characteristics of a Splash Page
The reasons for using one may vary but most splash pages share the same characteristics. First of all, they contain a link to the main site or any other part of the website as in the case of a subscribe to mailing list campaign or enter site. A splash page also has a clear call to action and it doesn’t have a lot of intricate design elements. In fact, the page is very simple and contains a single clear and straightforward message.
It’s important to note that a splash page is not an intro page or even a webpage within your website. This is what makes it different from a landing page which may contain the same characteristics but can be much more detailed than a splash page.
Why Should You Create a Splash Page?
Although it is relatively smaller and simpler than the other elements on your website, a splash page has a big role to play in attracting the attention of a visitor. Splash pages can display interesting offers or information before visitors enter site.
However, the role of the splash page does not stop there. Here are the roles that a splash page on your website can fulfill:
• Attract Customers
A splash page is an effective tool for highlighting your best or latest works. This makes splash pages a top choice for portfolio artist websites. Even though your website is not a portfolio website, you can also achieve the same by using a splash page.
With a splash page, you can build visitor expectations about what they will encounter before they even enter site.
• Advertise or Promote Events
You can use a splash page to promote any event you are holding on your website. Since the splash page appears at the start of your website, you can effectively promote your event.
If you use a splash page to promote your website, event or product, you should make sure that you add a contact field along with an attractive call-to-action to make sure your splash page is more effective.
• Restricting Access To Your Website
A website can have an age limit that must be met by a visitor. Websites that sell items such as liquor generally have an age limit.
A splash page can help you ensure that your website visitors know and consciously acknowledge that they have met the age limit that you have set.
Best Practices for Making Splash Pages
As an art, there is no exactly the correct way on how to create a splash page. However, you can always follow tips or best practices that have been proven to create splash page. Here are some of the best practice tips on how to create a splash page:
1. Clean and Organized Design
Splash pages should not contain a lot of design elements that can make that small piece of digital real estate look cluttered. Remember that pop ups or intro pages in general have smaller containers so you don’t want to cram too much information or huge graphics that it distracts the user from what he or she is supposed to do with it.
2. Copy Should be Action Oriented
The copy on a splash page should be brief and straightforward. It has to be clear that the user should be able to understand what to do next. Don’t make the visitor read a paragraph of text content contained in such a small space. Putting too much text content on an intro can cause a user to go back and look elsewhere for information.
3. Clear Call to Action and an Opt Out
A good CTA encourages a visitor to take action as soon as he can so he can go back to the content that he came for in the first place. The disruption to the browsing experience must be worth it. Do not put so many unnecessary steps towards fulfilling the action on a splash page. For instance, if it is for newsletter signup, simply ask for an email address and nothing else. Leave the contact form in another area on your website.
By the same vein, some customers may not appreciate the interruption that splash pages can present. Have a clear exit option so they can go back to exploring the content they came for in the first place.
4. Maintain Consistency
Consistency is one of the most important and often overlooked, elements of how to create a splash page.
What does consistency mean?
The consistency in question is the consistency of brandings, such as the choice of words or writing style, to the consistency of the design, such as the choice of colors, and so on.
As explained earlier, to create a splash page, you must master the art of communicating effectively. However, the communication you do must of course be in line with the branding strategy you are applying. For example, if your branding strategy has elements of using a speaking style that tends to be relaxed and informal, then the message that you write in the splash page must show this personality.
In terms of design, you should also make sure to use colors that don't contrast with your website's color scheme when designing your splash page.
You certainly don't want your visitors to feel something is wrong when they switch from the splash page to the landing or intro page of your website, right?
5. Add Subscription Form or Connect Social Media Accounts
If you use a splash page to promote goods or events, you must follow these tips to create a splash page on your website.
Connecting your social media accounts to your splash page can help you to remind customers to follow your social media account, which can help you to build and grow your online presence.
You can also use this subscription form to collect the contact details of your customers. You can use these contact details to carry out marketing strategies, such as electronic direct mail (EDM) marketing.
How to Create a Splash Page on Strikingly
It is easy to create splash page with Strikingly. On the website editor, just go to Settings > Promotion > Pop ups and enable the feature for your website. There are three types of splash pages that you can create for your site:
- Email signup - great for inviting visitors to subscribe to your newsletter
- Announcement - for virtually anything you want to tell a visitor - e.g. download an e-book, take advantage of a discount code, or announce an upcoming sale.
- Age verification - for restricted content which requires the reader to be of a certain age to access.
Image taken from Strikingly product
After creating your splash page, click Publish.
The splash page will come up as a pop-up when a user lands on your website.
Those are the things you should know about how to create a splash page on Strikingly.
To summarize, despite having a relatively small dimension, a splash page is an element that can make your website more effective. With a splash page, you can quickly grab the attention of customers and get them interested in your website.
What’s better is that to create a splash page, you don't need a large amount of time and money. You can use assets or images that you have used on your website. To make sure that your splash page is effective, you have to know and understand a few things.
What are those things?
First is the element of design. You need to pay attention to how you design your splash page. It should be simple and clean, that is your splash page does not include too many elements. You also need to make sure that the design element, such as font and color, that you use in your splash page matches or is consistent with the design element of your website, for example, you do not use contrasting colors or fonts.
Second is the element of communication. You can utilize call-to-action to encourage your customers to engage with whatever you promote or do with your splash page. For example, if you are promoting a new product, you can use call-to-action to encourage customers to participate in the pre-order. You also need to pay attention to your writing style, that is you need to incorporate branding strategy that your company employs, for example, to speak in an informal and relaxed tone, into your message on your splash page.
