Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK
Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:31 pm Post subject: Are landing pages ever a good idea? Discuss!
My initial point against the 'splash page' is usability, but there are other reasons, especially as I realise that a lot of designers don't adhere to mortal conventions such as usability ( and to prevent further confusion as to my definition of usability). Jakob Nielson (Smielchson) is not where I was heading.
Should designers/graphic folk have splash pages?
If designing the structure of your site includes a portfolio section or similar, then perhaps an impact image is best left for that area of your site. My contention is that images are nearly always best contained to portfolio areas of your site.
I should divulge my bias, in that I am currently building up an on-line portfolio for retouching (just as 20 million others think it' cool too!). I have been doing it a lot longer but the internet has caught me up, but at no point in that time have I thought of a 'splash page'. If it's a portfolio site then I believe it should be contained within defined parameters (cough) such as 'Portfolio'
I don't believe that your work will stand or fall by a splash page, I also don't believe the comparison to shopping sites and design sites is particularly fair in this case, as apples and oranges come to mind. If that was the point (A&O) then my point kicks in again... then obviously we can contend the point of commercial sites is to get you in to the checkout as soon as possible. We may need/want to commercialise work as a designer, but just as a landing page may not help the Amazons, it may also not entirely benefit the individual.
People discover and explore your site I contend in spite of your 'landing/splash page' rather than because of it!
_________________ If life serves you lemons, make lemonade!
Joined: 26 Nov 2010
Posts: 368
Location: Australia
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:14 pm Post subject:
I've been intrigued by the different universes that there are out there.
For example, there's a technical universe, the inhabitants of which have no sense of aesthetics but value sites which are efficient and secure.
There's a business universe which I won't even go into, except to say that NO I DON'T WANT TO RECEIVE SPECIAL OFFERS FROM YOUR PARTNERS FROM TIME TO TIME.
There's also an artistic universe, which I think a lot of portfolio sites fall into. Here, appearance matters. They tend to be very beautiful sites which try to produce an 'experience'. I think this is where the splash page comes in.
My personal opinion is that you have to do what suits your audience. It's about them, not about you.
For example, an engineer who thinks it's fun to design his own printed circuit boards after work and sells kits to other hobbyists is selling to people who don't care about pretty things but want a site that pretty much just gets to the point (I'm married to such a creature, his idea of "showing me etchings" is to demonstrate how chemical 'etching' fluid can create one-off printed circuit boards).
But if your audience has the time and wants to sit back and go with the flow, then go for it, put in the landing page. I do think there's a danger in it, though, which is that you may appeal to the most arty members of your audience, but cut off those who are a bit busy that day...
Another reason to know your audience is that many people are using small devices, like iphones, to access the web. The site needs to be easy to click, easy to read and cheap to access (keep your images optimised).
I'm a part of the audience who gets annoyed at landing pages, but I'm busy and hyper. But I'm not necessarily typical.
Joined: 20 Dec 2008
Posts: 710
Location: Oklahoma PS Version: photoshop cs5 OS: win7 pro 64 bit, i7-3.2g, GTS 450,
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 6:11 pm Post subject:
hi,
my thoughts.
1. one of the fundlemental guide lines of a first page of a website is one that can capture the viewer interest in just a few secounds to where he wants to stay longer....
2. how the page is designed will depend a lot on what site is about.. a layout for a retail store will be quite different than one for game site or one for photographer site or a personal site or the many other different categories of sites....
3. as far as a splash page ... depends on the site..
a. I have seen many game sites where they work very well... capturing the viewer long enough and also intertaining , which help encourage the viewer to go further...
b. also i have seen them work very well with photographers sites and retouching sites ...
Like with anything if it done well i see nothing wrong with splash pages .... and in the final analysis it the viewer that determines if the first page or a splash has done it job..!!
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 6:15 pm Post subject:
I see a certain sage wisdom in your words! I do see a certain thread of it's a big wide world out there, it's just that more than 50% are wrong! _________________ If life serves you lemons, make lemonade!
Joined: 14 Feb 2003
Posts: 11945
Location: Harbinger, NC, U.S.A.
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:18 am Post subject:
When talking about things like wheels, spoilers, etc., you are really talking about matters of taste. The car that looks most silly is actually the one that you drive.
To put it in a different light, the worst music in the world is released by <insert your favorite artist here>.
See how that works? Which I assume is the point that is being made when you say "which 50%."
Music is an easy example because people get really critical about certain things when it's a matter of taste, no matter how enlightened they might consider themselves at the moment.
But, in this thread, it seems like Mike is talking about splash pages, not for the web in general, but specifically for portfolio sites for graphic or design professionals or, at least, those looking to showcase their work.
Splash pages fit into that taste category, but only very slightly. Your car is driven by you. Your music is listened to by you. A splash page is seen not only by you, but by every visitor. So, you have to take into account visitors and not your own personal tastes (as much). I think that a lot of splash pages are put into place by people who have this sort of thing backwards.
That isn't to say, however, that splash pages should never be used. I guess it depends on the use and it's impact could be positive or, if negative, negligible.
That said, generally speaking, splash pages are a bad idea and a practice that is frowned upon, widely, for the reasons discussed here and elsewhere. They are dying out. A funny comparison can be found here: http://boagworld.com/tumblog/flash-splash-pages/
It's important to separate generic "welcome" splash pages with landing pages targeted to a specific visitor or referral and things of that nature, tied to accomplishing a specific task.
There will be people who swear by them and, for some, they may even yield positive results. There is always the possibility. And, really, it doesn't hurt me. I don't even remember the last time that I hit a splash page. They are that infrequent. If I do hit one, it's more of a rarity and I just click and go forward.
As far as personal portfolio sites, etc., really, if the designer feels that it showcases their work in a good way they can be proud of... I'd say it's really not that serious. Do whatever you feel represents you the best.
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:28 pm Post subject:
Ahh a reasoned argument, that treads the tightrope. A good measured response with a zinger of a link, giving pause for thought. (funny too). Cheers for response Patrick _________________ If life serves you lemons, make lemonade!
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