The JKB Marketing Blog

I greatly dislike intro pages, whether they're long-winded flash intros or graphical splash pages. I am not alone. Nearly 80% of consumers stated that they HATE Flash intro pages.

Wow!

Now, there are some Flash advocates that don't buy this result. So MarketingSherpa went to one of Macromedia's own usability expert who summed up all that is wrong with splash pages perfectly:

When we have clients who are thinking about Flash
splash pages, we tell them to go to their local supermarket and bring a mime with them. Have the mime stand in front of the supermarket, and, as each customer tries to enter, do a little show that lasts two minutes, welcoming them to the supermarket and trying to explain the bread is on aisle six and milk is on sale today.

Then stand back and count how many people watch the mime, how many people get past the mime as quickly as possible, and how many people punch the mime out.

That should give you a good idea as to how well their splash page will be received. That's the crux of it.

Sure, there are always exceptions to the rule. But they are few and far between.

Flash should not be imposed on the unsuspecting web browser.

Use Flash to create some great visual effects and interactive games. Flash is also great for creating real-time web applications. You can have customers customize the look of your product and see the results instantly. Using Flash in this manner benefits everyone involved.