There's a big difference between a splash page and a landing page.
A landing page is a standalone page created to fulfill a conversion goal. A splash page, on the other hand, is a screen that pops up when you first enter a site. A splash page is the introduction to your website, while a landing page won't appear until after a user fills out a form.
Essentially, a splash page is your virtual business card.
But it's more than that. A splash page can deliver critical information, like a promotion or upcoming event, and even evoke a sense of mystery or exclusivity.
In essence, a splash page is your doorman, leading users in the right direction.
What's a splash page?
A splash page is a company's introduction to their website. It's not a landing page, but rather a large window that is used to promote a service or product, announce a promotion, or deliver necessary information, before a user is able to enter the site and view the rest of the site's pages. It typically has a single message and an exit link.
For instance, consider Football.com's splash page. Football.com uses a splash page to ask the user which game they care about -- American, or World. When a user clicks American or World, they are directed to the first page of the site, but of course, that page depends on which option they choose.
Football.com's splash page allows them to go the extra mile to provide an exceptional user experience for their site's visitors.
To learn how to make a splash page, or to gain inspiration from splash page examples, keep reading.
How to Make a Splash Page
When you're creating a splash page, you can either hire a third-party designer, or use a professional template to design one.
If you choose to use a template, rather than hiring a third-party designer, take a look at some of the template options from these landing page and website builders:
A short-form landing page template works best as a splash page. For this example, I chose to use Strikingly, but you can follow similar steps for another builder of your choice.
Once I chose to use Strikingly as my builder, here's how I created a splash page:
1. Sign up for a Strikingly free account.
2. Click the "Create New Site" button.
3. Select your preferred template. For my purposes, I chose the "Splash" template.
4. Within your template, click the green "Add New Section" button.
5. Scroll through the "Add A New Section" options, and click "Button".
6. Now, click the "X" beside your other web pages to delete them. Ensure you only have a button left.
7. Beside "Button", click the settings icon, and then un-check "Show in navigation".
8. Now, click on your button to edit it.
9. Copy and paste a link into the "Link URL" box, and then include text for the button. This is your splash page command.
10. Next, change your text to reflect whatever you want your splash page to say -- in this case, I want my splash page to say "Caroline's Portfolio", with some information below. Then, I want my button to say "See Designs".
11. If you want to change your background, click "Background" in the top right and select an image, or upload your own.
12. When you're happy with the design, click "Publish" at the top left.
13. Include a URL for your splash page (in this case, mine is http://carolineforsey.strikingly.com/) and then click "Publish Now".
14. And voila! You've officially created a splash page, which links to the rest of your site.
Splash page examples
- Zara
- Football.com
- Conversion Gods
- Urban Influence
- Femme Fatale Paris
- Mrcthms
- Resn
- Playtika
- Maaemo
- CoLofts
- Garrison Footwear
- Forbes
1. Zara
2. Football.com
3. Conversion Gods
4. Urban Influence
5. Femme Fatale Paris
6. Mrcthms
7. Resn
8. Playtika
9. Maaemo
10. CoLofts
11. Garrison Footwear
12. Forbes