Does this site need a splash page?

[iostream.h]

The reason I'm asking is because I decided not to kill myself to have it work with IE. It does work in all other browsers though.

http://owagner.com/New/

Also, what do you think of it so far?

 

[Nermal]

In my opinion, no site should have a splash page. They are almost always unnecessary, and can be frustrating for users with slower connections.

 

[davecuse]

Yea, forget the splash page, it looks good the way it is. That program looks pretty cool, btw.

 

[decksnap]

A couple of constructive suggestions-

Your text block is set to the full width of the browser- on larger screens this makes it very annoying to read. A standard max word count per line should be about fifteen words across- after that it becomes more and more difficult for the reader.

If there is no splash page, perhaps the navigation button for the page you are on should be highlighted?

Also, when rolling over the navigation, the links get de-emphasized (lighter). Usually you want to have the item you roll over more emphasized.

Maybe a full size screen grab on this page would be good also along with the thumbnails?

 

[SilentPanda]

The *only* benefit I know of to a splash page is if somebody goes to your site accidentally. If the splash page is just a graphic then they will only use the bandwidth for that graphic before realizing they're on the wrong page.

But... I don't think they're needed either. But they do have their benefits.

 

[decksnap]

There is another benefit- and that is if your site is built entirely in flash- people often need a splash page to both tell the user what the site requirements are and, if need be, to launch the flash site in a specifically sized window.

 

[iostream.h]

Maybe a full size screen grab on this page would be good also along with the thumbnails?

You mean a full screen grab with the app running? There isn't anything else to show but what's in those other screenshots.

 

[decksnap]

Yeah- I just meant maybe show one of those shots right there on the page to brighten it up a bit because the page seems a bit empty.

 

[iostream.h]

Yeah- I just meant maybe show one of those shots right there on the page to brighten it up a bit because the page seems a bit empty.

Ahh ok. It will have more applications on it soon, and I don't want anything overwhelming the rest of the site.

 

[The Past]

Personally, I have found several benefits of a splash page. I consult on design for corporate websites and that is where I am coming from. So, some of this may not apply to you. I have found that a splash page can make a statement about the identity of the site in under five seconds and sometimes these things are important. when you move away from donationware to shareware, you may find this argument appealing. I have also used splash pages to prepare the rest of the site in the background as the user is identified (browser, OS, etc.) but stalled for a couple of seconds at the splash page. So, there are some benefits. Personally, I like cover pages, but I do realize it is a personal preference.

I am not a big fan of content on buttons changing on mouseover, especially when it changes size and rearranges all other buttons. Users tend to take a snapshot of the layout and store it in their, so to speak, cerebral RAM. I don't like messing with it and making them learn the page all over again.