Ever clicked on a website link, but instead of seeing the main content, you were redirected to a page with a big, bold message and a call-to-action button? You were probably sent to a splash page. Splash pages are introductory pages or a specific section of a website. Learn more about what splash pages are and go through our curated list of best splash page examples to inspire your own.
Purpose of Splash Pages vs Landing Pages vs Pop-ups
Splash pages are mostly used as introductory screens for websites or as a promotional tool. How it’s specifically used depends on the industry or niche of the business. For example, it can be used to verify information (like confirming if you are above the legal drinking age on a site selling alcohol) or to gate content by requiring users to log in or subscribe first.
Now, there can be some confusion between splash pages, landing pages, and pop-ups. Since splash pages can also be set to trigger based on a visitor’s action, it’s understandable why people find it hard to differentiate the three. The difference comes down to how each tool functions on your site.
Splash Pages
Splash pages are used for gating content, directing visitors, and sharing a broad message. Think of a website splash page like a receptionist or security guard. It’s ensuring that only appropriate visitors enter a site or see specific pages, direct visitors in the right direction, or share a general message all incoming visitors need to know.
Landing Pages
A landing page is a standalone page used to generate and convert leads from paid ads, such as Google Ads, email marketing campaigns, and so on. Landing pages, unlike splash pages, are designed to correspond with a specific sales or marketing campaign. Learn how to make a landing page and find out more about what they are.
Alternatively, get more insights with these landing page examples.
Pop-ups
As the name suggests, pop-ups appear after a visitor has already entered your site. Like a splash screen, a pop-up is often displayed to all site visitors, as opposed to a landing page that is only displayed to the visitors who arrived on your site via a specific marketing campaign. However, unlike a splash page, a pop-up is typically used to advance a short-term promotional message or sale.
Another area of confusion when it comes to splash pages is how they differ from one-page websites. While a splash page may look like a single-page website, it is designed to be a navigational element for a website. If you aren’t looking to redirect visitors to other content on your site, head over to the best one-page website for examples for more about this kind of page.
What to Include on Splash Pages
Each splash page differs depending on the purpose and the industry. However, these common elements of splash pages can be found in most of them. Remember that your splash page should be clean and organized. Don’t bombard site visitors with content, but at the same time, make leverage elements like these to help build a strong brand for your business.
- Background image
- Branding elements (logo, color palette, etc.)
- Headline
- Call to action (CTA)
- Supplementary copy (like instructions or disclaimers)
- Additional graphics or videos
As you read through the list of splash page examples below, take note of how they used each of these elements.
When to Use Splash Pages
Besides introducing your home page, splash pages can precede other pages of your website, like a product or service, an online store, or an events calendar. Here are some of the most common business types and use cases for splash pages:
Also, remember that splash pages typically don’t include much information. They’re meant to introduce certain sections of your website, whether it’s the homepage, a list of services, or your store.
15 Best Splash Page Examples & Why They Work
Now that you know exactly what a splash page is, let’s look at some of the best splash page examples on the web. If you’re brainstorming on how you want your splash pages to look, seeing how others use them is a great way to get ideas and inspiration for building your business website.
Here are 15 of the best splash page examples from around the web for inspiration:
1. Patrón
One way businesses use splash pages is to gate content. For example, liquor and alcohol brands nearly always use a splash for visitor age verification, such as this one from Patrón Tequila. Top website builders like Wix make it easy to add splash pages to gate off content on your website.
2. Mango
Multinational brands can use splash pages to direct visitors to the right language version of their website. In this example, Mango uses a splash page to guide visitors to its region-based websites to make sure they’re shopping on the website appropriate to their location.
3. Matteo Greco
The Matteo Greco website provides an example of how you can use a splash page creatively. It effectively redirects visitors to view four different web pages, of which three are different portfolios.
Want to make your web pages as striking and visually appealing as this splash page? You can do it by choosing the right color scheme and incorporating it into the page.
4. The New York Times
The New York Times provides a good example of how businesses can use a splash page to gate content via subscription. In this case, The New York Times allows visitors to consume a certain amount of its content without an account. Once you reach the time limit, you’re faced with the splash page that notifies you that you need to subscribe in order to continue reading.
Coming up with an atttention-grabbing headline is easier said than done, but help is available. Check out our list of the best AI content writers to use with help writing titles, web content, and more.
5. BLK Cosmetics
You can use a splash page for more than one purpose, and BLK Cosmetics does an excellent job of doing this on its website. BLK Cosmetics is a cosmetics company that regularly releases new products. Although the CTA is to get users to subscribe to the email newsletter, BLK also uses the splash page to promote these new product lines.
6. Facebook
Facebook utilizes an extremely simple splash page to effectively gate off content to users who aren’t logged in. This is one of the most common use cases for the page and is typically seen with email providers, social media platforms, and other sites where you store personal information on an account.
7. Blackbird Bakery
Splash pages can be used for time-sensitive announcements. In this case, Blackbird Bakery used a splash page to inform customers about their new temporary schedule for Holy Week. This is usually seen in businesses offering food and services like restaurants, bakeries, health centers, etc. In addition to announcements like these, you can coordinate splash pages with your coupon marketing strategy for max impact.
8. Postmates
Postmates’ food delivery service provides a good splash page example for businesses that service different geographic areas. This example sorts out where customers are located and which restaurants they can order from. This helps narrow down your customers’ selection. Plus, it helps avoid headaches for people coming to your site only to find later that they can’t actually order from the restaurant they want.
9. Food Network
Food Network has two websites: AsianFoodNetwork.com and FoodNetwork.com. They use a splash page to welcome their site visitors and inform them of their two sites. The GoDaddy website builder is an affordable option to create a simple splash page similar to this.
10. Chase Center
One of the most common purposes of splash pages is sales lead generation. Chase Center encourages visitors to give their information by guaranteeing presale access and valuable information to their “insiders.”
11. Duolingo
Duolingo, an online language learning platform, uses a splash page for visitors entering the site to help visitors quickly find the right language tools for them. It uses icons to represent different sections of the site. You can source these types of icons online fairly easily, starting with the providers on our list of the best places to get free images for website design.
Need more website inspiration to go with your splash page website ideas? Check out our curated list of the best small business website examples for 2023.
12. Asana Rebel
Splash pages are also commonly used for membership sites and subscription-based services to allow non-members to quickly sign up. Asana Rebel uses its splash page for registration, but at the same time, it directs users to specific content depending on their sex and fitness goals.
13. Rustic Cuff
Rustic Cuff encourages site visitors to sign up for its email and text marketing campaigns by sharing a 15% discount voucher. This is a strong use of splash pages in ecommerce sites since it can generate leads and entice customers to make purchases at the same time. Check out our list of coupon examples and ideas for more ways to leverage offers on your site.
14. Neil Patel
Neil Patel, a well-known SEO content marketing expert, promotes his consulting services via a splash page that appears as soon as you enter his website. By entering your website’s URL, you get a free analysis that eventually directs you to a contact form. This is a great way to use splash pages to boost conversions–and who doesn’t want more traffic?
15. Hozier
Hozier is a well-known musician who uses his website to promote upcoming music and events. The splash page drives fans to sign up for his newsletter and connect to his social media accounts. Hozier put it to good use by including different platforms, allowing fans to connect on the channels they prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What makes a good splash page?
Any good splash page should have a specific call to action (such as registering or logging in, or verifying their age) that is clearly communicated to the viewer. To make your splash page great, keep it short and sweet. At the same time, don’t neglect exit links that take site visitors to specific content on your site where they can access the information they want, continue a sign-up or login process, or close the splash page entirely.
What are the best tools for creating a splash page?
Most content management systems (CMS) (e.g., WordPress, Wix, or Shopify) have tools or plugins that make it easy to create splash pages. For example, Wix and GoDaddy website builder users can set up splash pages right within the site editor. Alternatively, Unbounce is software you can use to create various types of splash pages for WordPress websites as well as the best website builders.
What types of websites use splash pages?
Essentially, any type of website can benefit from using a splash page since it can relay product launches, services, upcoming events, site variations, and important messages. Websites that also have other social media accounts can use a splash page to market their socials and boost their following. It is also best to use a splash page for multinational businesses to direct people to the right site.
Bottom Line
Splash pages enable you to help visitors access and navigate your site easily. Of course, they’re not for every business website, but if it is the solution you’re looking for, it’s a worthwhile investment of your time. Build your site on Wix or GoDaddy to easily create splash pages for site access or navigation, or to get an engaging splash page designed by a graphic design pro for as low as $5 on Fiverr.
