Splash Page vs. Landing Page – What’s the Difference [UPDATE 2021]

What is a splash page?

A splash page is a part of a website that precedes any other page on your business website. It is said to be a welcome screen and teaser for your potential leads before they go into your homepage. However, there is no universal purpose for which splash pages are produced as it varies depending on the niche or the industry your business operates in.

A website splash page can be created in order to:

• promote a new offer, an upcoming launch or an event,
• allow visitors to choose a region or a language,
• present a disclaimer or age verification for visitors,
• tempt visitors (useful especially for photographers and designers to show their work),
• put a warning or an alert,
• share some info about a discount from an affiliate program you take part in.

What is a landing page and what is its purpose

A landing page is a standalone website created explicitly for marketing and advertising purposes. It's designed to grab the visitor’s attention, present them with a specific product or service, and then encourage them to take the desired action.

It is the place where your new potential customers land which makes it also the first-impression maker – the quality of your landing page impacts whether it will be a favorable or repellant first impression. A high-quality and attractive landing page is a must for every online business. Especially considering the fact that it can be created for free with a landing page builder in less than an hour.

What is the difference between a splash page and a landing page

As you can see, a landing page and a splash page both have their proper functions and reasons of existence. However, the fact that they are both supposed to grab attention instantly is the reason for which they are often mixed up. Let’s then check the main differences between them in order to use them properly.

Length and company

A landing page can be long or short – it is about engaging visitors and you decide which design is the most appropriate for your business. Nevertheless, a splash page is only about greeting and it has to be short. Also, a landing page is always a standalone website or a part of it (for example, you can have a couple of WordPress landing pages on your own domain) while a splash page appears before you enter the website.

Splash page features

The features of a website splash page depend heavily on the purpose behind creating it. Even when you search for splash page examples, you may come to the conclusion that the various splash pages you have seen don’t have much in common. And if you wish to create a splash page using one of landing page templates, it's necessary to adjust a template to your own needs.

When creating a splash page, you can include one or more of the features such as:

• a company logo or an attention-grabbing graphics or image,
• a relevant and meaningful initial message depending on the purpose of creating a splash page,
• an animation or a video,
• choice how to enter the site,
• technical requirements for using the site (rather obsolete).

In the early days of existence, splash pages were popular, especially among designers. They were an excellent opportunity for them to show off their animation skills using eye-catching animations and powerful graphics. However, over time, their qualities have become appreciated also by other parts of the digital marketing world.

Splash page advantages

Truth be told – splash pages seem to be an inconspicuous tool but, depending on your goal, they can turn out to be extremely helpful. Splash websites:

• are fast-loading as there is a little information on them. It enables you to quickly draw the attention of the visitors and transfer the information you want to provide them with,
• can serve as a showoff or a portfolio of your best work allowing you to show the quality of your craft and make an outstanding first impression,
• allow visitors to choose the site language or technology if your business website has a few versions,
• allow you to get feedback about your potential customers’ preferences by analizing which splash pages worked the best for your business.

Are splash pages the same as pop ups?

Pop ups appear on pages but, unlike website splash pages, not always immediately. Pop ups can be triggered (for example) by scrolling down to a given page's depth, by spending a specified amount of time on a page, or by mousing over a given element. Splash pages are always displayed before entering the website.

Summary

Long story short, both landing pages and splash pages are great tools enabling you to increase your conversions and engage your visitors significantly more. Landing pages concept is definitely more widespread but it doesn’t mean that you should use it exclusively. Try to be one step ahead of your competition and, truth be told, splash pages can turn out to be as efficient as high-quality landing pages are. They are constructed in a slightly different manner but they are both truly powerful marketing weapons.