Your Opinion, Please
I'm sure we all remember when we first saw flash/splash animation intros on websites. It was so much fun to watch these animated 'openings.'
With so many websites to view these days, I'm finding that I want to skip the intros and get right to the site. Which leads me to this dilemma. Paris Hotel Boutique has been online since 2002. We have the above intro which moves pretty quickly. The purpose was to view the exterior of the hotel, door opens, and you enter the boutique.
If you're familiar with my site, you've seen it before. If not, please take a look here.
My question to you readers, should I keep the intro page, or remove it and get right to the boutique? Please leave a comment and/or vote on the poll (top right). Your input is greatly appreciated since you're the ones that support my site!
Comments
What the heck is wrong with you???
xo's
I think it is what makes your site unique and is really memorable. I had my first page removed for a or two weeks and my bounce rate almost doubled! Needless to say, it is back. You could always do the same and remove it for a spell and analyze the numbers. Don't you LOVE google anaylytics?
Good luck,
Christina
Your site is lovely and quite quick anyway - I love it and would leave it. Those who want to skip can skip anyway. xv
I remembered when my 18 year old daughter first went to you site some time back, it was what made her go "COOL! It's really like going to a hotel front!" So... that sealed it for me. Keep it. :)
How ya doing by the way?
Ruth
xoxo
Judith~
There are two potential kinds of visitors to that site: Those who know where it is, and those who don't.
Those who know where the site is will likely forgive your experiment, cuz you're fabulous.
But those who don't know you may never find you, because having an opening splash page which redirects to a main page is not always optimal for the search engines.
Your aesthetic is all over your site. Not having the splash intro won't hurt that.
A well appointed mansion is never hurt by the rearrangement of some furniture...it's usually enhanced.
Making a decision like this involves taking a look at how people get to your site in the first place. If the links coming in are coming from sites using the URL of the splash page then you might have a problem. A simple redirect should take care of it...
Test and Re-Test.
Best Of Luck
Martin
I love your site, and I pop by every so often to see what luscious things you have for sale. BUT I always skip the intro, probably because I have seen it and I want to leap right into "new arrivals." But alas, some of your fans who know more about how to attract first-time visitors are probably better at helping you decide what to do. There's no "wrong" answer here... your site is fabulous!
I know you didn't ask, but what I think is TRULY FANTASTIC is this blog. Your ideas, your writing, the things you feature all say a lot about you and your brand.
Your fan, Joan