Importance of website splash page

How important is it to describe the website in a splash page format for the home page? Are there any guidelines or special points to be aware of?

Thanks.

 

I dunno.. the majority of my traffic does not go (directly) to my homepage, so most people do not see it.. i think it is important to have a homepage that explains what your site is about though..

 

Just don't use Flash. Please don't like to wait for things to load.

 

good point.. your site does not have to be 'pretty' or 'fancy' .. I choose quality over snazzy - My site is very popular, but ugly..

 

splash pages are not often great for a site, especially if you are looking for return traffic

 

Yes, and I have seen cases where the splash page ends up getting a higher PR than the actual site. Personally I don't like them

 

Here are some pros and cons.
http://webdesign.about.com/od/navigation/a/aa020303a.htm

They can be useful if you are using popups. The visitor will always click on the link to enter your site. Therefore, you will get paid for each visitor.

 

Thats very annoying for returning visitors.

 

Splash pages are generally annoying and I think most users prefer to skip them anyway.