If a website intro Flash animation was really great, why would I want to skip it? If my intro was somehow  “less than” why would I even present it? Do I really need to see the intro each time I call up the index(home) page of the website or can that be programmed out?

This issue has been on my plate of annoying web gnats for years. If you know your intro can potentially be annoying why put it out there? This is about usability on the web and taking advantage of the medium. When designing a website, we often include some Flash animation on a homepage or in a header to enhance the user experience. This is an opportunity to show more than one image, or present an idea using more than one screen. It’s a fantastic opportunity to really show off, so why turn it into an annoying introduction that you immediately discount by inviting visitors to “skip it”?

Another way of avoiding the intro self esteem issue is to use cookies. Visitors see it once, and then never again. Now that is more like it- ask visitors if they want to see it again, and not invite them to become a part of your website’s poor presentation.

More on this later…