Website w/Forum

[David]

I would like some feedback and support 😉. I have a graphics forum, and so I was wondering, if you were in my position, would you place a website as the main page? If so, what would you place on it? If not, why?

I may place one and it could show the stats, new updates, twitter feed, SOTM winner and a showcase graphics.

 

[Fergal]

I may place one and it could show the stats, new updates, twitter feed, SOTM winner and a showcase graphics.

That sounds like a good approach. You could also include a description of the forum, reasons why people should join it and clear prominent links to the forum index and registration pages. It really annoys me when I visit a portal home page or other form of home page and can't find the link to the forum index.

 

[AnAccount]

I'm kind of thinking of doing something similar for Chatting Time. However, if I do go that route, should I have the same theme as on my forum (it's a Christmas Theme, currently).

 

[David]

Ok, thank you guys. I've gotten a positive response so far, not only here, and so I opted into making a website for my forum.

I am open to more comments 🙂

 

[Battou]

Galleries, orginized galleries for your userbase to use. I co-admin two such sites.

 

[Macster]

Portals in my mind are not the way to go, simply because they look ugly sometimes, and when ya get that first impression of the website homepage it really goes over into the impression of how the forum may or may not look and people may not even visit it for that reason.

If,however you make the portal decent and together then you have something going, but only if it looks good lol. Members really look forward to something clean and professionally looking.

Homepages are awesome if used correctly and from what people have posted you can do that. Something simple because it seems your real success is on your forums.

 

[Fergal]

...should I have the same theme as on my forum (it's a Christmas Theme, currently).

I would say that you should, it is better to keep the branding consistent.

 

[CyberFreak]

A website would be good at it gives you a space to "show off" some of your best work. If it is just a forum, it is quite hard to show off some of your work while making the forum index look tidy. If you put your work in a topic or hidden in a forum, the chances are members will leave your site before they see your work. If it is visible when they first visit it will immediately get their attention and may well persuade them to join.

 

[AnAccount]

...should I have the same theme as on my forum (it's a Christmas Theme, currently).

I would say that you should, it is better to keep the branding consistent.

Good idea, Fergal. If I can implement something similar, I will look into it.