Opening speeches

[Crystal]

I'm pretty consistent when it comes to all my sites whether it is a shrine or a fanlisting (because I like it that way). I'll start with introducing the subject and then say a bit about it. If it is a shrine I'll mention spoilers and then mention some contacting me type stuff and such. I just like to keep it simple pretty much.

[Ava]

The welcome message is a necessary chore for me. I don't write it until after all my content is done, and it's usually very generic introduction to what the site contains, especially for people who are not accustomed to shrines. Sometimes I may provide a section description of sorts.

Something that I've done at Heartilly.Com shrines is a matching set of link buttons for related shrines on the network, with the current shrine highlighted, on the welcome page. I really like this setup because it creates sense of cohesion between my sites, as if they're all sisters in a family.

[Elysa]

To get back on topic, opening speeches are usually the first thing I do, since it's the easiest. I shamefully copy&paste from my previous sites, since it's more like a template, and then I just pepper it with some unique comments like the typical "who is this character and why should you care about her/him" sentences.

I do a lot of copy/pasting with certain parts of my sites too |D;; Usually, my introductions are all pretty alike, and then I rephrase some things so it's not all exactly the same Sometimes I'll add a little bit extra about the subject, but not always.

I tend to write the introduction before I write the rest of the content, because I think it's one of the easier parts, plus I like doing things in order XD; Other things I put on the index page are links to my contact page, updates & directories it might be part of.

[Sarah]

Oops, I didn't answer this question!

Do you write this part before or after the rest of the content, or at the same time?
I write my intros first, usually. Like Elysa said, that is the easiest, so I do it beforehand. And sometimes having that done is good motivation for me to work on the actual content. lol

[Puppeteer]

Do you have consistent patterns across all of your sites?
Yes, definitely. I think of the welcome message as one of the more functional parts of the site, so I think of it in practical terms that would apply to any subject.

How do you phrase this welcome message?
The first sentence sounds almost identical for all my work, wherein I mention the name of the shrine, the subject, its origin, and the creator. After that the wording is always a bit different, but I tend to describe how and/or why I made the site, alluding to why I like the subject. Then it's purely functional; either a guide for the user on how to use the site, with some spoiler warning and a "Happy reading!" send off.

Do you write this part before or after the rest of the content, or at the same time?
Before, for several reasons. I like to have something solid when testing out how my layouts will look, and since I most often use the index page as my base, the welcoming speech naturally happens first. However, I am very prone to changing it up as I finish with content, either to add a bit more description or edit some wording for accuracy, etc.

What else do you tend to put on the index page?
EVERYTHING. Lol, not really, but since 2 of my 3 active sites right now are one-pagers, it's actually true. For real, though, it's always different. Affiliates, update info, linkage, etc. have all appeared on my work, but never in the same combination, it seems.

[anon]

"Welcome" message, eh? I don't like to add on extra flowers, so I just keep my salutations pretty short. In that one greeting, I state the topic of my site, the series it's from, and follow it with a disclaimer. Basically, I reaffirm it's a fan site, and also clarify what incarnation or version I'm basing the information off of. I guess. I mean, it's not that much to say...

[Chibi]

Well, I usually tend to welcome visitors to my site, warn them of unmarked spoilers and wish them a nice stay while they're browsing. Which is... very original, I know. XD I do have a consistent pattern across all my sites. However, if I feel some visitors might be "offended" or might not agree with my view on a particular subject, I will warn them in the welcome message. If one of my fansites has quite a few sections based heavily on my opinion, I will warn the visitors. Not because I'm writing something offensive, mind you, but I want people to know that they might not agree with my views and there's nothing wrong with that. Though I realise I might still get flame mail for it. XD;

But yeah, this is usually what I write on my welcome page. :)

[Destinie]

I think I might start skipping welcoming speeches. I think they're nice but I feel like no one wants to read my rambling paragraphs. I think in future designs I might do a splash page kind of thing that gets people right into the content.

[Eden]

I think I might start skipping welcoming speeches. I think they're nice but I feel like no one wants to read my rambling paragraphs. I think in future designs I might do a splash page kind of thing that gets people right into the content.

You could always just make the welcome brief and to the point. Like "Welcome to <insert site>, a tribute to <insert subject>. There may be unmarked spoilers so proceed at your own risk! Browse the navigation for links to various content. Enjoy your visit!" or something like that. ^_^; I'm not sure, it's just an example. I like a welcome page as long as it's brief. If there's no welcome, I don't feel welcome at all personally. XD

[Sarah]

I think I might start skipping welcoming speeches. I think they're nice but I feel like no one wants to read my rambling paragraphs. I think in future designs I might do a splash page kind of thing that gets people right into the content.

You know, sometimes I really miss splash pages!

I don't know if I could ever give up welcome speeches. Writing them is too ingrained in me now, lol. Though I probably get rambly, too. However, I do enjoy reading others'. :)