Hey i have been perusing some of your forums and stuff so i can familiarize myself with what all of you do etc. I saw bdude's blogging cafe in his sig so i checked it.

The Blogging Café - Blogging Resources

When you get there you get a short, sweet, and informative welcome message. To me, this is like one of the most key things you need on a forum. Even though the home page isn't the best layout etc, i am more apt to sign up to this and not leave than at a site that has a flashy home page with lots of bells and whistles etc. This is because i immediately know what the site is about and what i will find there. And while its not always the best to have graphical text, the whole block is clickable to the join page. I think all forums need to have a welcome block that just provides a short overview of what the site is about. Good job on that part bdude

I don't think welcome messages are needed for most. If you have some obscure domain name and it's not clear what you offer than yea I guess you would benefit. If it's obvious by your domain name and when you open the site what it's about I think you are just wasting valuable space. I have never seen any noticeable increase in registrations by using one on my Mustang site myself.

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Unless the message is nicely customized, then no, I see no need for welcome messages. Personally, I find it annoying when I visit communities that are using the standard, default welcome message, and for me, it's a bit of a turn-off. Why use the default message and essentially, "scare off" potential members when you could customize the message, and possibly attract new members?

Chris

I've always found SitePoint to be a prime example of what works and what doesn't more so due to their reputation and their traffic conversion.

They barely use a welcome header. The one they have simply asks you to register and account since your new, nothing more. It's simple and effective.

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Wow, thanks I'm redesigning the site at the moment, so I hope my new welcome message is just as good

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well thats why i said that bdudes was good, because it was customized and clearly stated what his forum offered. i think that everything should have a welcome statement regardless of what site point does. To just assume that new users will know what your site is about and offers is sort of arrogant i think. And also consider people new to forums and new to the web. They have no idea what a forum is, how to use it blah blah blah.

I think bdude's is especially hot, because it allows for sign up just by clicking on the message.

I like Caddyman's welcome message Talk Delaware is your source for chat, news, and information in Delaware how he cut up the image so the different parts are clickable. Plus it allows for that great adsense placement without it being too intrusive.

Not to say that I don't like bdudes I think its very well done and very informative to new users.

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i think the message on bdude's site is excellent also and very well done, especially for a new person who has never visited the site before.

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thx guys I Like Caddyman's site too, that's who I'm styling my new one on

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This thread has inspired me to create a good welcome message for my new forum. Thanks.

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