XenForo Don't use Pages & Widgets for a landing page?

[Tracy]

If not, why not... it really helps to get the latest content on your site to the forefront of the user visiting.

Want an example... feel free to hit the site in the sig.
Want help setting it up.. feel free to hit me up.
Realize, I'm running several of Bob's add-ons that give my site more functions than a simple XF site with 1st party add-on installs.
One caveat.. if I don't recognize your name, you will need to provide a validation token that can be checked. I have a nasty habit of not providing support to folks that don't have a license.

 

[Shawn Gossman1]

Have you A/B tested this at all?

Tested with the "portal" like feature you have now versus just a "forum index"?

I'm curious what the metrics were like?

 

[Tracy]

Tested with the "portal" like feature you have now versus just a "forum index"?

I'm curious what the metrics were like?

Lost a LOT of my GA data when I went over to DigitalPoints GA add-on (but also gained a lot more collection by doing so).
I haven't really checked yet, but it stands to reason the more "direct data" you put in front of the user, the more likely they are to go research other features you offer. It's one thing to see it as a simple navigation option, another to actually see the article on your landing page.

 

[Uncrowned]

I would agree with @Tracy that a landing page of some sort is a good idea. It allows the admins to focus parts of the site on the new viewers and not just shovel an entire forum in their faces. It also doubles as a way to allow better branching out in site features like articles, blogs, galleries, etc, which can be very hard if the forum is the landing. Of course, it can all blow up in your face if you set it up poorly and the core focus and mission of the site needs to be factored in as well.

 

[Shawn Gossman1]

I might have to try it out here and see what it does.

I always used to like portals back in the day.

 

[Tracy]

I might have to try it out here and see what it does.

The beauty of XF (and IPS is a tad ahead) is that it's not that hard to edit the templates to create them. With IPS, it's pretty much "point and click" from a GUI interface, but there are other issues that present themself.. with XF, you actually have to create a template manually to show what you want.

 

[Shawn Gossman1]

If not, why not... it really helps to get the latest content on your site to the forefront of the user visiting.

Want an example... feel free to hit the site in the sig.
Want help setting it up.. feel free to hit me up.
Realize, I'm running several of Bob's add-ons that give my site more functions than a simple XF site with 1st party add-on installs.
One caveat.. if I don't recognize your name, you will need to provide a validation token that can be checked. I have a nasty habit of not providing support to folks that don't have a license.

I might have to try this out on here.

Hit me up if you want and give me any tips

I believe I still have a valid license on his addons.

I know I bought one and he upgraded me without me asking haha

 

[Tracy]

The biggest issue is configuring a page node to use and giving it a name.
I called mine portal for the URL slug, and the Title simply Astro What?

I then created the widgets that I desired via the Appearances->Widgets option.

Then I used standard templating to install those created widgets.

<xf:h1 hidden="true" />
<xf:css>
.bookmarkLink.button {
    display: none;
}
</xf:css>
<xf:widget key="portal_xfmg_images" />
<xf:widget key="ams_latest_articles_portal" />
<xf:widget key="portal_latest_threads" />
<xf:widget key="portal_social_group_latest_threads" />
<xf:widget key="portal_social_groups_events" />
<xf:widget key="portal_latest_showcase_items" />
<xf:widget key="portal_latest_reviews" />
<xf:widget key="portal_latest_classifeds" />


<xf:if is="!$xf.visitor.user_id">
<xf:sidebar><xf:widget key="portal_visitor_panel" /></xf:sidebar>
</xf:if>
<xf:sidebar><xf:widget key="portal_latest_resources" /></xf:sidebar>
<xf:sidebar><xf:widget key="portal_featured_links" /></xf:sidebar>
<xf:sidebar><xf:widget key="portal_group_events" /></xf:sidebar>
<xf:sidebar><xf:widget key="forum_overview_members_online" /></xf:sidebar>
<xf:sidebar><xf:widget key="member_wrapper_newest_members" /></xf:sidebar>

<xf:css>
.p-breadcrumbs {
display:none
}</xf:css>

There is an XF:IF statement in there that on the landing portal, if the user is already signed in, it doesn't show the visitor panel... if they aren't, it does.