Changing Shrine Names

Talk with others about anything shrine-related, be it presentation, content or something else.
Lethe
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Lethe »

This is related, so I hope it's not completely off-topic, but I was thinking about this a lot with regard to domains. You create a shrine, and it's been around for a while, and people associate it with a brand - a site title, an URL. When you change that, you risk losing visitors, depending on how frequently they revisit your shrine and through which channel they access it. The longer a name or URL has been around, the more you have to lose, I feel.

But honestly? I think a shrine is, in the first line, for self-satisfaction, so it has to be right for you. If you can't stand looking at a name or domain anymore, change it. I think if people truly love your site and want to find it again at all costs, they will be able to - especially if you facilitate the process, by, for example, redirecting the old URL for a while, not immediately terminating the domain, or, as mentioned, mention the old site name on the index page and/or on the site page.

As far as I'm concerned, I also think it's better to change either of the two as soon as possible when you're dissastified - yes, even if it's a recently released project. That way, you spend less time advertising the site under a URL or name that you don't want to keep anyway, while giving it more time to establish itself under the new one.

(I really love what Robin said, by the way - I love reading on the site page what made people change the site name, and what it might have been called before, including its WIP name.)
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Todd
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Todd »

Emma wrote: The only problem with renaming a site is having to make new buttons and retiring the old ones (some of them were pretty, okay).
Haha, this is my biggest struggle with renaming a shrine, especially if said old buttons were donations!

My Sabin site used to be named Wanderer, and I changed it to Somewhere Only We Know. That song got really popular after, and I ended up not liking the title, but am not changing it for this very reason. I have so many banner gifts, haha. That, and I can't think of a better name for the site. I guess it's also been around so long with its current name that changing it would feel weird.

Anyway, I love this discussion! I agree with Lethe and Robin in that you should do it if it makes you happy.
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Jae
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Jae »

I second all the above, and especially regarding what Lethe said. It's better to change early on than to delay the process out of whatever concern may be there at the time - the sooner you do, the better you'll feel.

The way I see it, it's like an outfit. The title is as much a part of the shrine's "costume" as the content and design. Trends change, and sometimes what worked in the past might not be so satisfying anymore. So if a change in the title feels necessary, then by all means, one should go for it.

Having a site history page or explaining the title change on the index page is an extra step that I think would be engaging for visitors. As a whole, history or "making of" sections makes the site stand out more by adding a greater personal touch for me.

Personally, I've revived many old shrines in the past and intend to do so in the near future. You can bet that I'll be changing their names (again)!
fayth
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Crystal
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Crystal »

Perhaps that's why it was so much easier to change Shiki's name than it is Ike's. I've have Ike for so long it's the name everyone knows it as.
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dubiousdisc
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by dubiousdisc »

Another thing you could do would be to keep the old name in the page title, too, and as you were saying, in the introduction in a very very very prominent place. Also, as Lethe was saying, if you end up changing URLs you can always keep the old URL accessible for a while and redirect people around.

But overall, I absolutely get the biting of fingers of WANTING to change but EHGHhhhhh it's been too long...but, in the end, I'd say that if it's really that important to you? Change it.

But meeeeep if I had banners made by other people...I think I'd keep all of the old banners in the site page just to honor the people who made them XD
Anise
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Anise »

I have changed shrine names before. If I made the buttons I generally try to recreate them but if they were a gift I always feel bad. Overall if it makes me happier about the shrine I am always willing to do so.
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Elysa
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Elysa »

I think I would change site names, no matter how old they are, if I wasn't pleased with them anymore. For me, this comes mostly from fanlistings. Since they have a due date to be completed, I've had times where I just picked a title that wasn't it, but went with it for lack of a better name. My Killua fanlisting was one such case, so I changed the name and made a new layout once I thought up what felt more fitting. The old one wasn't up for long, but for sites that have been around longer, I would definitely mention the old name somewhere on the index page, so old visitors know it's still the same site, but with a site rename.
Destinie
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Destinie »

Oh I have done this! I changed the name of my Meowth shrine from "Modest Mouser" to "Lucky Cat". I thought I was being clever when I came up with the previous name (but I wasn't even a Modest Mouse fan) and I thought that Lucky Cat described the Pokemon better! So I switched when I did a big redesign and reorg a couple years back.

Would recommend. There's no reason to stick with a shrine name that you're not in love with even though the site is x-amount years old. Sometimes fresh starts are necessary and good!
Stefi
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Re: Changing Shrine Names

Post by Stefi »

Todd wrote:
Emma wrote: The only problem with renaming a site is having to make new buttons and retiring the old ones (some of them were pretty, okay).
Haha, this is my biggest struggle with renaming a shrine, especially if said old buttons were donations!
Same here, especially since my sites have been online for so long. Some of those buttons donated to me are so cute too! That's mostly my dilemma when changing site names.

I've changed many of my sites' names before, some even multiple times. My layout archive has gone through like 4 or 5 site names for reasons I cannot remember anymore.

I think if you're really unhappy with your site name, or if you came up with one that's infinitely better despite having to make new buttons (lol), I'd say go for it! Unless you're worried that visitors can't find you through the search engine anymore, I feel like changing a site name isn't really disruptive to site establishment, unlike maybe switching urls
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