Guide
Giving a website as a gift: how it works and how to present it
A website as a gift sounds like something that needs a developer. It does not. It is a page at a link, with their name on it, holding photos, a letter and whatever else you add, built in a browser in an evening. It opens on their phone with a tap, and it stays up for as long as you want it to.
Longlove has five templates: The Magazine, Flowers, The Question, The Ticket and Under the Same Sky. Each one is a finished page with a different personality. You choose the one that suits the person, swap in your photos and words, and send the link. Here is how to pick, what to put on it and how to hand it over.
Why a page works as a present
A page works as a gift because it takes thought and cannot be bought off a shelf. It has an opening, a moment where they tap and something unfolds, which a message does not have. It can hold more than a card. And it is kept: the link does not expire, so they can open it years later. It also travels, which matters when the person is in another city, a different time zone, or just hard to see this week.
Which template, for whom
The Magazine is the main one: a flip-through magazine about the two of you, for anniversaries, birthdays and 'just because'. Flowers is a hand-drawn bouquet with your letter tucked in, for long distance, apologies and no reason at all. The Question is an envelope that bursts into flowers and asks something, for Valentine's Day, asking someone out, proposals and prom. The Ticket is a boarding pass for a surprise visit. If you are unsure, pick by occasion, and switch later if you change your mind.
What goes on it
Whichever template you choose, the same three things carry it: a few photos, your own words and one detail only they would get. The Magazine takes up to twenty photos, a letter, a story and nine reasons. Flowers takes up to six photos and a letter. The Question takes up to three photos and a short note. The Ticket takes up to six photos, a big line and a letter. Do not try to fill every space. A short page with one true thing on it beats a long page with padding.
How to present a link as a gift
A bare link looks like spam, so give it a moment. Send it with one line, like 'I made you something', at a time you have chosen: first thing in the morning, the stroke of midnight, just before dinner. Do not send it into a group chat. Some people write the link on a card, so there is something to hand over as well as something to open. If you are with them, hand them the phone, and watch them open it.
What it costs, and what you get
Building and previewing is free, with no account, and only you can see it while you build. Sending it is $9.99, once, per page. That gets you a link that works forever, no Longlove credit, and an email when it is opened and when they reply. There is no subscription. The edit link in your email lets you change the words, photos or template any time. If the page was never opened and you ask within 7 days, you get a refund.
After they open it, and the mistakes to avoid
They can write back from the reply box at the end, with no account, and you get an email. The common mistakes are all about size: too long a letter, too many photos, too many jokes. The second is timing, such as sending it on the one day they are overwhelmed. The third is expecting a big reaction. Some people read it three times and say nothing for a day. Let it land.
Questions
Related pages
Start with The Magazine
Starts as The Magazine, filled in for you. Add your photos and words, preview it for free.
Start with this template