This might not be the appropriate thread to ask this, but I feel that if I create an Ask HN with just this, nobody will see it and I won't get any responses.

I've been running a website for over 15 years, something popular, on a specific topic. It has no ads; I only have Patrons who give me between 100 and 200 dollars per month. I don't get many visits (between 800 and 1200 per day, except on special days with some news where I can get many more).

I grew up in the era of web rings and old websites, and aside from being very nostalgic, I would love to go back to that. And I know that if I don't start, others won't either. But I have this constant debate about whether I should do it and follow my desires or what the audience wants. I feel that if I do that, people will stop taking the website seriously. Unfortunately, visitors come to my website, and if they don't see something modern and well-done, they won't take it seriously.

So I'm between a rock and a hard place: do I follow my desires and do what I like, knowing that it may cost me an audience? Or do I adapt to trends to try to get more visits and new readers?

I don't know if anyone has the answer, but I would like to hear your opinions (any type of opinion is welcome).