The hardest question of all... how do you get new users?

Tmac · Post by **Tmac** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:16 pm

- never give up
- have a clean, straigh-forward board layout (no 30+ forum sections with 2-3 posts each)...
- never give up
....

TediousPhoenix · Post by **TediousPhoenix** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:24 pm

This has been an interesting thread.

My boyfriend and I are currently putting together a website with integrated forum. The idea has the potential for quite a few members to be active.

The concept of the site isn't new but other websites of a similar nature are full of flashing advertising banners, and a lot have pictures of women wearing not very much. Now I hate this and I designed the site to be very contrasting from this; I wanted it to appeal to women as women on these site account for only 5-10% of posters, thus creating a niche for our site. I'm a little worried that I'll lose the 90-95% of men though as the design is mainly purple. It's something we've both spoken about and we still can't make out minds up whether we should be going for a dark green or something!

But our site will not be going live until we have a website with very good content and a forum that we have 'sparked off' by doing a little of posting ourselves - only a little mind you because we don't want a blank forum.

Thanks for the thread - it's really made me want to hold back going live - there is always the temptation of wanting to push ahead because it's a new project and *have a forum*, but I really want to wait until it's ready and not have a site for the sake of a site.

Incidentally, I was an admin on a successful site that was spun off from another forum where over-moderation made members leave, but the admin members on the spun-off forum also got power hungry, so I decided to leave. I really believe a good forum comes from very little moderation - the only time the mod/admin powers should be used is for maintenance, and removing spam and offensive material; any other involvement stifles the natural growth of the forum and people will vote with their feet.

Cash2327 · Post by **Cash2327** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:09 pm

But were do you start? you know what i mean i dont know were to start i mean i got a good board but NO ONE
JOINS

Jim_UK · Post by **Jim_UK** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:33 pm

Cash2327 wrote:But were do you start? you know what i mean i dont know were to start i mean i got a good board but NO ONE
JOINS

Posting a link to your site in your signature on here would be a good start. (not in the post itself of course as that breaks rules)
As Google visits very frequently it will find your site. Also visit similar sites and if allowed do the same.
Then of course have something of interest to make visitors come back and spread the word.

Jim

ryan1918dotcom · Post by **ryan1918dotcom** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:23 pm

I'm curious on everyones forum stats, here is mine.

Our users have posted a total of 105593 articles
We have 16211 registered users

Jim_UK · Post by **Jim_UK** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:25 pm

ryan1918dotcom wrote:I'm curious on everyones forum stats, here is mine.

Our users have posted a total of 105593 articles
We have 16211 registered users

Discussion is how to get new members - survey topics not allowed so no follow up to this request please.

Jim

god0fgod · Post by **god0fgod** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:20 pm

I made a new board has a link from my new blog. Hopefully the blog will draw users to the forums and vise versa.

Wesf90 · Post by **Wesf90** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:07 pm

twowords..PAY PEOPLE..

lol..seriously.. I pay people to post and submit content to show on the main page (is under construction).
Im just now opening the forums.. so hardly anyone is on there yet.. but I'm not gonna pay to get my name out there (advertise) until i complete the main site.. so the members will be by member referral only so far..
[r3moved -jm]
thats a good way to get members i suppose

madd74 · Post by **madd74** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:37 am

TediousPhoenix wrote:This has been an interesting thread.

My boyfriend and I are currently putting together a website with integrated forum. The idea has the potential for quite a few members to be active.

The concept of the site isn't new but other websites of a similar nature are full of flashing advertising banners, and a lot have pictures of women wearing not very much. Now I hate this and I designed the site to be very contrasting from this; I wanted it to appeal to women as women on these site account for only 5-10% of posters, thus creating a niche for our site. I'm a little worried that I'll lose the 90-95% of men though as the design is mainly purple. It's something we've both spoken about and we still can't make out minds up whether we should be going for a dark green or something!

But our site will not be going live until we have a website with very good content and a forum that we have 'sparked off' by doing a little of posting ourselves - only a little mind you because we don't want a blank forum.

Thanks for the thread - it's really made me want to hold back going live - there is always the temptation of wanting to push ahead because it's a new project and *have a forum*, but I really want to wait until it's ready and not have a site for the sake of a site.

Incidentally, I was an admin on a successful site that was spun off from another forum where over-moderation made members leave, but the admin members on the spun-off forum also got power hungry, so I decided to leave. I really believe a good forum comes from very little moderation - the only time the mod/admin powers should be used is for maintenance, and removing spam and offensive material; any other involvement stifles the natural growth of the forum and people will vote with their feet.

While I would very much enjoy traffic to my site, it was created more for the basics of my ability to do what I want for friends and myself. Almost everyone registered to my site I know personally. The one thing I do offer that is actually unique in this world, is absolutely no ads, and no money. I do not care if I surpassed google in popularity, I despise ads so much, that I would not ever have them all over my site. I think a lot of people respect that. I wish more did. I get sick of seeing the same crappy ads, the stupid noisy ones that talk, and everything else. Now my board offers topics of about everything, and I take down and put up according to the growth or shrinkage of the users on it. I also am extremely active, and I am very supportive and accomidating. I have gone as far as letting users have their own subforum with the ability to do what they want in that forum, because I do not mind sharing what I can (just like my one friend has ftp access, and built a website, and stores things on my server). I am about giving to the world, because so many people want to take, or do crap, or what have you.

In regards to paying people, that Wesf90 says, it is interesting that option is given, because I plan to have a "reward" system that is similar in nature. When php3 goes gold, and some of the mods that work with rewards and the like go into RC or so, I plan to use those. That, by the way, is another great way to get attention. Have custom mods that make your board seperate from everyone else also.

idea · Post by **idea** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:50 pm

very useful resource..i'll definitely look into it

Elitzur · Post by **Elitzur** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:43 am

does any one have any ideas for advertising?
Because alot of open forums gets people to come to the forum, so i hear....

kzone · Post by **kzone** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:30 am

Being nice to members is the best policy. Never ignore any member.

muchenyi · Post by **muchenyi** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:41 am

Hi,

I am a new user of the phpBB.com.
I still have the problem of how to get new user .
And this is a part of my job.
So i hope anybody who know a better way to get new users quickly could give me some help.
I will be appreciated.

Thank for your help.

Phyllis

Jim_UK · Post by **Jim_UK** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 9:32 am

muchenyi wrote:Hi,

I am a new user of the phpBB.com.
I still have the problem of how to get new user .
And this is a part of my job.
So i hope anybody who know a better way to get new users quickly could give me some help.
I will be appreciated.

Thank for your help.

Phyllis

Hi Phyllis
Have you read all the posts in this topic as that is what it is about from start to finish?

Jim

EasyPeepAndSoda · Post by **EasyPeepAndSoda** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:36 pm

ryan1918dotcom wrote:Well my board is my first name, and I have over 16,000 registered members, I think you have to first provide the content that brings them back, than affiliate with alike sites or high traffic ones, get listed in all types of search engines, and after a while you don't have to do anything more, just watch it grow bigger and bigger, as my site has recently hit over 91,000 posts and growing more daily.

Whats the point of your board, you making money on it, or you just like to have board and have people there?