Abandoning forum and moving to blog?

When there isn't sufficient posts and membership...

[Tapolyai]

After 12 months, one of my forums (foras, fora?) doesn't seem to be making it. With less then 200 members, I get zero posts, other then mine, and my alter-ego's, and the articles I put up.

There are sufficient articles to create a site with just the articles, and I would continue adding articles.

Has anyone converted from forum to a non-forum site?

How successful was it?

[rogerd]

I haven't tried the conversion, but based on the lack of activity by your visitors a blog might be a better choice. Maybe with some relevant trackbacks you can bring new visitors to the site.

[netchicken1]

Tapolyai I had a look at what I think may be your forums (Chief Officer?)and they do seem to be very niche orientated.

In some ways it is already a blog, but thats not your problem, I think its the focus and intent of your forum that needs work. Its just too obtuse, and as a result people don't see a need to join it.

Despite clicking around it I am still a little vague as to what you are intending to do with the site. Whats the purpose, who might be interested, etc.

I think this is your problem, not the structure of the site but the focus, content, and marketing of it.

If I am right and this is your site, then I would be happy to help you work at rebranding it and refocusing it. Sometimes the owner can get so "into" their work that it is hard for them to see how it looks through outside eyes.

We could just make a thread here (or carry this one on) and see what we coome up with.

[Tapolyai]

netchicken1, no - that is my very well doing forum. You cannot see the inside, (have to register, then get approved, etc.) but I get almost 75% member participation in that forum.

The other site is a community forum, and it does have several articles and such.

rogerd, you so think something like that would bring as much or more traffic?

[rogerd]

I think you have to analyze why your traffic is low now. Is the niche that narrow? Do you get reasonable search traffic for your niche search terms? Do people arrive but rarely return? Is there a compelling reason to come back to the site?

Is there a compelling reason to post now? I.e., do people have questions they need answered, or opinions they want to share? (It sounds like the answer is "no".) A blog won't instantly generate more traffic. If you have low user participation, though, a blog won't look bad - a dead forum looks like, well, a dead forum. :)

[buksida]

Sorry for hijacking this thread, I have the same problem with a forum that is pretty much dead.

I want to give a blog a try instead but have never used or installed one.

Can anyone recommend blog software, I am familiar with phpBB so something on those lines would be good.

[rogerd]

Try WordPress - free, and easy to install. Lots of templates to create a nice look.