Forum Moderators: rogerd
In combined sites like the one you are working on, it's common for the forum to dominate the traffic with little activity on the rest of the site. Beyond using conventional SEO to develop traffic in the non-forum area, be sure you have clear links to your other site areas in the forum. If another area of the site has content useful in a forum discussion, link to it from within the discussion if that wouldn't seem to commercial.
Growning membership is always a challenge, but if you participate in other, related communities in a positive way you should generate some traffic. Of course, seeking links on related sites is very good strategy, too.
well all i have right now is the music forum. I'm building a music lyrics website right now. and i have plans for 5+ more sites... all music related. i have gotten 11 new members in the past 12 days, but only about 3 good posters...
so the site contains only a forum? 1 memebr a day is the result of how much traffic? what is your conversion rate from visits to memebers?
on a slightly different note...i am quite puzzeled how easy webmasters are about installing a community on their website...please think well and give resonable answers to yourself on WHY you need a forum and WHY do you think your forum will be a success.
follow these simple ruls...
1. ask yourself who is your audience, not sure who your users are? Ask them!
2. Content comes first - give your community something to talk about. I have learned that it is your TONE of content your users amplified. give them pushy and opinioneted content and that what you will get...
3. your task is to identify the goals of your community, so select an appropriate voice.
4. design matters - don't use that, don't use this, use what works.... seriously. follow the following:
--the design must suits your audience
--must be created for readability! webmasterworld for example allows you to edit the skins. great idea, now i can read it in tiny verdana fonts. i wont be around if i had to follow up with yellow fonts over purple background.
--design for you community
5. hide the post botton, i mean the more clicks it takes to find your post bottom the better quality of posts will be on your site...why this would be? it serves as screening mechanism.
6. give up control and let your users suprise you. remeber - inviting users to participate teaches you something about your site and yourself. dont get angry when your users do something unpredictable. they are doing you a favor!
now moderate moderate and modarate
and try to enjoy life while doing it
so the site contains only a forum?
yes the domain has forum in it.
1 memebr a day is the result of how much traffic? what is your conversion rate from visits to memebers?
i only advertise it through 2 banner exchanges (small banner exchanges) and i have gone to many webmaster and music forums and posted on there(quality posts.) with the website link in my signature.
1. ask yourself who is your audience, not sure who your users are? Ask them!
My audience is very very broad since it pertains to music. Everyone listens to some type of music. I'm trying to get into the new upcoming artist niche though.
2. Content comes first - give your community something to talk about. I have learned that it is your TONE of content your users amplified. give them pushy and opinioneted content and that what you will get...
I don't know how to start something that will keep people coming back. What about going to other music forums and taking some of their topics and putting them into mine. like what someone is talking about. or about some new artist.
3. your task is to identify the goals of your community, so select an appropriate voice.
right now the only goal of my community is to talk about music. i'm going to gear it towards new upcoming artist when i get a sufficient amount of traffic.
i would post the link to my site but i'm afraid i would be penalized for "advertising" so i will not. if anyone would like to see it so they can give me some candid feedback on it please pm/email me.
I don't know how to start something that will keep people coming back. What about going to other music forums and taking some of their topics and putting them into mine. like what someone is talking about. or about some new artist.
a charismatic moderator surely helps...but if you cant think of anything else but stealing other people content than you might wish to reconsider the entire idea
...but if you cant think of anything else but stealing other people content than you might wish to reconsider the entire idea.
Topics that would spark a good discussion in your forum will pop out at you from time to time.
Use your signature as much as possible.
Simple things can make a big difference.
Whoooo.... and very important! NEVER take things that is not yours. Use your own mind, create your own world, be original and they will all come. But taking things off of other websites or forums is a bigtime NO-NO! Read their Terms of Service.
Have fun,
Use your own mind, create your own world, be original and they will all come...
