Any tips for bringing in members?

[GamerPerfection]

I will have another say in this as I notice a few mistakes that may put members off.

Also I just read up on some of your posts on your forum and notice you like to force members to speak, for example. You go like this in a post ''Huh!HUH!'' then ''What is wrong with you all''.

I believe that these comments you refer to above, which are quoted from the forum below are in response to my comments about his site on here.

We've getting stuff like "your forum's layout doesn't look very welcoming" or "I wouldn't join this place"

What is with people hating on a dark layout?

Huh?Huh?

Do you not like gray,black,red and such?

What is wrong with you!?

Now correct me if i'm wrong, but earlier you said that you are nicer to your members than you were to people here that are trying to help you. However, when you say "What is wrong with you!?" even though you are probably saying it to those of us that have said negative things about your forum it is your members and potential members that are reading your posts like that. That sort of attitude coming from the Administrator will certainly turn people off.

But I see you have made some changes to your forum. I'd suggest changing the Moderator colour to a lighter blue because with the dark blue it is not easy to read on the gray background, a lighter blue would certainly ease that.

But you do need to work on your politeness to members. I know you are young, but be nice to people and don't get too upset when people have something negative to say.

I am willing to help you, so what exactly do you want help with? It's best to start with one issue and tackle that until it's the way you want it.

Take my site as an example, http://www.gamerperfection.com. I set this up a few months ago and it has changed faces many many times. I only have like 35 members so far even though it's been up since January. But at that early stage members should not be your priority, the design and ease of use of your site should be a priority. Now I had a very dark site a few weeks ago and i got some advice from a designer through a mate of mine and his comments were that the front page was too "busy" and the site was too "dark" and felt unwelcoming.

Now I have changed the site to make it less "busy" on the front page, and I have lightened the site up. I changed the widgets from being black (where it blended in to the site) to being grey so that they stand out a bit more and it lightens up the site.

However, one slight issue is the difference between my site and yours, and that is that i'm not using a free forum or a free host. Mines paid for. But that doesn't mean you can't have a successful site on a free forum or host.

You just need to take onboard every thing people say, and be polite about it especially as you are asking us for help and opinions. If you don't know why people don't like something then ask them politely otherwise people won't be inclined to help.

With a lot of dedication and patience you can have a very good site.

 

[Luigi1632]

I will have another say in this as I notice a few mistakes that may put members off.

Also I just read up on some of your posts on your forum and notice you like to force members to speak, for example. You go like this in a post ''Huh!HUH!'' then ''What is wrong with you all''.

I believe that these comments you refer to above, which are quoted from the forum below are in response to my comments about his site on here.

We've getting stuff like "your forum's layout doesn't look very welcoming" or "I wouldn't join this place"

What is with people hating on a dark layout?

Huh?Huh?

Do you not like gray,black,red and such?

What is wrong with you!?

Now correct me if i'm wrong, but earlier you said that you are nicer to your members than you were to people here that are trying to help you. However, when you say "What is wrong with you!?" even though you are probably saying it to those of us that have said negative things about your forum it is your members and potential members that are reading your posts like that. That sort of attitude coming from the Administrator will certainly turn people off.

But I see you have made some changes to your forum. I'd suggest changing the Moderator colour to a lighter blue because with the dark blue it is not easy to read on the gray background, a lighter blue would certainly ease that.

But you do need to work on your politeness to members. I know you are young, but be nice to people and don't get too upset when people have something negative to say.

I am willing to help you, so what exactly do you want help with? It's best to start with one issue and tackle that until it's the way you want it.

Take my site as an example, http://www.gamerperfection.com. I set this up a few months ago and it has changed faces many many times. I only have like 35 members so far even though it's been up since January. But at that early stage members should not be your priority, the design and ease of use of your site should be a priority. Now I had a very dark site a few weeks ago and i got some advice from a designer through a mate of mine and his comments were that the front page was too "busy" and the site was too "dark" and felt unwelcoming.

Now I have changed the site to make it less "busy" on the front page, and I have lightened the site up. I changed the widgets from being black (where it blended in to the site) to being grey so that they stand out a bit more and it lightens up the site.

However, one slight issue is the difference between my site and yours, and that is that i'm not using a free forum or a free host. Mines paid for. But that doesn't mean you can't have a successful site on a free forum or host.

You just need to take onboard every thing people say, and be polite about it especially as you are asking us for help and opinions. If you don't know why people don't like something then ask them politely otherwise people won't be inclined to help.

With a lot of dedication and patience you can have a very good site.

Yeah, sorry for the rude comment..
I used to be a troll/spammer on a forum called "digibutter.nerr" and I am still recovering and trying to act mature(it was all the way back in 2008.) on forums nowadays..

(I actually have been banned from 5 forums and all when I was 13 . )

I have "lighted" up the site a bit..

Personally, I would move away from Forumotion, or if you can't afford it, at least a host which will give away the database if you learn, improve and succeed (not that you will be succeeding with forumotion anyway).

Sorry, but I like forumotion., it's okay at least...

 

[Luigi1632]

Well any other ideas?

We have a character battle sorta of thing..

where we pit certain characters against each other.

 

[David]

Personally, I would move away from Forumotion, or if you can't afford it, at least a host which will give away the database if you learn, improve and succeed (not that you will be succeeding with forumotion anyway).

Sorry, but I like forumotion., it's okay at least...

That's not the point. People are hesitant to join "free forum hosted" forums and so it will be bad for you. You may like it, but potential members will hate it. Plus, forumotion is limited like crazy.

 

[Luigi1632]

Personally, I would move away from Forumotion, or if you can't afford it, at least a host which will give away the database if you learn, improve and succeed (not that you will be succeeding with forumotion anyway).

Sorry, but I like forumotion., it's okay at least...

That's not the point. People are hesitant to join "free forum hosted" forums and so it will be bad for you. You may like it, but potential members will hate it. Plus, forumotion is limited like crazy.

._.

Why do people hate free forum hosts, don't they understand, some of us don't wanna have to pay money.

Plus I wanna be able to move some of my posts..

I might consider SMF For Free though..

 

[Lee Lawson]

Or you could consider, MyBB or phpBB, SMF is too simple.

 

[Luigi1632]

Eh..

I'm not moving.

Any other tips, I perceive.(you probably notice, I'm nicer in ways now..)

 

[Luigi1632]

Any other tips?

 

[David]

Personally, I would move away from Forumotion, or if you can't afford it, at least a host which will give away the database if you learn, improve and succeed (not that you will be succeeding with forumotion anyway).

Sorry, but I like forumotion., it's okay at least...

That's not the point. People are hesitant to join "free forum hosted" forums and so it will be bad for you. You may like it, but potential members will hate it. Plus, forumotion is limited like crazy.

._.

Why do people hate free forum hosts, don't they understand, some of us don't wanna have to pay money.

Plus I wanna be able to move some of my posts..

I might consider SMF For Free though..

The purpose of this thread was to give out tips on bringing in members, right? People tend to stick away from free forum hosts due to its limitations. If you stick with free forum hosts, especially forumotion where they do not give out the database, you won't get members.

You don't need to pay though. You can find Post2Host hosting where you post a certain amount of posts per month to get decent hosting. PHPBB or MyBB is free software, so really, you haven't spent a single cent.

This is one way on attracting members.

 

[Jay]

1. Try having some Advertising Banners that stick out and will catch a members eye.
2. Try changing up the theme. The theme isn't very welcoming on your forum.
3. Change Hosts! Not many people like Forumotion. Try getting your own host and use the original forum software instead of the modified version like forumotion does. Using the original forum software give you access to more better looking themes, which you can also modify to look better.

 

[Luigi1632]

Well I need a host that has PHPBB and that will allow me to move my members,posts and such.

 

[David]

Well I need a host that has PHPBB and that will allow me to move my members,posts and such.

There are a million hosts. The host I'm with is in my signature and it offers a few free plans. You can also use SiteFrost for Post 2 Host larger plans where you make about 50-100 posts per month (for decent sized hosting) and they give you hosting. Then, you download PHPBB and upload it to your cPanel and now you have a host which you can move your database etc.

 

[Luigi1632]

Can I move my theme too?

I like my current theme 😉

But I'm not going to move, whether people like it or not.

 

[David]

Can I move my theme too?

I like my current theme 😉

No you can't. That's why you shouldn't stay of free forum hosts, like forumotion. If you spent 10 hours on a theme, on a free forum host, you have basically wasted your time. Whereas on advanced hosting, you can.

 

[Lee Lawson]

Also there are nice dark themes out there as that theme just looks like, urmm well, ugly and not nice, nippy.

 

[Luigi1632]

Well I'm staying with Forummotion whether if people like or not.

What, you don't like blue?

 

[GamerPerfection]

Reason why you are not getting members:

1) You ask us for our advice and opinions which heavily include changing the theme and moving away from forumotion, and your response is your keeping the theme and staying with forumotion because YOU like it.

2) Even though you are asking us for our advice and opinions you are keeping your forums the way YOU like it. You should try and make the forums the way your members might like it. Don't think everyone else will like what you like. Afterall who are you making this forum for? Yourself? or for others?

 

[Luigi1632]

And well when I try to make console discussion boards, one of my admins changes it and merges it into "Gaming Discussion"

WTF?
This is a Pikmin/EarthBound forum for god's sakes!

and plus I try to have a seperate section for gaming reviews and he just merges it with Gaming Discussion.

Seriously, he says he wants to keep the forum organized, but we can take care of that some other time..

But no, he has to "organize" things in his way, because he think "simplicity" brings in members.being professinal is what brings in members..

I'm thinking of de-moteing him until we at least get 30/ or 40 active members.

Reason why you are not getting members:

1) You ask us for our advice and opinions which heavily include changing the theme and moving away from forumotion, and your response is your keeping the theme and staying with forumotion because YOU like it.

2) Even though you are asking us for our advice and opinions you are keeping your forums the way YOU like it. You should try and make the forums the way your members might like it. Don't think everyone else will like what you like. Afterall who are you making this forum for? Yourself? or for others?

1)I like forummotion, and second I changed the theme back to the old layout after complaints.
2)Well I do want new,active members..

 

[GamerPerfection]

The problem you are having with your Admin making changes to changes you have already made takes us right back to the point where several of us on here have said to you that you shouldn't have just made people Administrators because they asked to be Administrators.

A new forum of your size only needs 1 Administrator and 1 Moderator (maybe not even a Moderator). This is why you are getting issues with that Administrator, plus the fact that you should only choose your Administrators based on working with them for a long time and building trust over a long time or if you know them personally in real life.

 

[Luigi1632]

Well I added points and a point shop to my forum, plus console discussion and PC gaming discussion.