Best way to get members to stay

[JakJak]

It's not like you can shout out your window saying 'COME BACK MEMBERS!!' 😛 how do you get members to stay?

 

[Ghost]

Well if your forum is dying add some new sections that will get back your members, and attract new ones.
FP package team always does a good job as well.

Not to sound all staff like, but request a review..Pretty much all the requesters change their board because of our reviews or at least benefit from our advice.

But really try getting rid of sections that are never used, and add some new ones. Add some prizes as well for activity.

If your forum software has an Arcade you can setup do that and hold competitions.

Also, create lots of new topics in each section that will spark discussions, debates etc.

If you have too many rules, get rid of the ones that really don't need to be rules.

Also, get to know your members so they feel they have a personal and friendly connection with you. It will encourage them to stick around.

 

[Snowboi]

I've always heard of adding a good contest every week-month is great, like if its a forum promotion forum, a promote contest. Adding new sections dont always open new interest, believe me, I've had that happened to me plenty of times. Make sure all of the active members know they matter to the forum, not like there just there for no reason.

 

[Murder he Wrote]

Simple solution is: Give your members a reason to come back.

For example, People return to general chat forums if they bond and make friendships with members of the community. People come back to FP to promote their site, people return to gaming forums to discuss the latest gaming news etc...

As long as your site offers something useful, they'll be back. If they "hit and run" without ever coming back to bump, you know you've got problems.

 

[Lord of Games]

Adding new sections? Not always the best idea. In fact, you may repel some members because they can't navigate around your forum as easily as they would like. If it were me, I would add cool stuff to your forum. Videos, graphics, music, flash games, and contests.

 

[Lite]

Also, get to know your members so they feel they have a personal and friendly connection with you. It will encourage them to stick around.

That's an excellent one to go by, especially if you have a chatbox with your forums too.

If you do 'out-of-site' events and competitions, these bring the community together, and keeps everyone happy, making more people wanting to stay.

 

[AnAccount]

Adding new sections? Not always the best idea. In fact, you may repel some members because they can't navigate around your forum as easily as they would like. If it were me, I would add cool stuff to your forum. Videos, graphics, music, flash games, and contests.

That's right. You don't want a seriously big board that no one can get around, but you don't want a really little forum either. A nice, happy medium is the way to go here. If your forum is too big, your members could end up getting frusterated with the way things are set up and they may not want to come back anymore. A too little forum, and your members could get frusterated again because there's not much to look at! So a happy medium sized board is the best way to go. Have an add a forum section going where current members can request what they would like to see on your forum. That's always helped me in the past, because it helped me learn what members wanted.

 

[Xyrin]

Before my forum was updated to MyBB I had about 9 memebers. Only 3 actually posted.

 

[Justin]

Like MhW stated above, give your users a reason to stay. Request a review from the Forum Promotion review team, this will pinpoint if there is something wrong with your forum, not saying there is. It may be one thing turning off all of your traffic and members, so a review is almost the best way to go.

Then work off that review and fix everything stated in the review to make it better. The FR Team here on FP always includes a "How to make me join" section on the review, that will help you alot.

 

[ℓєσ gнσѕт]

Don't confuse hit / run members with other members. Don't expect a package poster to come back and be active. Instead focus on your real members, the ones that joined without a reason to (exchange or something). PM one the day they join and ask, what could we do to make it better in your view?

 

[gwyn13]

Build relationships with them. I usually send new members a PM to greet them. I also have a chatbox at the bottom so I can talk with them whenever I am on. Getting a chatbox is easy. Mine is from xat and fits well at the bottom of the main page.

 

[Lord of Games]

Adding new sections? Not always the best idea. In fact, you may repel some members because they can't navigate around your forum as easily as they would like. If it were me, I would add cool stuff to your forum. Videos, graphics, music, flash games, and contests.

That's right. You don't want a seriously big board that no one can get around, but you don't want a really little forum either. A nice, happy medium is the way to go here. If your forum is too big, your members could end up getting frusterated with the way things are set up and they may not want to come back anymore. A too little forum, and your members could get frusterated again because there's not much to look at! So a happy medium sized board is the best way to go. Have an add a forum section going where current members can request what they would like to see on your forum. That's always helped me in the past, because it helped me learn what members wanted.

Which is why on my forum, I have an 'Administration Office' forum, where members can ask questions, and make suggestions of how they think they can improve it. So far it's working quite well.