Almost Zero responses and Membership. What is wrong?

[bigballofyarn]

May 19, 2019 3:45:57 GMT -8 Radrook said:

Thanks for the advice. Will take it into serious consideration. 

I suggest that you continue working on the theme.  I would suggest against the animated background that you added.  Stationary backgrounds work a lot better.  Keep working on the colors and the banner. You want to use concepts and colors that match.

This is what I currently see. I can't read the name of your board and you have a lot of contrasting colors. 
You have yellow, black and green among the boards. You have red and black in the background. You have purple, teal, and black in the banner.
I would recommend picking one of the three sets, and then matching everything accordingly.


If you are going to turn your forum into something less religious and more versatile, then you can consider combining the religious boards into one or two categories.  For example, you could have all the media boards in one category. You can have all the discussion boards in one category.

I'm not trying to sound mean. So, please don't think I'm being rude. I'm just providing you with suggestions. You are welcome to disagree and do anything you choose.

[Radrook]

Thanks for the advice. I will take it into serious consideration. No, I am not offended. I appreciate hionest feedback and know that you are tryingt to help me make the right decisions.  I made the title in white letters and centralized it. I also narrowed the top banner.

About the moving background, I will consider changing it to solid, but to be honest, that's what I like best. Maybe my taste is a bit unusual. LOL!  I will try out different color combinations foillowing your advice. I will try to get everything organized as you recommend in relation to boards and categories. I am still clumsy with handling these things so it might take me some time to figure out how. Thanks again!
Kind Regards
Radrook

[Radrook]

bump

[Alex R Jamison]

May 19, 2019 14:42:52 GMT -8 Radrook said:

bump

it's in maintenance mode. I can't see anything.

[Radrook]

bump

[Radrook]

Bump

[rohan]

May 15, 2019 15:07:35 GMT -8 Radrook said:

Please tell me why I get almost zero responses and almost zero memberships and zero participation. 


varietygalore.boards.net

Thank you. 




BTW

Joining and giving me advice about things that need attention is appreciated. However, participation via a direct a response to the thread-topics is what the website needs. So if you join, please participate.  Thanks.

Some tips:-

- Try getting a forum banner, you can use an HD wallpaper for this.
- Condense your forum sections, I see 11 sections. You and your initial userbase will have a hard time keeping all the sections active. I think 6 is a good number.

[Radrook]

May 21, 2019 22:38:28 GMT -8 rohan said:

May 15, 2019 15:07:35 GMT -8 Radrook said:

Please tell me why I get almost zero responses and almost zero memberships and zero participation. 


varietygalore.boards.net

Thank you. 




BTW

Joining and giving me advice about things that need attention is appreciated. However, participation via a direct a response to the thread-topics is what the website needs. So if you join, please participate.  Thanks.

Some tips:-

- Try getting a forum banner, you can use an HD wallpaper for this.
- Condense your forum sections, I see 11 sections. You and your initial userbase will have a hard time keeping all the sections active. I think 6 is a good number.

Thanks for the advice. I agree, the sections should be condensed because it makes for far easier browsing. Too many subjects splattered all over the screed does annoy. In fact, that's one reason why I sometimes visit a site and tend to leave in frustration. Sensory overload I think they call it. It happens in poetry and prose as well when the writer provides  so many details that it overwhelm's the reader's ability to visualize. Simplicity is best.

Thanks for the tip on hi-definition wallpaper. 

By forum banner, you mean the rectangular area at the top where the forum's title is located-right? 


BTW

I just found that the top of my forum has been replaced with this purple "banner"?  Tried to restore mine but got a message that the Easy Themes is temporarily unnaccessible and the problem is being resolved. 

Prior to this a predominantly purple them kept appearing just prior to mine. I ignored it as a minor inconvenience. Now the entire purple-theme  doesn't appear temporariily as before but its purple banner has replaced the one I had.  No big deal since I will restore mine.  Nevertheless, it is annoying since finding a particular look that one is 100% haoppy with isn't easy and took me hours to finally find one I was happy with. 

[Interested Bob]

Nevertheless, it is annoying since finding a particular look that one is 100% haoppy with isn't easy and took me hours to finally find one I was happy with.

Ye gods, Radrook, some of us admins have taken years to get our forums looking how they are, and you begrudge a few hours of your time? What's the big rush? Your forum is barely a week old and you're already expecting people to flock to it, and constantly bumping this thread...

Some friendly advice-

1. Learn to be patient. Forums tend to grow gradually, and some don't grow at all. Get used to it. Setting up a new forum doesn't give you a God given right to a huge membership.

2. Start small. A big forum with nothing much on it does not appeal as much as a small, friendly looking forum with a few interesting threads (in my opinion, anyway).

3. At least to begin with, write about what you know or enjoy, and accept the fact that it might be a long time before anyone else reads it. Make it interesting enough that if anyone does eventually read it, they might want to read more.

4. Don't just make a bald statement about a controversial subject and ask brand new members to tell you what they think. Tell them what YOU think, and why, and then potential members can get an idea of the 'feel' of the forum. It's your job to make the forum interesting, and if you do that, THEN members will start to contribute to it.

5. Don't get too obsessed about themes, fancy backgrounds and gimmicks. If the content of your forum is interesting enough, after a few visits people no longer really notice the theme any more.

6. If you haven't already done so, join a few forums related to similar topics to what you want your forum to be about. Don't simply copy what they do, of course, but by contributing posts to other forums and getting yourself known, you might arouse the interest of potential new members. DON'T PM members on other forums asking them to join yours, though, as that is very much frowned on by most admins.

7. Be aware that by having a mainly religious theme to your forum, you are likely to put off a lot of potential new members. Some forums, including my own, tend to discourage discussion of religion, as it can be a very divisive subject, but if that's what you're interested in, then obviously go ahead, as long as you understand the possible limitations it could impose.

8. Enjoy running your forum. It's supposed to be fun, don't get stressed about it.

Good luck. 

PS. If I'm telling you stuff you already know, feel free to ignore it.

[Radrook]

bump

[Radrook]

May 22, 2019 13:08:12 GMT -8 Interested Bob said:

Nevertheless, it is annoying since finding a particular look that one is 100% haoppy with isn't easy and took me hours to finally find one I was happy with.

Ye gods, Radrook , some of us admins have taken years to get our forums looking how they are, and you begrudge a few hours of your time? What's the big rush? Your forum is barely a week old and you're already expecting people to flock to it, and constantly bumping this thread...

Some friendly advice-

1. Learn to be patient. Forums tend to grow gradually, and some don't grow at all. Get used to it. Setting up a new forum doesn't give you a God given right to a huge membership.

2. Start small. A big forum with nothing much on it does not appeal as much as a small, friendly looking forum with a few interesting threads (in my opinion, anyway).

3. At least to begin with, write about what you know or enjoy, and accept the fact that it might be a long time before anyone else reads it. Make it interesting enough that if anyone does eventually read it, they might want to read more.

4. Don't just make a bald statement about a controversial subject and ask brand new members to tell you what they think. Tell them what YOU think, and why, and then potential members can get an idea of the 'feel' of the forum. It's your job to make the forum interesting, and if you do that, THEN members will start to contribute to it.

5. Don't get too obsessed about themes, fancy backgrounds and gimmicks. If the content of your forum is interesting enough, after a few visits people no longer really notice the theme any more.

6. If you haven't already done so, join a few forums related to similar topics to what you want your forum to be about. Don't simply copy what they do, of course, but by contributing posts to other forums and getting yourself known, you might arouse the interest of potential new members. DON'T PM members on other forums asking them to join yours, though, as that is very much frowned on by most admins.

7. Be aware that by having a mainly religious theme to your forum, you are likely to put off a lot of potential new members. Some forums, including my own, tend to discourage discussion of religion, as it can be a very divisive subject, but if that's what you're interested in, then obviously go ahead, as long as you understand the possible limitations it could impose.

8. Enjoy running your forum. It's supposed to be fun, don't get stressed about it.

Good luck. 

PS. If I'm telling you stuff you already know, feel free to ignore it.

Thanks for the feedback.

[rohan]

May 22, 2019 3:03:38 GMT -8 Radrook said:

May 21, 2019 22:38:28 GMT -8 rohan said:

Some tips:-

- Try getting a forum banner, you can use an HD wallpaper for this.
- Condense your forum sections, I see 11 sections. You and your initial userbase will have a hard time keeping all the sections active. I think 6 is a good number.

Thanks for the advice. I agree, the sections should be condensed because it makes for far easier browsing. Too many subjects splattered all over the screed does annoy. In fact, that's one reason why I sometimes visit a site and tend to leave in frustration. Sensory overload I think they call it. It happens in poetry and prose as well when the writer provides  so many details that it overwhelm's the reader's ability to visualize. Simplicity is best.

Thanks for the tip on hi-definition wallpaper. 

By forum banner, you mean the rectangular area at the top where the forum's title is located-right? 


BTW

I just found that the top of my forum has been replaced with this purple "banner"?  Tried to restore mine but got a message that the Easy Themes is temporarily unnaccessible and the problem is being resolved. 

Prior to this a predominantly purple them kept appearing just prior to mine. I ignored it as a minor inconvenience. Now the entire purple-theme  doesn't appear temporariily as before but its purple banner has replaced the one I had.  No big deal since I will restore mine.  Nevertheless, it is annoying since finding a particular look that one is 100% haoppy with isn't easy and took me hours to finally find one I was happy with. 

The rectangular area is the banner. An image in the banner is far more appealing than a solid colour.

[Radrook]

How do the organization of boards and the design look now? I will try to get the guitar boards under some general category such as music when I figure out how. The top banner was toned down and made to go along with the rest in an effort to remove gaudiness. Am trying to figure out how to remove the yellow parts which I was told clash with the rest of the color scheme.

[rohan]

May 25, 2019 1:31:53 GMT -8 Radrook said:

How do the organization of boards and the design look now? I will try to get the guitar boards under some general category such as music when I figure out how. The top banner was toned down and made to go along with the rest in an effort to remove gaudiness. Am trying to figure out how to remove the yellow parts which I was told clash with the rest of the color scheme.

You should make your general section accessible to guests on the main forum board.  You are probably not getting responses to the threads there because guests cannot access those directly from the main board.

[Radrook]

May 26, 2019 0:16:10 GMT -8 rohan said:

May 25, 2019 1:31:53 GMT -8 Radrook said:

How do the organization of boards and the design look now? I will try to get the guitar boards under some general category such as music when I figure out how. The top banner was toned down and made to go along with the rest in an effort to remove gaudiness. Am trying to figure out how to remove the yellow parts which I was told clash with the rest of the color scheme.

You should make your general section accessible to guests on the main forum board.  You are probably not getting responses to the threads there because guests cannot access those directly from the main board.

I just found the permission for viewing general categories restricted to staff!!!!

I had recently gone through all my categories  providing everyone to have permission to view all categories and threads. So how this was wound up that way is a mystery to me. In any case, thanks for telling me so I could fixed it.  If the deep, total silence continues, then I will have to assume that there is another flaw involved. 

BTW
The stats were telling me that guests were viewing the general category.  As I checked the categories, to verify, I found the "Guests Viewing" message confirming that it was true. How do you explain that?