Converting Guests

[michael_gersitz]

I have had a hard time at trying to get my visitors to sign up for my forum. Much like this forum, I have many users just "browsing", I need to find a way to convert these guest into users. My forums are still young, but I am having a hard time trying to build it up. I need comments on how to make my forum better.

This is proboally the hardest part of building a forum, the first 100 members.

Mark, I have read your article and have found little relevance to for a webmaster forum.

Thank You.

[paul]

I couldn't find your forums from the Fry Network link in your sig, had to come back and use the Forums link. (maybe thats a feature, not a bug?)

Registered and took your poll

I am maxed out on webmaster forums; I could spend all day reading them.

[intelliot]

I always hear about how difficult it is to get the first 100 members. However, it doesn't necessarily get easier after that. My Gizmo Bytes.com Forums have 207 registered members but no posts for months.

[michael_gersitz]

I couldn't find your forums from the Fry Network link in your sig, had to come back and use the Forums link.

http://www.fryforums.com

I do not have it listed on the frynetwork main page, only in teh drop down box, because I do not consider it a main site of the network, just an addon.

[chrispian]

I read this over at TAZ and gave it a shot and it increased my sign ups from about 3 to about 9 per day. Also, the number of people who "introduce" themselves is nearly 100%. It's crazy. It worked very well and I suggest giving it a shot.

[michael_gersitz]

Did you install the new pm message when they sign up hack?

I have changed the welcome message, but I can not find the template that controls the header for viewing the catedories. And once I find it, how will I make a new header for each forum? That part confuses me.

[chrispian]

I did indeed send a PM when they sign up. But I use phpbb at the moment and I'm not sure about the vb stuff. There is a thread at taz that you can ask questions on about this article though. Most of them us VB and can probably give you a hand. This thread is the one for that article.