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 (http://forums.gizmobytes.com/) 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. :D

[chrispian]

I read this (http://www.theadminzone.com/forums/articles.php?do=viewarticle&aid=1681) 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 (http://www.theadminzone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1681) is the one for that article.