Getting users to register???

I am having a hard time getting visitors to register for my site. If anyone can give me any pointers to guide me in the right directions that would be great. Also, if you have not already check out our new color scheme, I think it makes the site look more professional. Reality TV Addict

 

You can limit the number of threads that a guest can see after which they need to register. You can also try moving some of the most popular content to members only area. The truth is there is no hard and fast rule to increase number of registered members, you need to test different strategies and stick with the one that works for you.

 

Join Postloop, it's where I get most of my members for my forum. It started off very slow for me, but once I got about 200 credits I started to get more subscribers, and now things are going smoothly.

 

Make sure that your forums have enough content and active members. Then make sure that guests to your forum cannot view beyond 5 threads or something of that effect.

 

I tried that but found it back fired, the people that were visiting stopped never to be seen again.

I would rather them look for a few weeks then join when they are ready.

 

Because yours is an entertainment forum, I think you could really benefit from commenting on blogs and Twitter. Get involved in the conversation and link to threads that are also discussing it. If there is anything controversial, link it out so that others are tempted to join, just to join the debate, and then hopefully stay for more later.

 

Exactly.

Personally, unless it is a forum where I have to be on, like I am looking for specific information only found there, I will quickly not return.

Unless I feel the need to contribute, I do not want to register on a forum just to have my name out there in public and just be waiting to be spammed.

Provide good content, and AWESOME discussion that will encourage people to sign up and post.

Starting threads called "Count from 1 to 1000 and back" is not one of those ways.

If the forum fails to have an identity and good content.... there is probably no reason for that forum to exist.

 

Btw, just went on your forum.... Here are my first impressions and things that come to mind as I am browsing it.

1. I despise being taken to a portal page. Most of them suck. There is no color variety and screams cheap. If you want to have a good portal page... get a wordpress blog with some pictures... otherwise, take me straight to the forum.

2. You have a "Come Join the Fun!" forum signup on the first page.... yet I have not even seen the forum. Let me see the forum, and then make it easy to register.

3. Forum index page... to wordy, not enough pictures... screams free forum

4. Promo offers... these have nothing to do with the forum topics, nor are they google ads targeted to me. I do give you props for not throwing it on top of the page. (better yet remove it for now)

5. Really not a fan of the forum software.

Overall... I feel you would have better luck making it around one show, then replicating it to others. The ads are a big turnoff, but not quite as bag as the toooo blue, too much text, hate the forum software.

Ads is one of those things that I am willing to deal with as long as all other things are good. But when you lack content and more importantly, a reason for someone to visit, read, register, participate and most of all keep coming back..... you are only digging yourself a bigger whole.

I'm sorry if I come off mean.... but I am sharing with you why I would not register on your forum.

 

• Your site's focus is Television. So you need to try to have the same appeal that tv offers to your potential members. The biggest component is visuals. You have no images or video to generate interest.

• You could have several images across the top that represent different areas within your forums. Each of these enticing images should link to the corresponding section in your forums. This will draw them from the front page into your forums.

• The contest looks like a quiz. TV people don't like tests, so that may be a turn-off.
• Your text size is too small.
• You need a logo or at least some kind of stylization for the site's name.
• Think TV and TV-related magazines. Search online for these things and you'll have all the ideas you need for making your site more appealing. You need to have visual connectivity to what your members are seeing on TV.
• Youtube can be your best friend. Include clips from the different shows, interviews, etc.
• It's a lot of work, yes. But, if you love the subject, it's fun work!
• I see you do have some embedded videos, so that's great! But, they're buried within your forums. If it were my site, I would keep the latest (for the current week) youtube videos on the front page.

 

Create a number of forums that guests can see - and loads that they can't. However, make it so they can see the thread titles in the hidden forums. That way you're teasing them to register.

It can also help if you offer something people want, but you need to be a member to get

Liam

 

You could do that, or people could spam you just for a quick $5. Though many people are very good users, and you could restrict the amount of users based on their ratings. But one way you could do it, is to advertise on other forums, if they allow it.

xHysteria.

 

I would have it where guests see the benefits of making a free account on each page they view, but they can still see the threads they searched for.

 

I think a good way is to entice the visitors with some minor gifts or advantages by registering. Anyway you can that will make them want to register rather then just stay as a guest.

 

Thank you for your comments. I was wondering if you could give me a little more detail on a couple points you made.

1. What exactly do you not like about the forum software? You said you thought it was too blue but you did not give any examples of why you dont like the software.

2. Why exactly do you think that we lack content? We have over 2000 threads and over 4000 posts on a forum that is less than a year old. All without the use of postloop or any other paid for posting programs.

3. Isnt the reason to visit and participate in a forum because you want to discuss the topics in that forum? We have many threads started by our moderators that as questions and pose situations that are geared towards finding out what your opinions are.

4. We do give you an easy way to register from the other pages as well. The form on the main page is just to make it easier for those that want to take the quiz and see the celebrity interview content. We have a item on our navigation menu that says "Join in the fun" which opens up a registration forum when clicked.

Again, thank you for your opinion and it would help me out if you could expand on the points above.

 

Hey there, glad you are open to feedback. It seems you have gotten rid of the sign up. What bugged me was asking folks to register without even having seen one forum page. =)

Your website is around tv shows... pictures, moving pictures... yet the forum software, the way it looks like right now, while clean.... looks straight from the 80's... very very plain. That is what I mean by it. =)

It is nearly 3 am here, will follow up more, or if you want, give me a buzz, shoot me a pm, will be glad to chat.