What is a Goal for your forum?

Even if he or any one for that matter was in for the money thats there business and there right to do so, it none of your business.

 

I never said there was anything wrong with it, just that he runs his forum to make money. Which he does, he's mentioned it enough times before on Admin Extra in past, to know that's his interest. But that's fair enough, can't blame anyone making money anyway they can, if in a good position to do it with a forum and make it pay well.

As an aside, some of you need to take a chill pill. The minute you mention something... you get on your high horses going all defensive. Quite comical really... I get pounced on for everything I say these days. Am I now the new Mark.B bashing goat, seeing as he doesn't post on other forums now?

 

I don't believe I ever said I made the site for money... Especially since that is not true. Again you keep ignoring my posts and proving your point (bc you don't have any proof). I know how to make money but that is not the sole objective of the site. If it was... Again there would be more than one ad and I would not dump thousands into Dev work.

 

OK, your not then anymore.

 

I've been super busy w/ my day job so my only goal is to get the forum moved to digital ocean and then start rebuilding it back up with new content.

 

Honestly...Just to have members that post. That's why I came here to see if I could figure it out

 

Firstly, it is interesting nobody said my one major goal, which I believe is the main goal of any forum or online community.

Bring people together about a topic they are all interested or even passionate about, so they can help each other, argue with each other and learn from each other.

Secondly, and this is a bit off on a tangent, but my view on concentrating on making money and setting goals based on money is a huge mistake? STOP IT! Making money can't be a goal. Any venture in life, even your 9-5 job SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT MAKING MONEY!! Money or what you earn, is always a result. It is a result of your (perceived) worth or your site's worth. It is a result of your efforts or even the efforts of your invested money.

If you want to make money with your online community, the fact you want to make money with your community can be a very simple goal to set. With that goal in mind, you make smaller goals of adding different means for monetization. Goal is accomplished. BUT after that moment, the amount of money you actually can earn IS NOT A GOAL! It is a result.

You will never ever make one penny more, if you set a goal of say 5% more revenue within the next 6 months. Any increase in revenue has to be the result of other goals you may set. Increase in user participation. Increase in content creation. Increase in registrations. Higher quality content added. Etc. Put EFFORT into these kinds of true goals and then look at the results in your revenues. Did you get 5% more revenue the last 6 month? Is that increase sustainable? Great! Then you set up and met proper goals.

Again, making (more) money can never be a goal. It is a result! I really think too many people forget this and do the opposite and concentrate too much on the money making and thus end up frustrated to no end. Don't be frustrated, just work on real goals.

Scott

 

I agree. That's why I find it moronic people say I made my site for money. If that was the reasoning, my site wouldn't still be standing. It was about the content and showing people with no tech skills how to do something that even an ape could do (through step by step guides...that were non-existent until I came on to the scene).

And it is quite hard to make monetary goals anyways. Seems money being paid out is less and less (at least in the gaming niche). My traffic is up 40% and my ad revenue has roughly stayed the same. As I stated in my first post, my goal is to take over more of the gaming marketshare with news, reviews, videos, walkthroughs, and other guides...and dominate That's the goal, we'll see if it is obtainable.

 

LOL, you really need to stop getting "so worked up" over things.

 

Why can making money not be a goal for a site. I used to run a website (not a forum) that was created purely to make money (while it give good information to people) visiting it, that was the sites main goal. It paid for itself and I never hardly visited it much when done, goal achieved and could have left the site running indefinitely paying for itself online and bit extra earned besides. I'm in the process of creating a new one now.

 

The only goals I have for my current forum are to keep it updated and backed up. I'm not seeking new members. It's mainly a hobby for me. And also a place for a handful of people to make movie/music/book suggestions. There was a point when I tried to promote it. But this was no fun for me. And either was the spam. So I turned off automatic registration and now there's no spam.

 

Pretty much same mentality with my current phpBB 3.1 board. Enjoying running it because it's going through new release stages and get a chance to see "what's new" in each version and also work on styling it, plus I like using it. I don't bother either promoting it anymore, removed my signature link from forums used leading to it, no longer tweet topics into twitter as well. In fact I prefer to keep my twitter account separate from forum, because do use twitter (as a separate thing) and don't want it filled with forum links.

 

Read my post again. I said the initial goal to monetize a forum is ok. Once the monetization systems or functions are in place, setting monetary goals after that is a mistake. In other words, don't concentrate on the money. Concentrate on what will earn you the money.

Scott

 

I've not decided yet on what platform script to go with yet but it will probably need a good vB conversion. I'm not even sure if I'll redo or start fresh but will for sure have some monetizing to pay for itself.

 

No easy solution @jlee74 getting people to post is like the adage "you can led a horse to water but you can't make him drive".
This sums it up I think

 

I run forum which aims in support our custoomers whenever they encounter any problems...

 

5,000 posts by year end.

 

^^^

 

it all depends on the type of forum you run/own..... but still its quite a challenge wish you luck