FRIHOST • FORUMS • FAQ • TOS • BLOGS • DIRECTORY
You are invited to Log in or Register a Frihost Account!

Finally, some good advice.

   Frihost Forum Index -> Webmaster and Internet -> Design Tips
 


benjad
Hi folks.

I frequently watch the advertise your web site forum, and so often see the same thing. People talking about how they are going to have the greatest forum or chat room, without designing a real web site. I usually lambaste them with some sort of witt, but I finally feel vindicated.

I found this great series of writing for the web on a blog here

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/01/how-to-build-a-high-traffic-web-site-or-blog/

It really is good content, and the message is clear... FOCUS on good content... that is what truly is important.

I need a few weeks to dig through the rest of this guy's content.. because it is awesome!
escritor
benjad wrote:

It really is good content, and the message is clear... FOCUS on good content... that is what truly is important.

Of course content is very important and it must be the first thing to think about when someone want to start a new website. On the other hand, if such a good content is not well presented, it won't satisfy their target audience.
benjad
Yes, the organization is important... but that is not the common issue I see.

i watch the advertise your web site forum. The most common post there looks like

"Hey everybody,

come see my new form I just put up. I have installed the cash mod, and am accepting applications for MOD's if you hurry".


Then everytime, it's the same deal. The forum is empty, it's a default templateand it's just painful.

The most common mistake I find is not providing content to their visitor, but expecting the visitor to provide the content.
escritor
benjad wrote:

Then everytime, it's the same deal. The forum is empty, it's a default templateand it's just painful.

An exception to your rule was recently posted. Take a look at this thread. That person got content before asking for a review. Wink
Phil
Way back in ""The Day" ...(I'm about to date myself here)....before the Internet, we had Bulletin Boards. A bulletin board was basically a remote computer people could connect to with a modem. The remote computer had things like E-mail, chat, games, files to download it was pretty cool at the time.
I was in with a guy who had a bulletin board. Now this dude had all these grand plans on inter-state networks and expanding overseas and barbecues and conventions.
Problem was, he couldn't get more than a handful of people to become members. He was constantly arguing with people and banning others. Not to mention his board had zilch to offer.
I can't help but think about my buddy and his board when I see many of these "Super New" forums. People want to do little more than throw up a free forum script, tell all their friends about it and watch what happens.
In short, they just don't give people a reason to stay.
Think about forums that do well. What do they offer? In the case of Frihost, they offer the free hosting and (in the beginning) offered help with web design on their forums --- and this they did very well. All the other topics came later after they had built up a following.
Think about why you go to and join a particular forum. I usually go to discuss web design. You probably go for some other reason, but the point I'm trying to make is people a forum needs to have a specific purpose, and too many people starting forums neglect developing that specific purpose.

Anyway, just my 2 cents.
escritor
Phil wrote:
the point I'm trying to make is people a forum needs to have a specific purpose, and too many people starting forums neglect developing that specific purpose.

That's it. Many of those unsuccessful small sites have forums on many different topics. They think that they will attract more people with that, but the result is the opposite.
benjad
Phil wrote:
Way back in ""The Day" ...



Fidonet ... yup, those were the days...

Wait, what was that game with the "Oohewey gooey kablewey". (spelled horibly). I remember logging in every day, to save up for that world altering weapon.
©Wolfie
escritor wrote:
Phil wrote:
the point I'm trying to make is people a forum needs to have a specific purpose, and too many people starting forums neglect developing that specific purpose.

That's it. Many of those unsuccessful small sites have forums on many different topics. They think that they will attract more people with that, but the result is the opposite.


To be honest: I don't think that it is a good idea to have many topics in a forum. I totally agree. You need to have some buddies you wanna start a forum with. Wink That's the key. Just start with less than 5 topics and start discussing! That's the key. And spread your the link of your forum on a lot of blogs.

But, remember: make a nice lay-out to get people in. Wink If they are in, they won't come out!
escritor
©Wolfie wrote:
But, remember: make a nice lay-out to get people in. Wink If they are in, they won't come out!

There are several free nice templates for forum systems like phpBB. I don't understand why some people stuck with ugly layouts.
Reply to topic    Frihost Forum Index -> Webmaster and Internet -> Design Tips

FRIHOST HOME | FAQ | TOS | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | SITE MAP
© 2005-2007 Frihost, forums powered by phpBB.