- Joined
- Aug 4, 2011
- Messages
- 87
- Reaction score
- 41
I've been asked to take a more active role in managing your forum rather than only working on tech support. The goal is to attract more traffic. I've been managing HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League for almost 20 years. It has been the most heavily trafficked forum for Evolve Media despite being devoted to a niche sport. I'll try to bring the principles I use there to your forum. One of those principles is to listen to the people that use the forum. I want feedback.
We're trying to attract new members. So you have to look at the forum when you're logged out and try to put yourself in the place of someone who's not familiar with it. It's not the easiest thing to do because forum members think everything revolves around them.
This is what stands out to me:
Too many ads - we need to provide an ad free option
The slide slow on top of the homepage should be eliminated. It looks awful on mobile and wastes half the space above the fold. A navbar with Momtastic links could replace it.
Use responsive design and move New Posts to the top for mobile users so they can dive right into the content without having to go through layers of subforums. I use this on my forum.
There's too much fragmentation caused by overly specific subforums. At one time when the forum was booming you had members suggesting we need a forum for this, we need a forum for that, and before you knew it you had forums for everything. That results in many lightly trafficked subforums and new members need a GPS app to navigate. The site looks inactive and it's difficult to use. I need your help to develop a strategy to close, hide from guests, or merge little trafficked subforums. We need to be really specific. I know some of those forums are important to some members. You're not going to lose them.
I want to start promoting BnB on the "male lifestyle" forums. I know there is a lot discussion on those forums about kids and who's wife/gf is expecting. There's not much to do staying at home during a pandemic. I expect a baby boom. lol
I also think we should have more moderators, members who use the site regularly and want to be involved in how it moves forward. You had a core group that led the way and those people are gone now. Poor @Bevziibubble all alone risking her life every day to protect you from the spammers. If you're interested in being a moderator post here or message Bev. This is still the best pregnancy, baby and parenting community on the internet.
PS. I will get search fixed!
We're trying to attract new members. So you have to look at the forum when you're logged out and try to put yourself in the place of someone who's not familiar with it. It's not the easiest thing to do because forum members think everything revolves around them.
This is what stands out to me:
Too many ads - we need to provide an ad free option
The slide slow on top of the homepage should be eliminated. It looks awful on mobile and wastes half the space above the fold. A navbar with Momtastic links could replace it.
Use responsive design and move New Posts to the top for mobile users so they can dive right into the content without having to go through layers of subforums. I use this on my forum.
There's too much fragmentation caused by overly specific subforums. At one time when the forum was booming you had members suggesting we need a forum for this, we need a forum for that, and before you knew it you had forums for everything. That results in many lightly trafficked subforums and new members need a GPS app to navigate. The site looks inactive and it's difficult to use. I need your help to develop a strategy to close, hide from guests, or merge little trafficked subforums. We need to be really specific. I know some of those forums are important to some members. You're not going to lose them.
I want to start promoting BnB on the "male lifestyle" forums. I know there is a lot discussion on those forums about kids and who's wife/gf is expecting. There's not much to do staying at home during a pandemic. I expect a baby boom. lol
I also think we should have more moderators, members who use the site regularly and want to be involved in how it moves forward. You had a core group that led the way and those people are gone now. Poor @Bevziibubble all alone risking her life every day to protect you from the spammers. If you're interested in being a moderator post here or message Bev. This is still the best pregnancy, baby and parenting community on the internet.
PS. I will get search fixed!