Created a forum but need help.

[Ziusudra]

I've created a sci-fi forum, but I would like more members posting to make it busier, any idea on how to get more members? I've submitted my site to google and yahoo but it hasn't shown up yet. Any other sites I can submit it to? I think my colours are pretty good, but I wish I could get rid of the ads but I can't as I can't afford to. The URL is: http://ziusudra.conforums.com/

Help is appreciated, thanks.

[VamPyroX]

Well, your best chance is to share the site with your friends. If your friends really wanted to support you, they would spread the word to their friends as well. It's usually friends that help get things moving.

[CatoCooper13]

Yeah, vampy's right -- you could spread it via word of mouth and via e-mail, so forth.

[Liza]

great job with the topic for your forum, Z I love sci fi movies and series.

however, i have to say that the number of members isn't as important as the quality of posts. take your time, and your forum will blossom with great quality postage if that is the goal. i see many bad forums with lousy posts and bad moderating. they WILL fail. i do think your forum has great potential.

alldeaf.com is a great growing forum with quality moderating and a caring administrator at this time

submit your website to search engines, too.. and friends, word of mouth is still a powerful advertising tool.

no stress.

[Alex]

Hi,

First, you need to create keyword meta tags for your website. Those are what the spiders, in general, look for after you submit your website to search engines. For example, AllDeaf.com has the following keyword meta tags:

<meta name="keywords" content="vbulletin,forum,bbs,discussion,bulletin board,deaf,deaf culture,deafness,deaf president now,deaf education,deaf people,deaf community,deaf schools,deaf news,deaf history,deaf way,deaf chat,deaf forums,deaf forum,deaf studies,deaf blind,school for the deaf,deaf awareness,deaf society,sign language,asl,deaf sports,deaf events,deaf issues,deaf technology,deaf jobs,deaf clubs,deaf parties,deaf and hard of hearing,deaf life,deaf directory,deaf olympics,interpreters for the deaf,deaf parents,deaf children,deaf movies,deaf match,deaf singles,deaf business,deaf hosting,deaf expo,deaf exposition,deaf awareness, all deaf, all deaf forums,deaf talk,deaf forums" />

If you need help finding the right keywords for your website, I would suggest going to http://www.content.overture.com/d/US...ls/index.jhtml - click on the Term Suggestion Tool and type in a term that represents your website.

There are many ways to get members to your website. Spreading the word through friends is very helpful. That's how AllDeaf got its members. But do not go around and spam your website, that's a no-no. Submitting your site to search engines and have the spiders come and crawl takes a couple of weeks. You may also promote your site through newsgroups for a small fee, if not for free. I once paid $10 to advertise AllDeaf.com through a popular deaf newsgroup and it helped my site grow.

There are free forum softwares out there such Invision Board and phpBB that do not have ads by default. If you want free web hosting, I can hook you up only if you can display a small reciprocal link. (That also goes to anyone out there who wants to create a positive website but cannot afford paid web hosting) Just let me know if you're interested.

Hope that helps.

[Ziusudra]

Since I had to register with conforums.com to make my site, I'm unsure where the 'spiders' are supposed to go....

I've submitted my site to google and yahoo, and I've asked my friends to join if they're interested as well... I think the forum's beginning to grow slowly. I've also changed the background color and made threads encouraging members to post more. Is there anything I could do to make it grow more?

Thanks for all your comments I appreciate the help.

[Ziusudra]

Also, I've added some new rules about avatar size, which is 64 by 64... is that reasonable?

[Ziusudra]

I've submitted my site to a couple of site submittals for search engines, and I've tried a few suggestions on another site how to promote my site.

[Alex]

Good luck with your website, Ziusudra. By the way, I think 64x64 for avatar size is reasonable, yes.

T'care.

[Ziusudra]

I've added some new skins for it, and I've changed the overall layout, style and so on. Please check it out, it looks SO much better now.

[deafxcom]

Post your website link in Yahoo and MSN groups with persmission from group owners. That helps page ranking and site exposure.

[JoshieTheMan]

What I did for my website to promote with is creating an account for MySpace and have the username as your domain's name and then create a group in myspace, then share the details about your website and search google for "add friends myspace" then add tons of people to your "website myspace" and then invite them to the group, and also be sure to write details about your website on your websites myspace profile, and also constantly update the blogs such as letting them what's "upgrade, update" you did with your website. It'll get other people to be more curious and wonder, which that's how I did with my website and it's being successful, a lot of traffics. Beware of the limit of bandwidth.

[Jasmine4lakshmi]

You could add your website to Product Ratings | Business Reviews. You can get a review of the website plus attract potential traffic from there.

[Wokamuka]

Originally Posted by Ziusudra

I've created a sci-fi forum, but I would like more members posting to make it busier, any idea on how to get more members? I've submitted my site to google and yahoo but it hasn't shown up yet. Any other sites I can submit it to? I think my colours are pretty good, but I wish I could get rid of the ads but I can't as I can't afford to. The URL is: Ultimate Sci-Fi Forum - Home

Help is appreciated, thanks.

In creating a new service, demographics knowledge would do you good. For example, do the majority of Sci-Fi folks like brown?

In search engine listing, you'd want to be listed where sci-fi folks popularly go to.

Demographics.

[Bright-Eyed-TJ]

First: Do NOT do like: Jasmine4lakshmi keep doing to us and spamming us with junkie reviews website!!!! Never spam anyone to join or even look at your website.

Alex and Joshie have some great advices for you.

I'd like to add to Alex advice that you should NEVER have more than 7 keyword meta tags. Only use the top 7 keywords. If you use more than that, some Search Engine will think you are trying to spam them and can even ban your website.

Add to Joshie, I agree, create social networking accounts like FAcebook also. Look for others in search box that likes sci fi, etc and then ask them join your Facebook page for Sci Fi, which lead them to your forum.

Also you can attend other website forums that discuss Sci Fi and have your link to your forum within your sig.

You must build trust and let others get to know you better.

If others like what you say at the forum, they will click.

Hope this helps you and your new website! Congrats!!

[TechBill]

Make sure the first 8 keyword are the important ones that relate to your site and forum. Some Search engines now days only look at the first 8 keywords in the mega tag.

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