Best way to encourage registration??

[Leemy]

I would like to reduce the number of lurkers on my forum and convert them to registered users.


Writing a post is obviously restricted. Downloading/retrieving attachments also is.


It seems you cannot implement a pageview limit for guests, as that would drastically affect Google and other spiders, right?


I saw a mod for a crude hovering reminder bar at the bottom of the screen. Any other ideas? Perhaps reduced ads? How do you do it?


Thanks!

[kartheekb]

Use "Look but not read"mod .. it will show topic name but they cant enter to matter.

use "guest registration notification" it shows members to register as an warning message

use "Referral system" and make some contests on your site.. ,members can get referal link.. so they will share that link for participating contests.

[Khurram Abbasi]

i am using guest registration notification mod right now

[Yigal]

Disable the view of your forum to guests so they must register xP.
Also, have something to offer for your users!

[Arantor]

Disable the view of your forum to guests so they must register xP.

Also, have something to offer for your users!

If you do the first one, you don't have anything for the second one...

[hcfwesker]

I have a boxed table up in the header (ONLY viewable for guests)  ; which helps get most of the info out about the site, and what they can expect upon registering.

[Roph]

Honestly, with my largest forum I've gone the other way and found good success. Guests can do anything within reason, including search and view attachments. When I visit other forums as a guest and I see stuff like hiding links, disallowing attachments and so on, it makes me specifically want to not register. I'm sure I'm not alone.

For another site of mine, I've gotten a good signup rate by offering nice unique features. The site is based around a certain online game, and I allow registered users to enter & generate an image signature with stats about their character for the game.

[ApplianceJunk]

Best way to encourage registration?

Content, if your site has good content then people that are viewing your site will feel like it's something they want to be a part of and will register.

Creating good site content I feel is the answer to so many of the questions asked in this board. Adding content to your site is something you need to do yourself at first and it's going to take time.

Seems everyone is looking for a short cut, when they should be spending there time and energy on building content for there site.

[jdmarshall]

Best way to encourage registration?

Content, if your site has good content then people that are viewing your site will feel like it's something they want to be a part of and will register.

Creating good site content I feel is the answer to so many of the questions asked in this board. Adding content to your site is something you need to do yourself at first and it's going to take time.

Seems everyone is looking for a short cut, when they should be spending there time and energy on building content for there site.

This right here is the best advice.

I own 2 sports betting sites. Now here is where hard work comes in.
I know a forum like mine that has great guest traffic. But half the members I do.
They focus on free service plays. The site plays out like a read only forum.
There is no need to sign up. All they do is copy and paste others work.

I have no idea what your site is. But you have to create content that makes people want to post.
Say you own a sports forum.
Create a topic like...What is your favorite moment in sports history.
If your guest are sports fan. This is a good trigger thread to get them talking.

The worse thing you can do is wait for something to happen.
No matter what kind of forum you own. There are many others like it. So you need to sell me on signing up there.
I think people see other forums doing well and think I can do that.
But the question is do you have the passion for it. If you don't then you will fail.
A forum is like anything else. You will only get out of it what you put into it

[WantSome]

I agree with ApplianceJack - content!  This should always be first.  Make topics and boards that will draw your target audience in.

However, don't underestimate the value of other members.  Not just for word of mouth, but also to pack your forum with more of that all-important content.

On my (admittedly very small) forum, some boards are viewable to guests - these are mainly the general chat/discussion boards rather than the boards the forum is really about (because the good stuff is for members only).  When guests visit, they can see that the forum is active and lively, and full of friendly peeps they might have something in comon with.  Since I've made a few boards available to guests, registration has been on the up!

I think it acts as a teaser for them to register.

I've floated around other forums before and there's no bigger disappointment than a forum that promises tons of fun and, once you register, delivers two members who are never around.  So, it's a self-perpetuating cycle.

Content draws members -> members make more content -> which draws more members.

I've also put in one of those free chat rooms into the 'news box'.  Now there is a live chat box at the top of the forum where guests can quiz members that are logged in about the forum if they want to.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

I've learned that good content, combined with good atmosphere and relatively unlimited guest access works a lot better than limiting what guests can see or do. I allow guests to see all safe for work content, access all attachments etc. But only allow them to post on one board as guests. People tend to sign up to take part in the discussions they have been reading.

[ishy]

Yep, it's all about content. Make your place fun to be or have a strong purpose, and people will want to join. I am of the opinion that you make as much content available as you can, but it's okay to have some private forums. And from experience, not allowing people to see doesn't encourage them to join, it just causes them to click away and find a more open site. That plan always fails.

In my many years as a support admin, I will also note that many people seem to think that the majority of guests that visit are real people. This is generally not true. They are probably search bots, and you don't want to block guests, nor do you want to block search bots because they are what brings people to your site in the long run.

[venex]

Honestly, with my largest forum I've gone the other way and found good success. Guests can do anything within reason, including search and view attachments. When I visit other forums as a guest and I see stuff like hiding links, disallowing attachments and so on, it makes me specifically want to not register. I'm sure I'm not alone.

For another site of mine, I've gotten a good signup rate by offering nice unique features. The site is based around a certain online game, and I allow registered users to enter & generate an image signature with stats about their character for the game.

This one is so true.

I do the same. The only thing that guests can't do is reply to topics... and it's simply because I don't like the way a "guest" is shown when posting lol. Also, I let the guests know that they are missing some sections of the forum with a section that when you click, it takes you to the registration page.

I honestly don't want inactive users in my forum (even though I have tons of them) and that's why I try to put as less restrictions as I can.