Site Traffic

[hermitcrab]

I noticed lately when I sign in and look at the site traffic we have more non members on the site than members... For example today , I was the only registered member on line but there were 21 non members currently on line ...makes one wonder why we don't get more sign ups for the site?....

[electra225]

I've wondered that myself, and the moderators have discussed this very subject. Why are our new members not active? Why join, then not participate? If you look at ARF, they have 17,000+ members, with 300-odd online users at a time, with about 25 members signed in. Running those averages, our little forum is actually more active per user and per member than ARF is. Another thing that amazes me, quite frankly, is why we have not gotten a single comment, plus or minus, on ARF. Perhaps if we promoted our forum on the larger forums we might get more activity? Also, Internet forums are kinda like console stereos, yesterday's technology. Everybody wants to be on Facebook. Facebook is not as easy to control the riff raff, spammers, trolls. Our posting average kinda took a hit over the summer, but has rebounded somewhat in the last couple of months. We have the premier changer restoration people on this forum that I am aware of. I have invited a couple members of ARF to join us with no response whatsoever. We have to remember that console stereos have a small, but dedicated following. I don't know of another console stereo forum on the Internet. I understand there may be one on Facebook, but I haven't seen it. We have a good bunch of guys on this forum and I couldn't be prouder of them. There is zero snark, we don't pick on each other, we have nearly zero problems with decorum of people not knowing how to act. We have the best moderators I have ever worked with. This is a small forum, probably always will be, one where everybody knows everybody else. Warm and cozy, someplace you can go to feel at home and welcome. We disagree, but we don't get nasy about it. As far as "users online" versus members logged on, it will always be like that. Many of our members came over from Vintage, many of the others are invites by members, some are not familiar to other members. Remember also, that console stereos still get a bad rap on most forums. I've had comments that our forum is too "colloquial" for those more sophisticated. Our talking about cars turns some people off. One guy emailed me and asked if we had a car forum or just what. This forum is a place for friends to go and fellowship. We use console stereos as our theme, and we probably need to get more involved with projects we can share. I figure if someone thinks we need more console stereo topics, then join and post some.......

I have been posting about the restoration of a Magnavox Stereo Theater. Has that brought us any new members? Nope. It has hardly attracted any comments.....

When you sign on and see "Google Bot" or "Bing Bot" signed on as a member, what is that? That is the search engines checking out our forum for useful content they can use in their algorithms to position our forum in an Internet search. The more "content" we post, information they can use, it puts this forum in a higher spot. We get more traffic, and you'd think, by the law of averages, we'd gain more new members. This is why it's important for us to keep out posting average up. We lost our position on Internet search engines when it got so slow on the forum over the summer. We are slowly gaining online users again.

Another thing to think about is that the forum hosting will come up for renewal in July. Participation between now and then will determine if the forum goes for another three years or not. People tell me how important the forum is to them, how they would hate to see it gone, but then don't participate, they don't post. Posting is what keeps our position on search engines high. Without that, we are just another dead little forum. So, guys, if we want this forum to continue, we need to post and share our project. Every member posting at least once per week would make this a hotrod in the world of forums. If the forum is important to you, all we ask for is a bit of your time.

[hermitcrab]

I have been on the MCM console group on FB, I promote the site there to come and check out this site as well.. whether it helps or not, who knows?

[William]

Thanks, Elton, every little bit helps.

Bill

[electra225]

Thanks for giving the forum a blurb on another medium. Every bit helps and you never know who will be influenced.