New experiment added.
Lets see if we can use ads to get users to register and login.
We have 2 ads for guests. 1 in header and 1 in topics after first post. Both has login/register links so guests will know that they can login to skip ads.
This might (hopefully) lead to more logged in users.
And again might lead to more activity.
By default no ads are displayed to logged in users.
But Please report here.
UCP->Board prefs
logad.png
Topic ad last row
topic.png
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Last edited by Stoker on 26 May 2025, 08:20, edited 3 times in total.
Reason:-
Interesting. What kind of activity do you want? (Genuinely curious not snarky.)
What I mean is.... do you want support requests? people talking randomly? inspiration? camaraderie? uploads/downloads? publicity for your projects? help with your projects? revenue?
You got me to sign up because you helped me on the phpbb support forums, and I figured I'd slide on over and show some appreciation. I imagine a lot of folks are grateful for the help in fixing little bugs, and would come over if you asked them for the return favor of checking out your site. The trick would be getting them to (as you say) sign up and (more importantly?) come back again and become part of the community.
The underlying thing is to get people INVESTED in your site. They'll want to sign up for that reason. Personally I'm put off by sites who use ads as a punishment. My thoughts is always: If the ads are that bad, why show them to any of your users? And if they're quality ads for things people really do want/need, then why not show them to all your users? Again there's a trick: Show an ad that's not obnoxious.
People all have different motivations. How to reach them all and not alienate anyone?
Your board seems to thrive on BBcode. I've had limited success with BBcode and I pretty much don't use it at all. I bet a lot of people are like me in that regard, newbies with already too many puzzles to solve in phpbb. You could INVEST new users (that you got from helping people on phpbb support forums, or maybe even by google or other networking)... by featuring more prominently a section on your index.... about how helpful bbcodes are and how to easily incorporate them into a forum for a better admin experience. Then once they see how cool and useful bbcodes are (?) they will keep coming back because they will be on a learning curve that pretty much never ends. You're where they go for bbcode info, just like we all go to the official support forums when we get stuck on phpbb.
I wish I could be as motivated about my own project. I tend to get deer-in-the-headlights about my own stuff but here I have no problem telling someone else how to run their stuff. LOL.
Anyway.... you wanted activity.... lol here's some! =D
Last edited by pxdetroit on 29 Apr 2025, 13:04, edited 1 time in total.
What I meant by "getting" new users from google or other networking..... I mean if you're the bbcode expert, lean into that. People will come here for that. When someone googles for bbcode help, they see your site.
If you think people will come once, find their answer and leave, maybe instead of an ad (in this case) you could have a banner that says... Psst... was this site helpful? Return the favor by signing in please! (We're gauging traffic.) Your visitors aren't regular randos, we're programming people, so we get you when you say that. Or do you think I'm wrong about that?
But I really think your best bet is to focus on your niche: be the go-to place for bbcode. Then people will sign in because it's just part of achieving their own goal of (insert niche you fill).
Maybe you could offer: WE ANSWER ALL SUPPORT QUESTIONS! You'd have 1000 people a day signing up just to ask you some stupid newbie question. You wouldn't even have to ask them to sign up. They'd sign up just to ask their question.
You want activity? Be the place who offers phpbb support that ISN'T rude and condescending. Some of those phpbb support mods need an attitude adjustment (ass kicking) for the way they talk to people. Be the place where there's no shame in asking a stupid phpbb question. You'd have lots of questions and they'd be mostly easy because we've figured out all that newbie stuff already.
If I were you I'd haunt the reddit sub for phpbb. People only go there when they have a mystery they can't solve any other way. People get grateful when you solve a frustrating bug. You could mention you figured out x yourself by working on your own forum, hey come on by!
Also, Reddit ads are cheap. Simple statements are best on reddit: Come for the support, stay for the joke threads! (or whatever)
In communities like this there are givers and takers.
We need both. People asking for support and people giving support.
Sharing extensions, guides, snippets etc - asking for extensions etc.
I was away for some years, back then there where a lot of phpBB activity. Both here on phpbb.com and several other places.
Now there is basicly none, and only some on phpbb.com
You know the thing about FB groups taking everything over.
