Whats with all the guests?

We've unfortunately always been like that. It seems that just about all of our traffic comes from individual threads that are indexed by google. For example, searching for "wupdater.exe" will result in the second and third links on the search results page being to the wupdater thread. We have quite a few other threads highly indexed by google.

Unfortunately, people browsing for tech support help do a search, click on our site, find what they're looking for, and leave. I don't think they even stop to realize that we're a community, unfortunately.

I tried helping the situation by replacing the Quick Reply area with a message box asking to please register and join our community, but to little avail :( I'm desperately in need of help ... I think I'm going to move this thread over to the Web Promotion forum. Maybe people can help me in there??

Incidently, it's the first of the month, which is prime time for many search bots/spiders to be crawling around the www in search of fresh content. We don't have an overwhelming number of bots usually, however.

I think there needs to be more incentives to join as people can get everything they need without registering I don't know if you want to go down the road closing off part of the site by perhaps only showing guests the first two replies on a thread ( Im not even sure if that can be done.) Maybe you could offer enhanced member benefits when you reach 50 posts like free email if you want to do that I can donate an owned Hivemail licence to the site.

I was actually very interested in purchasing a Hivemail license awhile ago. However, I've since decided that I'm going to wait for a mail system that is more integrated into the forums. In addition, I don't have the time right now to learn how to skin hivemail enough to mimic this style. I will definitely keep you in mind though! Thanks!!

I think at the very least I should close off attachments to guests. Right now guests have access to those. Whatcha think?

I think at the very least I should close off attachments to guests. Right now guests have access to those. Whatcha think?

If only so save bandwidth I would even go so far as to take away the search function from guests.

Well, that's not something I'm ready to do right now. I think that would just force people away from the site. At least, I know if I was trying to find something and guests couldn't search, I'd just leave no questions asked. It's easier to do a google search for what I need than to register w/ a forum.

is there no way that when guests come in that when they look at a thread it will open a page that welcomes them and asks if they would like to join but saying that they dont have to but it would be benifit them then carry on to the page that they wanted to view

by the way is it ok if i put a link for this site into a couple of the groups that i am in
Scorps

To be honest, I feel that if it is made too obnoxious for guests, they'll just leave never to return. Of course, please post our link!! We provide banners at the bottom of the page. Other sizes are available if you PM or e-mail me.

well the message dosnt have to be formal just a polite message that says it would be nice if you joined perhaps put some humour in it so it doesnt seem stuffy and if not say hey come back again! after a couple of visits they will see its ok and join (I did)communitys like this are benificial to all techs or beginners someone always has something to offer even if its to jog your memory about something you long forgoten
(great site by the way )

one thing i think needs to develop more is a feeling of community spirit i think it will come over time as the board grows and members get to know each other. at the moment there isn't much light hearted banter here which is essential. i know it's a tech support site but without a lighter side it may appear somewhat dull.

another thing i noticed while typing this is that my computer refuses to make capital letters for some reason:cheesy:

cheers

do they have capitals OH YEH heh heh what do you use them for tho i want to know how to sort out my dyslexic keyboard
cheers

Well, sites that Im a regular at have over a million hits per month and usually have atleast over 50 members on 24/7.

You have to look at who you are targeting in these forums. Well, right now your targeting people who are noobies ... at most everything, and your right they get what they want and they go.
Your not targeting the same people that the big sites are Noobies are just extra hits to them.
Thats why you have a small member ratio 24/7.
Not to mention that most of your steady community, prob do not even post that many questions to begin with.
So, I would say relate to the other big forum sites....instead of just targeting noobies, who get what they want then leave.

One time a site that is big now once announced they were going to charge a $1 month fee to post......My reply was why should I pay you for my services to the site give me a break.Start making forums that actually apply to people. Like security of NT, SUE line,Linux, Unix ect.... People get tired of giving out free tech support especially when the people posting could just google the answer themselves.

try making the forum only avalible to members that way everyone will have to join. :mrgreen:

I was actually very interested in purchasing a Hivemail license awhile ago. However, I've since decided that I'm going to wait for a mail system that is more integrated into the forums. In addition, I don't have the time right now to learn how to skin hivemail enough to mimic this style. I will definitely keep you in mind though! Thanks!!

I think at the very least I should close off attachments to guests. Right now guests have access to those. Whatcha think?

You'd have to be careful about this. I moderate and browse this forum primarily from work, during slow times in the day. Because this site is such a great technical resource, I managed to get the OK from IT to remove it from the blocked sites list for being a forum. But, if we had a webmail system here, this site would get blocked for sure by my workplace, and probably others.

But, I think the attachments part is a good idea. I mean, we have to give people some incentive to register.

sorry for keeping an old post resurrected, but I missed out on the first round of talk on this one!

This "Guest" problem is not unique to this forum, its almost every forum you go, I think lots of people just find and info that interest them and read it, I think this is better that registering and never coming back again, that will fill the forum database with lots of inactive members

Temi