new site, need advice

[edyskoal]

What is the best way to drive traffic to your site, especially if you have a discussion forum. Check it out and tell me what you think.

www.lifesucksclub.com

[veinglory]

I gave it three goes before I started an active forum. If you are emphasising this function you must, absolutely must, have some activity on the forum before trying to bring in members from the general public. You have 0 members, you didn't join? So why should I?

At the very least post some threads yourself--having every subforum at zero means nobody will stay or register. The best strategy is to have at least two other members and yourself and post several times a day, always reponding to each others new threads. To begin with you make yourself post and post the most interesting material you have.

I am also unclear what the forum is for--what sort of person will go there and why. Is it for jokes, for kids for philosphising or general socialising. Started with *a small number* of forums focused on your key activities and expland to new forums as the members demand them.


Once they start moving forums google well and naturally pull people in but only if you have a topic and niche not already well supplied and at least a fw forum mavens who are providing interesting, provocative content.

...all my rampant opinion.

[AquaBooks]

We had a discussion forum set up for a very specific purpose. It was to discuss issues raised in our monthly lecture series. No one posted but me, so I discontinued it. We have decent traffic to our site and well-attended lectures, but we still couldn't generate interest in this. If you want people to post to your discussion forum, it has to be pretty compelling (not just, I think life sucks, how about you). The idea of online 'community' is a trifle overrated at times. (Except in the StatCounter Lounge, of course!)

[grant]

Hi,
I looked at your site and saw only 2 members are registered on your forum.

I suggest you get all your friends to join up, make some posts and make it look busy and popular.

Good luck.
Grant.