How to convert more forum guests into registered members?

[Frankie]

I notice on more than one occasion the number of guests to http://dogsofwarvu.com/forum vastly outnumbered the number of registered members online on the site. For example, right now it is only two members (myself being one of them) online and 58 guests online. Last weekend I noticed that there were 78 guests online versus 5 registered members.

How do we get more guest readers/surfers to register an account on DOWVU's forums? Grab them by the lapels? Conscript them? Offer them free memberships...hold on, DOWVU forum registration is already free. Offer them a free SteelBeasts dongle? What? What?

[Asid]

There are many "lurkers"...Quite a few members will not sign in. They will just check the posts and read. One way would be to limit content to registered and signed in members.

[SystemInShock]

I think that would be a bad idea. If you aren't charging for access, why force someone to sign in to read?  You already have it set to sign in to post.

I check this forum every day, sometimes multiple time a day, but I don't bother to sign in.  As you can see by my super low post count I don't talk much either.  I love this site but I would stay away if I had to sign in every time to read something.  Even though the Friday Asid post of what he's going to do on the weekend that has all the crazy emojicons in it is a tempting draw.

[Asid]

I think that would be a bad idea. If you aren't charging for access, why force someone to sign in to read?  You already have it set to sign in to post.

Hi SystemInShock

I agree that to view the forum should not require a log in. We do have one 1 or 2 "private" sections which require log in.

I think that would be a bad idea. If you aren't charging for access, why force someone to sign in to read?  You already have it set to sign in to post.

I check this forum every day, sometimes multiple time a day, but I don't bother to sign in.  As you can see by my super low post count I don't talk much either.  I love this site but I would stay away if I had to sign in every time to read something.

I am glad you enjoy our site 

Even though the Friday Asid post of what he's going to do on the weekend that has all the crazy emojicons in it is a tempting draw.

Glad you like it. Here is a new emoji 


The forum is only as good as its members