What now?

[Banana]

After a very long time of setting up apache, mysql, php, phpmyadmin , invision and more I have gotten my forum up.
I do not have money to spend on advertising ect.
How do I get my first few users on my forum?
http://www.insanogfx.co.nr

[cyberturk]

you can visit different forums and show your signature. Write your site address toy our signature.

you used Invision Power Board v2.0.4 why did you set up the ex one. i recommend you to use 2.1.4.

[vito]

Just had a peek at your new forum. To confirm, am I correct it's a forum related to graphic design and more specifically signatures?

It's always hard to get a new forum going. Start off by putting a link to it in your sig when visiting other forums. Perhaps a link to it from other sites you may own. Do you have any friends you could ask to join and help get it off and running? And maybe start a sales thread in other forums inviting new signups, perhaps offering some small draw or reward or prize to entice the new members.

Vito

[Scott]

You might want to put a bit at the top (particularly for guests) explaining what your forum is about.

I'd then suggest you register a few other username and get them posting too...always looks better to have more than 1 user.

Not all advertising requires money, there are lots of directories out there which you can submit your site to for free. This helps it get found by search engines.

You've got a good starting point, now comes the fun of recruiting members. It's not easy, but keep at it and they'll come :)

Oh and by the way, welcome to FU :welcome:

[Banana]

You might want to put a bit at the top (particularly for guests) explaining what your forum is about.
within the header?
and thankyou for the warm welcome

[Scott]

I would tend to fit it in between the member bar (Login/Register) and the Nav breadcrumb...but whatever suits you.

[Banana]

sorry for my noobiness in this matter but if you don't mind me asking, what is a nav breadcrumb?

[bear]

This navigation bit here is the "breadcrumb".

[Scott]

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadcrumb_%28navigation%29) can explain it better than I can.

Basically before the "Insano Gfx" link (see attached)

[Banana]

How would I go about adding what my forum is about in that area?

[writespeak]

To confirm, am I correct it's a forum related to graphic design and more specifically signatures?

You might want to put a bit at the top (particularly for guests) explaining what your forum is about.

Making the purpose of the forum clearer is a good first step. ;)

I wasn't sure what to think when I viewed the site. It's good to start with only a few forums, but you might want to make "General Discussion" more specific and perhaps change its name to something more descriptive. Also, what is the signature section about? I thought it was about getting sigs approved for your forum or perhaps getting help writing sigs. I don't remember seeing image sigs at forums before. Also, because 3 out of 7 forums are about sigs, it looks like they're the focus of your forum.

A few more suggestions:

- Move General Discussion to the top.
- Correct the spelling mistakes in various places.
- Consider moving the 2 threads in General somewhere else. They're more announcements than anything.
- Explain what the Topsite (http://66.177.209.160/index.php?showtopic=7) link is rather than just asking people to click on it to increase your traffic. It's user-friendly to tell visitors where links go. :)

Lois

[Scott]

Can't exactly how you get there in 2.0.x, but these shouldn't be far off:

ACP -> Look & Feel -> <skin_name> -> Edit HTML -> Global HTML -> member_bar

At the bottom of that, put something like this
<div class="row1">
Welcome to...
</div>


You can make it visible to guests only, I think (works in 2.1.x) by doing this:
<if="ipb.member['id'] != 0">
<div class="row1">
Welcome to...
</div>
</if>


If you have problems, let me know :)

[Banana]

I added some text above the nav breadcrumb, changed the phrasing of that toplink post and I'm addong mroe forums right now

[writespeak]

I just noticed the not in the General Discussion description: "...chit-chat not pertaining to graphic design." So where do people discuss graphic design? Maybe that's one of the forums you're going to add. :)

In your introduction post, you mention that you're a high school student. That reminded me of a member here who said that he was targeting his forum at teenagers. That might be an idea for you to consider. There are already lots of graphics forums, so you need a way for yours to be different. How many of the existing ones are aimed at teenagers? It could become an after-school hangout where teens who do graphics learn from each other and socialize together. Just an idea, of course. :)

Lois

[Banana]

I have a strong past with gaming and that is one of our main focuses is people within gaming clans who have a tendancy to be younger, that is why we have such a strong emphasis on signatures.I added many more forums now :D

[writespeak]

I have a strong past with gaming and that is one of our main focuses is people within gaming clans who have a tendancy to be younger

That sounds like good information to work into the introduction. :)

I added many more forums now :D

"Many more" might not be the right approach when starting out. A few forums with activity looks better than a lot of forums with no activity. For now, you might want to combine the 3 sig ones into one, the 2 images ones into one, and so on.

Also, where do people discuss graphics? :confused:

And is Job Applications just for your forum, or for anyone to post job openings for? Are you going to have enough job offers to have a whole forum just for jobs that you offer?

Lois

[Banana]

And is Job Applications just for your forum, or for anyone to post job openings for? Are you going to have enough job offers to have a whole forum just for jobs that you offer?

It was temporary for getting the deigners and renderers ect.


That sounds like good information to work into the introduction.

will do, great idea!

"Many more" might not be the right approach when starting out. A few forums with activity looks better than a lot of forums with no activity. For now, you might want to combine the 3 sig ones into one, the 2 images ones into one, and so on.

I thought about this, the thing is that I don't want peoepl to be confused when they see requests, questions, and completions all within the same forum..m

[Banana]

Sorry for double posting but my edit button doesn't seem to want to load... I have another graphics site that wants to be an affilate, I have prepare an affiliate button, where can I add his button on my forums index? and how?

[Banana]

bump!
anyone?

[Scott]

You can put this button wherever you want really. I would suggest putting it down the bottom, mainly because there is more space there.

[Banana]

Just use html at the bottom of the same area I added that text box above the nav breadcrumb in?

[Scott]

You could also open the Wrapper and put it down the bottom of the forum, all depends where you want it. :)

[Banana]

the wrapper.. is that going to be an editable section of the template? And can I use html or do i have to use bbcode or something?

[Scott]

The wrapper is a part of IPB's skin which groups all the minor HTML templates together. I can't remember exactly where about it is on 2.0. It's just normal HTML so <img... would work. If you can't find it, send me a screenshot of your ACP and I'll see if I can spot it.

[Banana]

took ages to install and tons of edits to my skins html ect.
but i got an affiliate plugin installed..
http://mods.invisionize.com/db/index.php/f/3352
thats the mod, check out the product at http://www.insanogfx.co.nr

[Scott]

Fits in quite nicely :greenthum

Good luck with your forum :)

[Banana]

thanks, Im going to try to stay active here because of all the help I have gotten from you guys, thanks alot!