Super Soccer Forums

[ge0rge]

Super Soccer Forums

OK this is what I've got so far. I started the forum 2 weeks ago. I've used a welcome header and a little box that follows you to try and persuade people to register. I'm submitting as many posts as I can to the social bookmarking sites and have been looking at what competitors have done backlinks-wise. I've also included a news feed. I think I have all the necessary features, and I am getting visitors, but I can't get them to register.

Any tips are very welcome

[Joe Ward]

Some tips/suggestions:

• I would remove the threads/posts box plugin you have running on your forum homepage. It's visually distracting without adding value. And since you don't have much content, it's actually promoting a negative aspect of your forum.
• You need to change your logo/header area. The big soccer ball is bold, but the middle text is bad. But I have a great tip for you. You can have it redesigned for about $30 by running a contest at DigitalPoint. The higher the prize you offer, the better designers you will get submitting designs. I would ask them for:
  • An improved logo that incorporates the soccer ball, reduces the height of your heading area to 60-75% of its current, and pull in some powerful soccer images organized like a tv wall. You will need to collect of all the exciting images for those posted on the web.
  • Digital Point Contests
• Change your tagline from "The Ultimate Soccer Forum" to something like: "For some soccer is just a game. For us it's 100% pure adrenaline. Join us."
• Move your "other stuff" and "links" boxes to the right side on your forums page.
  • Go and find 3-5 awesome soccer videos on youTube, and run them down the side under this area.
• Try increasing the size of your font a few points across the site.
• Check the names and descriptions of all of your forums. Rewrite them to be more exciting. For instance wherever you have the word "General", get rid of it. People are not motivated to signup and become members to read general stuff.
  • In the descriptions trying making a bold statement, and then posing an interesting question or challenge to your users.
• Consider adding some more unique stuff like:
  • Soccer Celebrities: The Not So Secret Lives of Beckham and the Top Tier Football Celebrities
  • Kickers in the movies: The Vinnie Jones Factor
  • Football Brawls: True Stories of the Aftermath of the World's Most Violent Sport
• Contest - Go online and see if you can find some autographed gear from a soccer pro (on ebay). Buy it. Get a photo of it. Add it right into the header so that it's on every page of your site.
  • Get a 2nd piece of signed gear. Promote that the winner also gets a secret surprise. Another autographed piece of gear what will only be revealed when the contest is over.
  • I'm sure you post on other soccer forums. Make sure you set your signature to promote this content on other forums. If you have friends who post on these forums, ask them to promote your contest as well in their signatures.
• Start a FaceBook group. Promote that on your site to help the group grow. Then you can promote your contest and site there as well.