Would love a critique and some advice.

Hi,

I just started with google analytics, and I can tell it's going to help my site tremendously.
I found out already that instead of the 1300-1500 uniques I get daily according to my
Webalizer stats, I'm truly getting about 200-400 daily. That means my conversion rate
to registration isn't THAT bad. But, I really want to improve registration rates.

Can you please critique my site and offer some advice on anything you see wrong,
as well as help me increase my registration rate?

Phentermine | Phentermine Discussion Forum | Phentermine Online

Thanks!

Ian Mason
PhenForum.com

Anyone? Please let me know what's bad about my site and how
I could increase visitor registration rates. Thanks!

Hi phdev,

Looking at your source code, you have the css appearing in the page, rather than as an external file. This increases the page size, making it harder for the spiders/visitors' browsers.

To make the css into an external file, make sure vBroot/clientscript is writeable (CHMOD 777) and go to AdminCP - vBulletin Options - Style and Language Settings, then set the 'Store CSS Stylesheets as External Files' option to Yes.

Your Guest Welcome Message.. it is very prominent, but doesn't really say too much, descrition-wise. It would be better to have "PhenForum is all about people helping
eachother lose weight for good. Learn how to use Phentermine as your tool
for safe, long-term weight loss and better health!" appearing further up the source than the "Read what members are saying..." part. You can do this with positional <div>s if you don't want to change the actual *look* of the page.

There's a start for you..

Hello,

Decent look to it, but it looks like you stole the layout of digg.com, which of course will refelect negativlity on your forum. Otherwise, it looks decent.

Thank you very much for your suggestions, guys! Yeah, I gotta fix the digg issues - I'll change some of the layout and the menu too.

Have a great day!

Webalizer tracks EVERYTHING, including bots.
analytics runs off javascript, and bot's can't process JS, plus advanced users may have JS turned off completely. hence the difference in numbers.

If you want to increase registrations, open it up. I am forced to register the second I go to /forums. I have NO IDEA what is inside it, as I haven't had a chance to see it. Is this content something I want?
No one will ever know, because i X'ed out.

WOW! You are forced to register if you visit PhenForum.com as a guest?
Do you mean it says you don't have permission to view the page or something? Can you not see any forum categories, etc?

That is VERY weird. It doesn't say your IP was banned, does it?

It is supposed to be open. I only have it set to force people to register if they want to post. I have never been forced to register when I'm logged out and in guest mode.

Thanks Brian!

oh, never mind. looks like I clicked the Join link instead of just the forums link... which i still don't see anywhere in the upper nav. I would add a generic /Forums link in there. Even me, and expereinced user, couln't find it. And with so many pages that ARENT forum pages, but since they are re-written, you can't tell whats a forum and whats an article...