Converting visitors ----> members... This is hard!

The contents of your forum play a major role in attracting visitors, so do the traffic; and it takes time to build both. Try focusing on the contents and increase the popularity of your forum by SEO

 

sorry for responding so late, but here is the forum link

http://www.mybboard.net/

I use it on one of my new forums. Set up is very easy, no work is needed.

if you want to see the start of mine, check out cenation.info

 

Change the software/look ASAP. Frankly speaking, the layout has to go.

Dooing that should help quite a bit, good luck.

 

Confusing, ugly or both?

-pk

 

Honestly neither - it looks, uh, cheap and old fashioned to me.

Just use a free forum software, get a nice free template and that will work wonders imo.

 

Appreciate the honesty - I like your style Bbau... what software do you recommend? and what is imo??

-pk

 

As far as free software is concerned, I recommend phpbb. It's very customizable and looks quite decent. It's the most popular free forum software on the net and easy to use. I agree with others that the forum layout and appearance is quite unattractive and confusing. Try a more traditional forum layout, ala digitapoint or whatever other forums you visit and spice it up with your own colors, descriptions etc. I hate to say it like this, but right now I don't think many or most people visiting your site would stick around for more than a few seconds simply as a result of your choice in layout.

Anyway, try phpbb. It's easy, clean and customizable and free.