You are definitely gonna like this Forum If you become a member Access To Freebies The above are completely junk free freebies .
Remove the border (set it to white) on your adsense ad for better blending. And also: you need a new header design!!
It looks like a copy of dp :| The categories. Suggestions: Get creative & show some originality. Using a skin will not hurt. There are many free skins available for phpbb.
Blend your adsense in a little bit better. I used a mod on my forum, check it out. It places an ad between the first and the second post. CTR up up up! http://www.smallpressexchange.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27
You must ask yourself, why would people go and spend time on your forum while they can hang out on DP? That's a big question and you have to think about it. There must be a really good reason for people to visit your forum especially because it's new and empty. Something more appealing, something new. I wish you good luck with your work. Running a forum is not an easy job especially in the beginning... Cheers!