Lab Forums way ahead

labadmin · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:39 am Post subject: Lab Forums way ahead

I posted this for mods to look at but i think i should also let you guys know

The number of subscribers has been steadily dropping for some time now, i.e. some are expiring and not renewing (churn), and not as many subscribing

the overall effect is a declining number of subscribers, we have lost almost 30 in 2 weeks that i have been actually monitoring them. Remember we only have >760 subscribers and if we continue losing 30 every fortnight then in 6 months ...........

Our overall visitor stats are still good, we are beating last years stats by about 10% atm, our new users per month numbers http://www.labradorforums.co.uk/forums-statistics.html#12 is about the same as last year but not as good as our peak (2007)

I don't have time to visit the site very often at all, and just tend to come on to fix things, make command decisions lol and add the odd facility here and there so I just wanted to ask you guys why you think this is happening ?

I did notice a couple of things that were probably putting off people taking the first step and joining the site as follows:

Subscription Block visible on top right to visitors

Page Peel advert for subscriptions visible to visitors

Both are now only visible to members

But this doesn't account for the churn we are going through, this has knock on effects that at some point LF would become a non viable entity for me i.e. it would be costing more than costs and time to support it

I am not being clinical but my time is very precious (due to family and business commitments) and anything i spend time on nowadays has to earn its keep at least in part. LF has never been a money spinner for me tbh, it brings in enough to pay its way and some pocket money alongside, but if this slide continues this won't be the case so I want to arrest this and reverse the process somehow

ideas ???

Claw · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:43 am Post subject:

Your not trying to bully people into re joining are you?? Just seems from that post that you are saying......look if you dont pay then im closing the site so there!!!

I personally find the site very informative and probably will be rejoining ( and no I am not having ago before all the others jump on the band wagon at me!!)

Edited as can't spell Laughing

Feebarn · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:51 am Post subject:

In a time when people are counting the pennys, your are on a hiding to nothing.

This is a firvilous extra in life and people are cutting back on the extra.

My advice would be spend some time trying to get more advertisers to increase your revenue that way.

_Suzy_ · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:53 am Post subject:

I would like to know how others sites are run with no costs to members?

The only other forum in which I pay to subscribe is a gt4 forum (cars) and we get an awful lots for our yearly membership fee.. huge discounts (huge) with various traders, a yearly meet where drinks/food is 'free' (comes out of the pot) Rolling road meets, where again, we get a huge discount. Track days arranged at huge disconted price again.. free professional photos of you in your car racing on the track etc etc Experts/mechanics on online who give expert advice, many of them in person.. there are huge benefits to being a fully paid up member... and I can't even think of all of them...

So many peoples questions will probably be... what are they getting for their £10 sub fee? As all the advice and help is given by ourselves, the members... we get discounts with various shops run my members (normally 10%) yes we can arrange ourselves to go to gt's, but you don't have to be a subscriber to view and or post in the gt forum...

labadmin · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:58 am Post subject:

hmm interesting, discounts are a good one, the problem is having time to negotiate discounts and which companies to approach, anyone got time to volunteer to do it on the sites behalf Wink

?

labadmin · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:59 am Post subject:

Eve · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:03 am Post subject:

I have found this to be a fab site, have met lots of really lovely people and made some good friends and to be honest I can think of some without whose presence in my life, my life would be that much poorer, the advice and support you get from members is out of this world, the GT's are fantastic and I have dipped my toe into the odd thing that I wouldn't have without LF

I also think that the style and presentation of the forum is fantastic - much much better than the yahoo groups...

BUT I do think that there is a huge resistance to paying for this (and I am not getting here into the arguments of costs profit etc) because the perception is that things available on the internet are free. This is something that even impacts on the internet dating sites - I know someone who had a go, people were happy to sign up for free membership but when it came to putting hands in pockets for subscriptions very few were prepared to and I suspect that is the same here

I tend to agree to some extent with Fee that this is an extra that can be cut back on, but at the end of the day it is £10 a year - about the cost of a cinema ticket, and you have to have some entertainment in your life!

I would also agree trying to get advertisers to advertise here would be a better income generator, particularly if you can get someone like the online pharmacies or bigger internet shops....

Eve Neo and Bramble

_Suzy_ · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:04 am Post subject:

I think someone suggested that before (Lynsey/Lucy) but nothing happened...

Besides which, many people who go to and arrange the gt's, are friends outside of the forum as well, so I would guess for those that didn't renew, they would just be texted/called.. so that wouldn't entice current members to renew.. only the new ones to join in the first place..

and no... as a member, I would not be wanting to volunteer to contact traders for discounts.... not in my job spec as a member Wink

I think at the end of the day, people want to see they are getting a good deal in paying the £10 subs, they want to see what they are getting for it... and basically, the £10 allows you to post everywhere, and read every forum... and thats it.. which is why people are a little resistant.. as you can do this elsewhere for free... and as I said in my last post, other forums which you pay subs on, you get an awful lot from being a paid member.. way way way more than the fee amount...

Jazz · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:05 am Post subject:

Well I for one have just renewed my subscription. I think LF is great.

When I see all the intros from new people - along with the little box on the right stating total members 14,000+ it looks like LF is growing. And probably most other members think this too. We are not realising just how many subscribers have been lost.

Of course it is a time when many people are feeling the pinch and are looking around for ways to cut back (and I'm one of them) - but I don't think that £10 per year is a lot.

June

Sir_Rufus · Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:25 am Post subject:

I think Suzy's got a point there.

Most of the time I'm busy at work or walking/playing with/training Hudson so I don't have as much time to sit at my computer and post/read messages. I think LF may be missing a trick and could turn into a nice little business offering many of the things Suzy has suggested that could target many different types of people.

I belong to another forum that asks for donations only for server space/storage and they manage just fine and only a core few of their memberlist donate money.

My OH belongs to a similar car forum which has a sub fee but offers discounted trips to various high profile places, discounts on car parts with the manufacturer and so on.

Just think of the potential - training days, teaming up with top names, photographers, annual meets for all with catering etc. But encouraging advertisers to pay to advertise online will only come if there's something in it for them, i.e. evidence that they can capture their target market.

And likewise people will only renew if there's something in it for them. Social networking is in the main free on the internet, ok so if it's free it's not always good and having to pay a sub fee can help to put off trouble makers, there's definitely value there, but there needs to be more.

I'm not sure you can rely on volunteers to do this for you - perhaps get a working group together to put in the research and create a business plan, but I think it's one for you to lead on.