What's the next step for webdigity? We need your feedback

Lately I was thinking of some ways to promote webdigity in order to make it more active. As you all know the last weeks the activity has dropped, but that's ok as it is summer and people prefer to be on a beach :)

Anyway before I start implement my new ideas for webdigity I would like to ask the rest of the "family" for your opinion. I mean what do you think we should do in order to make this community bigger?

Any response will be deeply appreciated.

perhaps a couple of subtle changes mighthelp, when a visitor arrives they currently get asked to register straight away, perhaps be a little more subtle simwait till they have visited a couple of pages before suggesting registering. This way they get a feel for the forums  and then a small push in the right direction after the initial feel, those people who were unlikely to come back won't be bothered and so are more likely to comeback.

Also one of the features that could be mentioned as part of the reason to join, see the site with minimal ads, I noticed that the non members  version is very ad heavy

You are right. Right now I've removed the "REGISTER NOW" pop up, but I'll put it back the way you said (in the third impression)

About the ads, I will remove the kontera ads, and I'll try to think something about the others. After all this site is not earning so much from ads (almost nothing) so I guess I can do something about that.

Yeah, good call on the register thing, even if im registered i hate to be reminded about it again. Also, I think we should refocus the subcategories and find a more niche blank spot specialty as compared to other webmasters forums as there is plenty of it now. Some have good marketplaces, good review sections, what separates webdigity? Its time for a regroup dont you think?

Yeah maybe you are right. Right now we are a common webmaster forum with some extra things that bring people in (gallery, whois, etc.)

Do you have any categories in mind?

as far as categories go, i have none in mind but to simplify it... or at least reorganize, make it appear link an "extra". As old members, we can try and make the review board more active by getting there as quickly as possible and give varying tips from coding, design and seo as we have a collections of "Specialists" here. That would definitely attract some more visitors who need quick feedback or ideas, or some just to let everyone know about. I currently experience that almost all webmasters blog has dropped in traffic during these months, so it could be good for reorganizing things. Maybe we should exploit specialize categories such as Social Bookmarking, SMS, mobile web browsing and such.

For my immediate suggestion, I think the main page needs a little freshening up and reorganizing... like maybe showcase the design page at top, the tags below...

most of the sites in the showcase are not from active members sadly, but people who register to get their sites on there.

I like the ideas of playing to our strengths, we are diverse set of people and skills

Though general word of warning this is now the third site I mod on in the last week to talk about reconstruction its the summer, things always drop off, so nothing to drastic :)

on the whole people come to webdigity to:
Spam us
Get help on Olafs classes
CSS Gallery
PHP Help
ask a webmaster question
ask an SEO question
Spam us
spam us
spam us
promotion techniques
spam us
spam us
other web development bits

I think very few come looking for reviews, we have a mix of skills from complete newbies to professionals, I think the tutorial section needs to be expanded and used more, perhaps open it to non php tutorials might be a start.

We did quite a serious category prune at the beginning of the year but a few more could go or be merged, I think moving users forums into the forum lounge makes sense its barely used these days and none of those sections are active.

I think we have a choice the newbie webmaster section is a generic webmaster section because we have no advanced section, and some of the posts in there are quite advanced.

I think databases should merge in with other programming languages with the section renamed General Programming and Database development
Perhaps web review section can move up to the webdigity welcome section, while configuring servers move to web development, hosting and domains merge and also go to the web development.

Marketing section is renamed monetizing your site
General business is renamed Income generation techniques and CPA, CPC, CPM, affiliate forums all become sub forums of a generic forum income streams.

Nice recommendations Tim, thanks. I will make some of them later or tomorrow (I am busy right now)

contests always bring in more people here. how about an enticing reward for post credits accumulated? something like free gizmos, etc... of course, the mods cannot participate, only us members. LOL

Here is what I've done so far :

1) Removed the kontera ads
2) Guest users will see a "register now" pop up in the third pageview they do in the site
3) Category "Marketing your site" renamed to "Monetizing your site"
4) Board "Newbie webmaster" renamed to "General webmaster discussions"

I'll test some more changes and let you know. In the meanwhile feel free to post more comments :)

Vbignacio: I am going to release a big contest (maybe later) with points. I mean you will be able to enter the contest and get points for several things like posting, starting threads, register affiliates, etc.

Sounds cool Nikolas. I like the new stuff that you've done to the site. Very nice indeed!

perhaps nathan you could tell us which new feature you like on the site? it might help work out what people want!

Well I like the way some of the sections have been renamed. I'm also glad that my blog's showing up again. That feature I really like. I also like the store, and the prospect of a contest where I can win more credits.

Free resources such as scripts and logo's etc.
Also cool sites like resource sites and stuff.

Thanks for the feedback JnB. Haven't see you around for a long time. Welcome back :)

I wouldn't mind free scripts either...you never know when you can use one, because if you can't find one that you need, you have to create it yourself. :(

Ah and maybe we are needing an alternate layout and scheme... woot!

You mean a second layout?

Yes, like a themed one, then go back default in the next three weeks, but still offer the alternate layout via theme swithing of SMF...

Designer, this SMF site is very advanced, I think it's a lot of work to have two working themes with all changes

Yeah Olaf is right. It would be easier to hold two css files, but having the template in two versions it would be a lot of work.

Instead of that I would prefer to invest that time to make the forum posts table less :)

Well I still think its like hitting 2 birds with one stone... after customizing one, offer it as download for SMF as plugin, and get more traffic... But I saw a vb forum using a style switcher... I think it can be done...

just the style and layout of home elements then, that could be good...

yeah a style switcher is much easier (just an option in the CP)

I think its a good idea to promote webdigity more as a SMF resource. Maybe we need more "Niche" forums.

just providing content and help about popular scripts like phpmailer, fpdf etc.

maybe we need to think more about the tutorial section (make it public and promote the articles via PHP tutorial sites and social communities)

how about offering podcasts? (I'm sure that Tim has some MP3's) :)

Maybe I should try to open the tutorial section to non-members as an experiment.

As far till now there are many sign ups from the tutorial section, especially from people who want my alexa ranking script, but I guess there is no real value having members that just signup to get a tutorial.

I will try this and we'll see then :)

Regarding the podcasts I am not sure how this could work.

I would still only allow registered users, I guess the key is to convert these users into forum users so perhaps,

Offer support and discussion directly into the forum
Offer something to regular users

Have we actually asked people to contribute?

Perhaps if each tutorial had its own thread, then we can encourage tutorial visitors to contribute to the board that way?

Yeah, I was planning to make an advanced integation for this section but still the lack of time stops me. My plan was to create a comment system to the forum which will actually use a regular thread in the forum for the tutorial comments. So when someone wants to start a comment about a tutorial, the bot would start a thread about that tutorial and all the comments for this tutorial would be in that thread.

I am not sure when I am about to do this, but I will :)

Anyway for the moment I have opened the tutorial section to see how it will work this way, and after the end of the experiment I will close it again (if it wont work) I think Olaf is right about the traffic that the tutorial section can have if it is open (dzone, etc.)

yes go for the comment thing, thats how it should work!

about the traffic accept thousands of visitors from the tutorial sites, my first one got 4000 in only four weeks.

maybe you can create a direct link to a "comment" forum in the meantimne, people like to ask (noticed that on my blog site where I posted tutorials)

and submit the easy (and nice) tutorials first, like:
http://www.webdigity.com/index.php?action=tutorial;code=47
http://www.webdigity.com/index.php?action=tutorial;code=32

and skip the shorties and don't submit to much at the same time 1 or 2 in one week

Today I am going to optimize the tutorials section. I think it is a very vital place of our community which haven't used right.

Today we got one register through the tutorials section and one donation :) I know this is not really special but I think that if the tutorials will be kept open, it will be better for the site.