A few people on other forums that I browse have sent me messages about how to improve their website activity; so I thought I'd post this around a bit.
Everyone creates a website with the hopes that it will grow to be a large, well known site. The problem with this is that most people don't know where to start. The easiest way to do this is to ask yourself, "What do I look for when joining a site?"
Design/Layout
The first thing that people notice about a site is, logically, the design of the site. If the design is repulsive; with colours that don't match, they won't join. Does this mean that your site needs to have a professionally designed template? No. As long as your site is easy on the eyes, and has a nice flow, then you should be alright.
The best way to see if your design is alright is to ask around. Link people to your site and ask what you could do to improve. Sites should, after all, cater to the likes of your members; not neccessarily just you.
Also, your site's layout should be user-friendly. Having drop-down menus with numerous sub-menus is just confusing and makes things harder to find. Navigation should be near the top of the page in an easy-to-see spot.
Coding
Another factor in a site's likability is the coding. If your site has the same things as a well-established site on the same subject, they will go for the more popular/active one. Unique features are always a plus when visiting a site.
Also, using things like AJAX which makes sites more user-friendly can increase the functionality (and likability) of your site. The only thing to be careful of is that you don't over-use it. For example; vBulletin uses AJAX on the quick reply...this is looked upon by many as a bad move on their part, since posting is a major part of forums.
Advertising
Advertising is, of course, a large part of getting an active site. But remember, there is a difference between advertising and spamvertising.
Things like putting links in your signature on forums, buying ad space on sites, and putting it in your IM name are alright; but sending emails, spamming the link in chat room/group IM conversations, and constantly nagging people to join will get you nowhere.
If someone sees a link to your site, or an ad about it on another site, they'll click on it if they're interested. Spamming your link to people will just annoy them and will make them less likely to check out your site.
Content
Some people find this one to be odd, but it can be the difference between someone joining or leaving. Far too often i visit new sites that have 50 pages/forums, 2 members, and 95% of the boards are empty. This looks really uninviting, and generally repels someone from your site.
It's best to start with the main portions of your site open, then focus on getting activity. Once your activity picks up, gradually bring out the other sections. This will also be good for advertising, since if you advertise a new feature being released, dedicated members will generally spread the word.
These are just some things to think about when creating a site to help you get your site on its feet.
Regards,
Marc
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