Some suggestions- My thoughts

[08micsta]

Hello guys

I apologise if this is in the wrong section. I didnt see any "forum suggestions" section and normal users cant post in the forum news section.

Just a few ideas I was playing around with which might make the forum a little more user-friendly.

Please try understand that I am not flaming. But simply making suggestion as I have seen done on the many other forums Im on.

Here we go:

1. The forum banner- The BMW is awesome. I like it... But its huge... The banner alone means that everytime you click a link your pc needs to download about 700kb before even loading the page... Thats a lot. Thats close to a MB.... This slows things down big time. If you want I can using the BMW theme or maybe change it and come up with something smaller that will load quicker and wont take up a full screen.

On the same note the actual site name cant be seen. The colour contrasts are not very strong and on some computers you just see this huge picture. Once again. I would gladly come up with something a bit more eye friendly.

2. This as far as I know is quite a big job.... The colour scheme.... We launched a forum last year and the colour scheme was red and black... The first thing people noticed were how much more welcoming the theme was. many people complimented it compared to the old site. Maybe we should do a small change? Go with a warm colour and some nice contrasts. Once again. Its merely a suggestion. I dont mind the forum the way it is but just relaying my thoughts.

3. Avertising. The only reason I ran into this forum was because Carn invited me to join. I didnt even know it existed.

So heres the idea. Lets get the name out there.

- Add a "refferal" option. That way we can chat to people on other forums and they can click the refferal link as supplied by us and join up. Its not important that all our members be South African. Get the name out there no matter what.

- Lets get some shows running. We have a hugee amount of companies out there that are willing to have us do demo's. Whilst researchin for Liqui Moly and getting people who will write recommendations and almost everyone is willing. We need to get together as groups and do some detailing. Ask Blooms for a car and do a detail on the show room floor with banners and such. Get the attention and get people to register. Besides just that there will be more orders as people see the brands and are introduced to Detailing.

4. Create a homepage. Now Im not so sure on this one as to be honest I have not seen a webpage for us yet but if we do already have one I apologise... Most forums take you to a homepage. Then from there you enter the forum. Something simple like this:

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk

In there we can have news, details and such. We can have benefits of detailing and other info which will captivate and interest a new member. So far all a new member see's is the forum on google. Then he sees the forum index which took quite a while to load on his slowish net connection.... It doesnt really attract people if you know what I mean

I had a few other ideas but cant really think of them at the moment. Once again. Not flaming. Just suggesting. We currently have something like 150 members of which only about 15 actually communicate. Lets try get that to 300 members, and 50 members that openly communicate within two months. I think its attainable.

What do you guys think?

What other suggestions do you guys have? This forum in my eyes has huge potential and I reckon we should really get it out there.

Please do realise. Im not trying to be the boss man around here. Thats Don's job but I would also like to have a forum that is SA based that is bursting with more info and more members and more awesome write ups. This is why Im making the suggestions.

I look forward to hearing everyones opinions on this.

Mike

[Carn]

You not alone Mike

Many of the items you mention (colours, banner and homepage) have already been noted in prior discussions with Don and some suggestions were thrown around. I am sure Don is as keen as you are to improving the forum so keep the suggestions coming

There are enough of us on here with the necessary skills to get it all done, Donie boy just needs to give us the go ahead

[08micsta]

Hello Carn

I have been registered on here for a while now and it still seems to be the same guys... No new guys.

I have learnt that marketing is the key. We have a samples section. we should be using those samples at places like Jaguar, bloomsbury, BMW V&A and other dealerships. A busier forum means that your online stores are busier. Everyone score. Im hoping to add my name to the list of forum sponsors once the LM range gets going which is another reason why i want to push it. Im being rather honest here

I look forward to Don's comments. If you guys need help give me a shout. Im more than happy to help.

Mike

---

Some other thoughts:

1. A "show unread posts" or "show new replies" button. Its so much easier than having to track down the threads you replied in or have not seen yet.

2. Is there a way to show wether a contact is online? Some forums have a "offline/online" dot or changes the name of the user if they are online. I may be blind but I dont see this here.... It would be helpful as now Im wondering wether Carn is online still to reply or if he is gone for supper

3. Just a personal question... I did read the rules... But am I allowed to post a sig? It will be in no way affiliated to Liqui Moly. Just a sig I have on the other forums?

Got some more thoughts but forgotten them agin... lol

Mike

---

And another.....

The timing of replies.... When I reply I get:

"You have just replied to *** thread. Please wait thirty, twenty nine bla bla second before posting again."

Can we please kill that or extend it?

Mike

* I must sound like such a grumpy old man and Im only 18 *

[calypso]

The forum colours are based on my curtains, if you wanna change the colours it means you need to get me new curtains.
For you posts i think your looking for the 'View New Posts' link on the top left.
Another thing that has been thrown around instead of a start page is a forum activity page similar to DW's. You can just add a switch to the url to force it to do that, but i cant remember it right now.

[Carn]

We have had new registrations but as you said, it's still the usual guys posting the majority of the time. I think as the local community grows it will improve but visibility is key to growth for the online community for sure

(22-02-2009 07:15 PM)08micsta Wrote:  1. A "show unread posts" or "show new replies" button. Its so much easier than having to track down the threads you replied in or have not seen yet.

2. Is there a way to show wether a contact is online? Some forums have a "offline/online" dot or changes the name of the user if they are online. I may be blind but I dont see this here.... It would be helpful as now Im wondering wether Carn is online still to reply or if he is gone for supper

3. Just a personal question... I did read the rules... But am I allowed to post a sig? It will be in no way affiliated to Liqui Moly. Just a sig I have on the other forums?

1.) I just click the View Today's Posts buttons. It shows me all the threads since my last login whether there was activity or not. The New Post's button should show all the new posts since your last visit but I haven't used it yet

2.) I can see who is online at the bottom of the forum, might only be currently enabled for Admins/Moderators but I am sure Don can answer that one

3.) Sure a sig is no hassle but check with 'The Don'. I don't see a problem providing it's kept small to save load time's within threads and it doesn't contain any advertising until you become a forum sponsor

Oh, and I agree, please kill the wait screen if possible Don


@ Calypso, I'm gonna buy you pink 'Barbie' curtains just as soon as I convince Don to change the forum colours

[calypso]

Thats fine as long as it comes with the Barbie girl.

[freerider]

I've passed the buck and left this in the more than capable hands of the Carn meister

I have about as much creative talent as a brick

[whattingh]

For promotion we can maybe get stickers... Personally not a fan of bumper stickers but a neat sticker in the middle on the back window I can live with.

[freerider]

ok so whattingh has volunteered to have his car wrapped

I have a very stylish looking smartwax sticker on the rear window of my 320, I think it looks nice.

[Woodie]

(22-02-2009 08:51 PM)Carn Wrote:  @ Calypso, I'm gonna buy you pink 'Barbie' curtains just as soon as I convince Don to change the forum colours

My daughter has some spare Barbie curtains which I can send down to Calypso. I might even be able to throw in a matching duvet set.

[08micsta]

Hello guys

Sounds good so far. So:

Who are the Cape Town boys here? Own up. We need to decide on a date. We can do a detail for a showroom like blooms and get some publicity. We must decide on a date and I will do the rest.

I cant find the new posts thing... Anyone got a map? GPS maybe? lol

Promotions. Stickers sound good.... But... As detailers do we really want cars to have stickers?? Maybe a air freshener? Key rings? Something stylish.

Any other thoughts? Lets get the ball rollin gents.

Mike

[freerider]

(23-02-2009 12:00 PM)08micsta Wrote:  Hello guys

Sounds good so far. So:

Who are the Cape Town boys here? Own up. We need to decide on a date. We can do a detail for a showroom like blooms and get some publicity. We must decide on a date and I will do the rest.

I cant find the new posts thing... Anyone got a map? GPS maybe? lol

Promotions. Stickers sound good.... But... As detailers do we really want cars to have stickers?? Maybe a air freshener? Key rings? Something stylish.

Any other thoughts? Lets get the ball rollin gents.

Mike

here ya go, circled in red

[08micsta]

Oh right.... I see...

Thanks Don!

[Carn]

Air Fresheners and key rings aren't exactly visible advertising to fellow motorists as stickers are but a nice idea nontheless. A small classy sticker (vinyl cut out like I had made for the VW Club) is terrific.

The stickers I had made, red on my GTI and blue on a buddy's Polo