Signs 101 Business Model

[47CP]

Fred,

This is a much longer opinion than I have earned the right to post. After all, I am mostly a lurker/user of this site and haven't given much back. So feel free to ignore...

BTW - I would probably still pay to post/read here if it came down to that.

Anyway, I think a pay site would kill the site in general. Free is pretty successful so far.

Don't take this as a complaint, but I do think S101 could use a good cleaning up and many members need either temporary bans to think about their posts or they just need outright banning.

It also needs a pretty good enforcement on SEARCHING. There is no reason to have a new thread 4 times a week for what kind of plotter to buy or what vinyl. If the overarching guideline of the forum is to search first and post later, the members themselves can police this by politely, yet firmly reminding newbies to search first. This will overall raise the quality of the forum as the ones too lazy to search won't get spoon fed the info they desire and will leave.

I realize that this will take more moderators and more work from you and recognize that is the problem you are trying to solve, not add more work. But I really do think that this approach would raise the quality of the forum, and eventually lower the workload and frustration for the site owner.

All IMO, etc.

DaveW

 

[Rick]

Well, being a former moderator of a very large design forum.. it is a thankless job and no amount of compensation would have been enough to endure the few trouble makers me and the other mods had to deal with. I quit it, became a regular member and found a new joy in not knowing the underbelly of that forum. You are dealing with things not seen by all of us, if it's time to call it a day, call it a day, you made the forum successful, but if it takes that much from you maybe you can hand it of to a fresh capable person. You have so much experience in this business that you should be enjoying this... I gotta tell you, after my experience I would not do it, being here since the begining and seeing the growth, I do appreciate all the effort you have done here.

 

[DARLAK]

temporary bans=nazism

47 - stop lurking and get on with your badself - we'd love to here from you....

intelligent, well spoken = err typed post]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

 

[DARLAK]

fresh capable person=darlak



oh.... what fun we'd have.....

 

[dclet]

signs201

lol that is going to be interesting....

whatever you do... phpbb3 please!

 

[EnergyDesign]

Fred--

I am willing to pay for the site not only for the education, but also the brotherhood. While a few posters here do nothing but mock other posters, a majority I hope are contributing useful information. I do however think once the "report this post" button has been hit more than a few times for ligitmate reasons, ban the person.

You should also be compensated somehow for your time. If it takes more moderators, or even "pay for" features such as editing a post, posting pictures, or receiving pm's. These are all added value items that could produce some type of revenue. I am a member of another forum which charges for these type of privelages. Maybe that is an option?

Also, if you go the pay route, look at lower prices. Maybe 10.00 per month or so. There are many members who maybe cannot or will not spend 50-100.00. But with 500 members, plus merchants, you could bring in quite a bit....

 

[mgieske]

I vote to pay.

Do a search for other industrial "insider" sites & you'll likely not find one that regularly "spills the beans" like this site. No offense Fred, we all learn alot & applaud your efforts, but also don't want our customers learning about published wholesale rates, etc.

How many members hold back on truly valuable info in fear of your clients being on the receiving end? Would you place a sign in front of your facility displaying your margins?

 

[DARLAK]

look at lower prices. Maybe 10.00 per month or so

that's $20 more per year than fred's highest suggestion...

here we go - another monthly bill....

How many members hold back on truly valuable info in fear of your clients being on the receiving end? Would you place a sign in front of your facility displaying your margins?

is it the members here spilling the beans or the paying merchant members...

maybe if the mod's were watching that aspect instead of worring about all the inane self indulgent posts it wouldn't attract the dreaded client-google-find out my prices factor.....

 

[R08]

Fred,

My wife and I have been in business for 2 years now and have not been active or maybe I should say participating members on your site. I cruise it all the time to learn how to do better what we love to do (signs).

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Cough Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
hack Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

If you start charging I'm for one gone. And that may not mean much to you but it probably would mean a lot to Merrit, Killer Graphics and the
D3G

That's exactly our point. If we pay then we are not as beholden to advertisers.

But D3G you sound selfish.
You take take take, take, cough, take (sorry I have a cold) and you don't give back and now you want it all you way.

 

[DARLAK]

beholden to advertisers.

What? beholden???

yea, like there beholden us down....

let us rise from the oppressors of the advertisers...

i don't know about you, but i made some sweet deals using the MM's here that have been extremely profitable....

 

[SignosaurusRex]

What? beholden???

yea, like there beholden us down....

let us rise from the oppressors of the advertisers...

i don't know about you, but i made some sweet deals using the MM's here that have been extremely profitable....

Good! Then you should Shut-up or Put-up........"Red Chicklit Master"

 

[gators2001]

Don't understand what youre saying about changing business plan. not having as many advertisers as the advertisers are advertising to us not the general public we would still be here. I don't like the idea of a paysite but i do like the idea of not letting non members roaming around here. I have learned some stuff on here hope I have taught some stuff to. What I don't like is all the smart tails that down everyone that has a honest question. Whether we want to admit it or not we were all newbies once. When i started working in this business I didn't even know what a ballast in a sign was. Thank god the man who taught me was not like some on here.

 

[weaselboogie]

Like others said, I think if it were a pay site especially from the beginning, there would be a huge drop in new members.

My only suggestion would be a 3 or 6 months for free and then pay after that. The ol' hook.

If I was to pay $50-$100 to be a member, and had to pay to put up with the likes of Flame, Old Paint, and some of the others, I would quickly let everybody I know that it was the worst money ever spent, and would recommend that nobody else made the same mistake I did.

I can't believe you of all people are dropping this load of bull. Aren't you the 12 year old with the chip on his shoulder?

 

[R08]

What? beholden???

yea, like there beholden us down....

let us rise from the oppressors of the advertisers...

i don't know about you, but i made some sweet deals using the MM's here that have been extremely profitable....

Well, beholden us over a barrel. As in scared of some yellow bellied coward holdin us over a barrel if he don't get his way.

But I like advertisers... heck I'm in the advertising business... so i take back that part.:Oops:

 

[skyhigh]

Why not have both.........Signs 101 and Signs 201...........The latter for the professional and have it on a pay to view site.........

Isn't that basically what the "CM forum" is allready? Its just not called 201... and it dosen't do well at all.


I was definately leaning towards the "paid' option....now I just don't know. Maybe it would be the beginning of the end, being there is no middle ground, as Fred mentioned.... its one way or the other.

No easy answers, for sure.

 

[Steve C.]

Whatever is right for you, Fred. I like it the way it is, but I know it must
take its toll. I'm sure that what you take in from ads and merchant members
is not nearly enough to compensate. I would remain a member even if you
cut out the Merchant members.

 

[Grafix USA]

I am a member of a totally unrelated forum and they have premium membership that allows access to exclusive forum sections. This seems to work well because you can still get the traffic you want for advertisers while giving those that want to pay a premium a place of their own to go and have discussions that aren't available to the general public or non-paying members.

I think this gives you the best of both worlds without drastically reducing your member #'s and ad revenues.

 

[cartoad]

Fred,
After reading all this I think that weaselboogie's suggestion of a limited time for free should bear consideration. If possible during the trial/free access membership limit some of the threads. After becoming a paid member full access. Merchant Members could have a banner on the opening page, as well as thru out the forem as they now do. This would serve them to get traffic to their sites and would continue the service aspect of it
As for me I enjoy reading this, and have done business with some of the merchant members because I had a chance to learn something about them. I also have had a chance to meet, some other sign shop owners in different locations that I would never had a chance to meet otherwise.
Just my 2 cents
Good luck on your making your decision,
Hal

 

[Westcoast Sign Guy]

Forums are definetley not a way to become rich or obtain a livable income. I started out with a gaming forum and gave that up, now just a member. If you're making a $1 an hour for your time consider yourself lucky.

My forum is electrical sign based and it's not exactly a growing industry it's very finite, 5000 legitimate maybe across the nation. My costs are getting covered barely, but I'm doing it knowing it won't ever be my retirement. I do it because I genuinely love my trade and it's my hobby 1st.

There is so much political garbage going on with the electric sign industry that there is no where else to get the full garb. You can't get the honest truth from trade magazines or sign associations, they are easily swayed with money and it's reflected in their articles. So I as well as a bunch of others have taken it upon ourselves to bring it all forthright and to the forefront, reputations on the line and all.

For all the good it does people reading, it isn't exactly earning me a trip to Hawaii, much less a nice dinner. Yes, too much time I put in, but again, I do it because it's my hobby and my passion first.



I think if anyone who holds a sign forum and looking to make money then you're going to have to rely on nubs for paid subscriptions, that will justify time spent and satisfy merchants with traffic at the same time generate more merchants. But at the same time it will "water down" the forum and piss off the "Old Timers" who truly create the content.

In my mind when I come here I'd rather it be experiencedsignmakers101.com and keep the content solid. But, then this board better be your hobby too.

Here's a good suggestion to make money on the board

*EDITED OUT* Maybe not good for all to see

I'm full of more ideas, but I'm running on one cylinder at this point with the lack of sleep department. PM me if you want more.

You also don't want more mods, look at SF, problems across the board with that

 

[Cadmn]

if the mms were only after the wholesale side of the business then the traffic wouldn't be a big issue as it shouldn't be but many of the mm's here also sell retail & to Anyone as has been previously presented in some of the heated threads.Am I correct in understanding that the NHB forum is not displayed to everyone the looks in here ? if so why not other forums set that way but let the newbs only see certain stuff.I know forums where you have to be certified to see half of the posts. most forums I belong too have 10+ modstherefore spreading out the work load . the boat incident is only 1 known incident How many just came here grabbed a mm banner & bought wholesale we may never know. there was the customer bringing in printout of wholesaler pricing to a shop.not sure the answer is on here.