[Princeton]

The portal and the forum index are the most visited pages (in that order) here on vborg.

With that said, I agree that the portal needs a major overhaul ... I'm one that believes that a "portal" if utilized correctly can help convert visitors.

I will never say that the current setup sucks but it can be improved.

For example, the main focus on portal is vbulletin.com's news. Should this be our main focus? It's just a guess but I believe that most of our readers (99.9%) visit vbulletin.com or receive these announcements via email from them. (what a waste of valuable real-estate)

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying lets get rid of it.
All I'm saying is that we should place our focus on the community.

For example, we can help our visitors find what they want while helping members/service providers stand out by showcasing great articles and modifications.

Let me clarify what I mean...

Articles

All of our visitors want to learn. Emphasizing great articles on portal will help the visitor "take action". In many instances, the reader doesn't even know what they want to learn until it's in their face. Teach them and you will see an increase in your following.

We do not allow advertising but this is a great way for service providers to "promote*" their brand. The more positive the exposure the better it is for you.

Modifications

All of our visitors are in search of modifications. Emphasizing modifications on portal will help our visitors find great modifications and place focus on the modification and the coder. Release great modifications and you will see an increase in your following.

We do not allow advertising but this is a great way for service providers to "promote*" their brand. The more positive the exposure the better it is for you.


Do you see what I'm getting at?

We have different agendas but it CAN work for everyone.


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There are 4 admins here which means that any change or ideas take 4 times as long to get to the next step. How many of you ever worked in such an environment?

It sucks - yes, I said it.

But, I will say that it's needed on a "volunteer forum".

If it was up to any ONE admin - the site would be different.


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* For those wondering, promoting your brand is not the same thing as promoting your products/services. If you can set a positive light on your brand (entity), readers will value you more.