Add-On Releases - Limited Guest Viewing -- Improve community registration rates

Note: This addon works with the 3.6.x series only. Click Here for the 3.7.0 version of this addon.

With vBulletin, forum guests are able to view endless amounts of content without being directly asked or forced to register no matter how many times they come back. The purpose of the Limited Guest Viewing System is to drive in registrations by limiting the number of threads guests are able to view without interruption.

This plugin offers two options which can be used to drive in more registrations. The first option allows you to show a reminder message or advertisement after a guest has viewed a certain number of threads. The second option puts up a roadblock stopping guests from viewing threads altogether after reaching a certain number of views. Both options work together to encourage and ultimately force anonymous visitors to either register or login but can also be used separately based on your individual needs.

Because this plugin uses cookies, few if any bots will be impacted when it comes to spidering your site.

Modifications/ Instructions:
Template edits: 1
Plugins: 1 (adds 1 template and several settings)

This template hack should take under 5 minutes to implement and customize.

Customizing the content / messages
To customize which messages appear or what they say, go to vBulletin options, select the ?Limited Guest Viewing System? group and configure the options as desired. Each phase can be modified by adding translation text.

Through the ACP you can enable or disable each option, specify the number of threads that can be viewed before the option is enabled and input any forums you wish to exclude from being blocked.

About spiders/bots
This plugin works by setting a cookie to track the number of visits from a particular user. As bots do not tend to accept cookies, they should not be blocked. To further insure there is no spider accessibility issues, there script identifies major bots (google, yahoo, msn, aol) and explicitly lets them through -- you can easily add to this list by editing the plugin code should you so desire, however, unless a bot starts taking cookies this should not be necessary.


Welcome headers compatibility
The Limited Guest Viewing is designed to work with the Welcome Headers system without any conflict. To insure that welcome header messages do not show up at the same time as the limited guest viewing message, please be sure you are running welcome headers version 4.1.3 or greater (released 11/19).

Updates
5/9/2008 - Released update to prevent installs on 3.7 boards.
2/18/2007 - Minor update to fix register link. Updates optional.
11/20/2006 - Minor update released to fix error with links in some messaging. Updates recommended.

[SCRIPT3R]

Update... yup, works perfectly now - thnx again.

[chick]

Running great for me. Thank you much

[extreme-mobile]

brilliant idea, as long as it doesnt block the bots aswell this is great

will install when i get home

[burntire]

Nice Mod
Installed

[mtlcore]

Did this mod affect any of you with SEO?

[StarBuG]

SWEET

That is a totally great Idea.

/me clicks install

[melbo]

Originally Posted by Ted S

Be sure you have the variable $lgvmessage in your header or navbar template.

Also, the systems are designed such that if you have both hacks on, the welcome header message will not show on posts and since the register take over message appears in the same format as the welcome header message, it is easy to confuse the two.

Can you explain $lgvmessage for me?
I ran with WH for some time now with no problems and am also not getting the Take Over after 5 views....

THanks

[sportsoutlaw]

Originally Posted by mtlcore

Did this mod affect any of you with SEO?

Not at all. Spiders can still index your site just fine. I monitor my forum regularly and the spiders are never blocked by this.

All this mod has done is improve my registrations from 4-6 per day, up to 12-16 per day.

[sportsoutlaw]

Originally Posted by melbo

Can you explain $lgvmessage for me?
I ran with WH for some time now with no problems and am also not getting the Take Over after 5 views....

THanks

If you are running welcome headers, you have to use the variable $welcomeheaders. Just place the variable $lgvmessage in the same place, either in your header or navbard, depending on how you have it set up.

Like this, wherever you have your welcome header variable.

$welcomeheaders
$lgvmessage

If you have that variable in place, and have this mod enbabled, you should be seeing the message come up in showthread after the number of views you specified in admincp.

[melbo]

Thanks. I failed to follow step 3 in the instructions......
Working now.