Retaining new members

[Nixt]

HabboxLive then, is obviously an excellent source of members. Perhaps we could make a HxF jingle that could be played by DJs on HabboxLive and DJs could also mention the Forum where possible just in attempts to attract members? I don't know to what extent this might be done already as I never listen but yeerrrr.

[Immenseman]

Good thread, backed with statistics. Now we know it's an issue it's the hardest job of all, determining how to resolve it. It's not going to be easy, no practical solutions spring to mind. All ideas are probably going to be backed by some and opposed by just as many. However, I can't stress enough that management are going to have to take risks to aid the situation.

I would suggest taking the post approval away completely. I know I said it should be reduced to 5 only a few days ago and it was done. Maybe that will suffice. The thing is when there was no post approval on your first few posts there wasn't an issue with retaining new members. Maybe now this has been altered it will come better. I have no proof this has an influence - just a thought. A well educated guess so to speak. We have a moderation team to deal with spam bots and inappropriate posts. It was never a huge issue before. They were dealt with then they posted ~ they could be again.

Referral competitions. This could be quite annoying though. Maybe the top 5 people who get the most people to sign up over a one month period can with a month of VIP or something like that. I know other forums do that and it can be successful. As Grig above me highlighted it can make quite a difference ~ if this was done over a 1 month or even a couple of weeks period then you'd see an influx of new users. Whether they stay or not is another thing. I know this doesn't totally counter the issue but say 100 people sign up a month (for arguments sake). Doubling or even tripling this will surely see that more people will stay. It's a quantity thing. If 100 people start the marathon maybe only 60 will finish. If 1000 people start maybe 600 will finish. Another downside is that they won't be signing up because they like the forum but more because their friend told them too - in the hope they'd win the VIP. Could be worth a shot though.

That's just two ideas I can think of. I'm sure there are more. I know both of them have their downsides. However, if it's going to see more new users staying around then it could easily be argued that the positives out weigh the negatives.

[Nixt]

I agree with you, Jake, on the removal of the post approval system. People will inevitably argue that it's a very useful tool that has prevent spam bots but I don't think they're actually that common and we had coped for ages before without the post approval system despite the fact that it had been available for a while.

I am not sure about referral competitions. My experience on them is limited but where I do have experience I remember people cheating the system in an attempt to win the competitions. Certainly something that could be considered though!

[Robbie]

HabboxLive then, is obviously an excellent source of members. Perhaps we could make a HxF jingle that could be played by DJs on HabboxLive and DJs could also mention the Forum where possible just in attempts to attract members? I don't know to what extent this might be done already as I never listen but yeerrrr.

I've already suggested this to Matt, nvr and Catzsy in a PM, along with some other ideas - no replies though yet. Well, Rosie is away and Matt thanked me on MSN

[FlyingJesus]

The negativity in the Habbo related forums could be an issue with older members tending to take the piss out of others because of things like addiction, taking it too seriously and needing to get a life. It's mainly the people who no longer play Habbo going into the Habbo related forums to jeer at these people.

I entirely agree. I don't go on the hotel any more and so I hardly see anything of the Habbo section here but when I do it seems to be a large amount of people telling others how sad they are for caring about it and generally being unpleasant. We've all been there and all at some point cared about what happens on there so it really is unnecessary, and as Habbo is our main source of members I can totally see why that section needs an attitude overhaul if it can be done

Just to clarify on the issue of the 13th of October was a challenge for the HabboxLive team to get referals

it is difficult to say why they sign up and don't stay in the first place

Might be because as you said, it was just for referrals

I would suggest taking the post approval away completely. I know I said it should be reduced to 5 only a few days ago and it was done. Maybe that will suffice. The thing is when there was no post approval on your first few posts there wasn't an issue with retaining new members. Maybe now this has been altered it will come better. I have no proof this has an influence - just a thought. A well educated guess so to speak. We have a moderation team to deal with spam bots and inappropriate posts. It was never a huge issue before. They were dealt with then they posted ~ they could be again.

Having never had to make an entirely new account and go through the post approval process I can't really say how it affects a user, but if it really does take as long as some people say then I can see why this might be a good idea. I've always thought that only one approval is needed anyway (as opposed to 10, now 5) as it's obvious from that post if someone's a spambot or not. I can't honestly say how much of a problem for moderation the spambots were in the past as I was never part of the team but really I saw maybe 10 a day max which is far less than how many approvals are needed, so changing or removing that system may be a good start

Referral competitions. This could be quite annoying though. Maybe the top 5 people who get the most people to sign up over a one month period can with a month of VIP or something like that. I know other forums do that and it can be successful. As Grig above me highlighted it can make quite a difference ~ if this was done over a 1 month or even a couple of weeks period then you'd see an influx of new users. Whether they stay or not is another thing. I know this doesn't totally counter the issue but say 100 people sign up a month (for arguments sake). Doubling or even tripling this will surely see that more people will stay. It's a quantity thing. If 100 people start the marathon maybe only 60 will finish. If 1000 people start maybe 600 will finish. Another downside is that they won't be signing up because they like the forum but more because their friend told them too - in the hope they'd win the VIP. Could be worth a shot though.

Referral competitions would only really increase the number of new members I'd say, with hardly any sticking around. It makes sense that more members = more posts but from the charts in the first post it looks like that's a minimal correlation if any. My figures from the member's list might not be entirely accurate as nvr's shown but when such tiny percentages are becoming anything close to what we could call active the boost in membership would have to be collossal to make a real difference to actual posting. Worth a try perhaps if only for something to do but (and I can of course be wrong) I can't see it being the best way, let alone a long term solution

[Grig]

Even with referal competitions etc. it doesn't solve the fundamental problem which is the fact that they do not stay. Sure, they sign up take a look around and probably forget its existance after as while. Many of the forums active members from when I could probably go to the fact or observation being a more accurate word (tell me if I'm wrong here) that many more people were signing up in past years. Though as all these people age and many grow out of Habbox and leave there is a sort of a hole left to fill, and not many newer members are taking as much of a proactive role posting around the forums.

[AgnesIO]

http://www.habboxforum.com/showthrea...61#post6104261

Perfect example why new members leave.

Member with 3 posts makes a thread (just a fun thread) - one member straight away effectively bullies him - that is why members leave - because of other idiots.

[Jordy]

http://www.habboxforum.com/showthrea...61#post6104261

Perfect example why new members leave.

Member with 3 posts makes a thread (just a fun thread) - one member straight away effectively bullies him - that is why members leave - because of other idiots.

Yeah exactly, not only do they rip on him straight away they go hideously off topic and turn it into a rather personal argument.

Another suggestion might be to play around with the forum settings. For example when Guests view more than 5 threads it should force them to sign up if they wish to continue browsing, things like that.

As for referals, although they won't all continue using the forum, if just 5% of referred people began using the forum it's something.

[FlyingJesus]

http://www.habboxforum.com/showthrea...61#post6104261

Perfect example why new members leave.

Member with 3 posts makes a thread (just a fun thread) - one member straight away effectively bullies him - that is why members leave - because of other idiots.

Agreed, some people just can't wait to have a go (and some apparently can't wait to carry it on into an argument despite being staff..) and it's really just not needed. I'm all for a bit of bullying because I honestly think it helps create a sense of true community but I'm selective in who I go for rather than any and all. Guy joined just this month, he can't have already done anything to warrant such behaviour against him

Another suggestion might be to play around with the forum settings. For example when Guests view more than 5 threads it should force them to sign up if they wish to continue browsing, things like that.

This is what I was arguing against in the other thread (by Wolves, I think) basically forcing the many guests we have to join, who mostly come here just to read news and such I believe, is entirely likely to make a large number to just not bother, and so we lose not only potential future members (many many people browse for a long time before actually signing up) but also the traffic generated from them being here just for a few members who statistically are unlikely to become active

[The Professor]

If the post approval process is still taking ages, why not have someone who's job it is to approve posts? I seem to remember when Ostinato was doing it it worked pretty well!