The Elsmar Cove Web Site Visitor Statistics

[Marc]

Just as some 'Oh My' information, the visitors here have been trending as follows:

Longer term:

Weekends are pretty obviously low activity wise.

NOTE: This summary applies to the entire site - not just the forums.

Key:
Blue are 'Hits'
Green is bytes dowloaded
Red is the number of individual (different) visitors

[E Wall]

Now...how to find out why more aren't signing up for membership!

[Marc]

Well, here's another recent view (for the heck of it...):

Read http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/6.01/bronson_pr.html for some reasons why big siites fail. According to it my site should be long gone.

From: http://slashdot.org/askslashdot/01/11/30/078228.shtml

A Catch-22: how to initially draw people to a community when the a community itself is the selling point and your being drowned in information sea that the web has become? Many people take the popularity of 'people concentrators' for granted. Whole communities are developing, as they have done for thousands of years, on web logs and news sites via reader feedback. Unfortunately, not all sites are well traveled. (Side note: a lot of reseach has apperantly gone into this.) For instance, the special interest publication Dragon Spirit Magazine is closing their doors due to a lack rather than surfiet of viewers. Belfy Comics lists an entire section of online-only comics which are (for lack of a better term) abandoned by both viewer and creator. Probably the most powerful force obliterating free communication is neither fundamentalist nor jack-booted: it's obscurity.
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The Cove has been up so long because it is free and offers what I will call 'Truth'. People can say what they really want. And, of course, I have been willing to continue to fund it (admittedly I'm looking at ways to make it pay for its self, but that wasn't even an issue until about 1 year ago come February). The Cove has gained some popularity as it is really an 'alturnative' to the typical business sites where you're blasted with advertisements from every side, in pop-up-windows and other BS. Nor is there another consulting company (if you'll grant me that status) in the world where a forum is maintained for free and where people can speak the truth.

You may take this as a bit weird, but I think of the Cove site and Forums as a 1960's kind of outcast hangout. The dissenters speak here.

The bottom line is most people who come to the Cove forums do it because it's free information and - for the first 5 years - offered one heck of a lot of free files. And 99% of the visitors are not about to pay because - to a large degree - the internet is supposed to be free.

How to 'get people to 'join'? I'm open to suggestions... I will admit I have some ideas up my sleeve - but have not decided anything definite. One may be to cut off all visitors from the forums and charge a US$15 (or US$20 - some low figure - like subscribing to a magazine) a year fee to access the Forums. That will cut down traffic, however, and there are other negative impacts I forsee.

As of right now, the Forums are funded until the end of March 2002. We'll see what happens between now and then. I can save over US$5000 a year if I just shut the whole site down (not to mention my time which has become somewhat a more serious issue).

[Shannon]

Marc and everyone,

I love the Cove!
I've been visiting off and on now for several months, and have informed everyone I work with about the site.
I recently "jumped in" and became a member (today).

I would like to contribute to the ongoing success of the site.
I'm a little confused on exactly how to purchase your files, etc. I can seem to find a purchase page.
What is the best way to purchase these files, or make a contribution?

[db]

Shannon, welcome to the Cove. It is a wonderful place to learn and to teach. We expect both from you!

As far as payment, there is a green bar up top that reads:
"Support the Cove Fourms..." Click on there, and you will well be on your way. You are far better person than I. It took me about two months of participation before I finally put my pennies in the kitty!

[Marc]

Just as a tidbit - while I still don't sell many 'access memberships' to 'Members' or 'Premium', business has picked up quite a bit for me this year and I don't see any issues with funding the site for the next 6 months or more.

Not to say sales here aren't wanted, but the site does not depend upon sales as was, for a while, a serious issue to me (as some here well know).

To those reading this who have donated (I like that better than saying 'bought' - it's the liberal in me, I guess) - My thanks!

Anyway, I believe I'm leaving Miami tomorrow late and will be back in Cincinnati on Friday.

[Howard Atkins]

If you start charging for entrance I will take my custom elswhere.

Long live the 60's

Seeriously (sic) folks Marc has established a forum on quality that puts all other forums on this subject to shame.
Lets tell the other forums to stop and send their funding to Marc.

[M Greenaway]

Marc

Why dont you accept advertising, I think we have all learned to ignore banner ad's.