Help on Activity

Hey there! I'm Delaware, from the Warriors Forest; you posted an affiliate request today, and also asked for some advice about gaining and keeping activity. I can't promise anything I'm going to say will help, but I do know what has and what hasn't worked for me. Your call on what you want to do with it - it's just good to put it out there, since you asked! 8)

1. Focus on gaining a loyal member base, even if it's small. If you can't get loyal and dedicated members, even as few as four or five, then you'll never attract others who don't want to stay - people are looking for commitment that's already there, and nothing says commitment like members who have been there for a while and don't have any plans on leaving. You're looking for those one or two people who have the time and energy to become dedicated, not the people who merely like what they see and stay for a while.

2. Even if you feel disheartened, log in everyday, post if you can, advertise, affiliate. Make sure your c-box is active and any guest who posts is answered immediately, or as soon as you log in again. People look for that responsiveness and friendliness, and fast turn-around times always work in your favor.

3. At least at the beginning, stick with layouts that are simple and appealing rather than complex. You're going for readability and a nice contrast. You have the idea already - your layout is fantastic - but it is hard to read, especially so because you haven't dimmed the whiteness down at all. That blinds the eye, especially on high res or large screens, and overwhelms the page, turning people away because of the uncomfortable contrast.

4. Don't put all your hope in advertising. After a certain point, sit back and let things happen. Affiliates are good to try and maintain; people are more attracted to graphics, especially if they're on the main page, rather than an ad that only shows up temporarily in the recent posts.

5. Don't make a blatant or desperate effort to retain people; don't pressure them, ever, to stay. That makes you come off rude and controlling, and not sensitive to whatever might be happening in that person's life. People are more attracted to that acceptingness rather than control, especially because this is, quite blatantly, entertainment - they're making a choice to be here they can retract just as fast.

6. Start with people or friends you know, in real life or online. It might seem weird to say "hey, you want to join this site I just made?" but I promise, it will eventually pay off in some kind of way; even if they don't join, they might tell their friends, and so on. The fastest and best loyal member bases are built like this, especially now, when there are so many websites catering to the exact same thing. After that, it's all about creating an environment where people want to stay.

It's going to require a lot of sacrifice and hard work, but essentially, it all boils down to if you don't give up on the site in some way, then it will take off. But overkill is what's required at first, and that's what you have to be prepared to give. Pay attention to the workings of your site even more than you advertise; make yourself a constant and accessible presence. For a while, until it gets off the ground, make it a priority. The dedication to starting a site is impressive, but the dedication to maintaining it is far, far more. And if you give that dedication, and people can see it and benefit from it, you will eventually attract members, no matter how long it may take.

You've got a really lovely site here; I hope some of this helped in some way. Feel free to ask me any questions on Warriors Forest or anything like that! I'll get back to you pretty quickly, and I'd be happy to clarify or expand on something if you want me to. Best of luck with everything - I know you can make it, just don't ever let yourself give up if you really care about it, even when it's a physical effort to log in and check the site (and it sometimes will be). The feeling passes, I promise.

And by the way - affiliate accepted! Thanks for affiliating with us <3
Delle