dailyByte

http://dailybyte.net

"An active online community with webmaster/graphics tutorials, discussions, help and free layouts."

Not a whole lot of free layouts yet, but I'm working on that. We used to be a link web site (like this), but I just recently changed our main goal to webmasters/graphics.

I had about 20,000 unique hits last month and have had the forums up for about 4 months now and yet I only have 37 users, most of which who have not participated what so ever in the community.

Clearly I am doing something wrong and I hope that you guys can point it out and help me resolve this error.

Thank you for your time.


Michael Schreifels

Well, it's a website in a box by invision, there isn't anything new about this content management system, and you have chosen the default colour scheme, which is rather bland but at the same time quaintly familiar.

A suggestion for recieving viewers/users, MORE CONTENT. The more you have the better, it stimulates people to question your content and become actively involved in the communities growth, and maybe even some content submission of thier own.

Well the base is Invision, yes, but I did modify its colors and images to better suit my color scheme. I suppose it is possible that I could re-do the entire color scheme of the web site and forums. Do you have any suggestions that would go well with my web site?

As far as content, I used to post like 5 news articles and web links every day, but that never helped. I post tutorials, free layouts, etc. I have instructions in those forums on how you can submit your own and get "forum credit" (which they can redeem for special prizes in the shop). I also have image contests and things. Photoshop contest had like 7 entries, which I was surprised at. Now I opened a Flash Animation Contest, I doubt I will get more than 2 on that.

What do you mean "question the content"?

I've tried adding new, fresh content, but I'm just out of ideas.

Please help! Thanks,

Michael

EDIT: And just another note on the color scheme thing. My color views:

RED - usually it turns out very unprofessional, or at least when I use it.
BLACK - studies have shown that it tires your eyes more quickly when reading light text off of a dark background.
GREEN - I really don't know how I could get that to work...

What I meant by "question the content" is people that ask for help with your tutorials and or discuss it's meaning(s) or further the subject entirely.

With respect to the colour scheme, I wasn't suggesting that you change it, I was however, mentioning that it was a little bland. BUT, it's also familiar, which is a good thing.

Yeah, well I try to get people to discuss the topics and things that I bring up, it just doesn't work very well...

And my tutorials are so good no one needs help, hehe, just kidding.

Well, i'm a webmaster nd if your site is aimed at webmasters then it hasnt really drawn me, firstly I didnt know what the page was about until i started randomly clicking the links to the left, then when I did find out I was a bit dissapointed by the tutorials, yes they are nice but I could never see myself using them. Just as a suggestion you need to try and liven it up a bit maybe as someone above said a more 'interesting' colour scheme if you look at my site ( http://www.GuitarAd.co.uk ) the white contrasts with the red, but if I was to make my site in the same sort of colour scheme but with red the white bits would turn pink and sort of all blend into one hard to read page. Hope this helps ive gabbered on a bit - oh yeah the links dissapear when I roll-over them in opera and the smilies don't work on this forum in Opera make sure your's do!!

Jack.

http://www.GuitarAd.co.uk

Did you bother to read the first article on the first page with a description of the web site..?



Well, two are PHP scripts, one explains why newbies should go by W3C standards, one explains about Google search engines and the last one explains what favicons are and how you use them.



Well like I said above, I don't have any other ideas for color schemes...



I don't understand why the links would dissapear in Opera...

And what about the smilies? Do they work or not..?

Thanks,

Michael

Well, to say that I didnt read the first page and I guess other visitors who come to the website wont either, yes I saw what the scripts were but they didnt interest me as they might not other webmasters, colour schemes just be a bit more bold the colours seem to merge and is hard on the eyes, the links just dissapear in Opera dont know why, the smilies I cant test due to me not registering.