Spiced up site

[Anymi]

Without sounding slack to current users, because i love all of ya, but i reckon this site is slowly but surely dying.

We have great participation from some existing users but the thing is there is a lack of users.

When i started out here stacks of people were around, always someone online and alot more "events" were going down.

It is not that i expect that now but I was thinking of bringing back that idea that was shunned about advertising the site.

It was turned away due to people not wanting the soccerpulse effect, or they liked the community that was around then. Haha I was one of these guys who didnt want the advertisment. But now that the community is fading i think maybe some sort of advertisment or just a new spark could provide something.

The actual "community" section of the site is wicked, but now with no award system, no golaco, and about 25 regulars or semi regulars chilling in the forums i reckon we should have more regulars like we used to, and maybe something fresh to keep the forum running.

I remember NBP tryed to get a few things running which was intense. Unfortunately because of my study i couldnt contribute regualrly.

As for the rest of the site..well thats ancient. The Trainings good but the rest is dead. Its kind of sitting around.

I thought about it the other day. EFs a part of me, where I release my inner love of the game and some of my favourite things. If the site went kaput I wouldnt mind at first but Id feel it later on

Im going on at the moment like a nosy, corny dick and i apologise guys.

I just reckon if we collaborated something and some ideas to maybe injected some freshness into the site, hell even revolutionise it a bit, get a few more regulars and tidy it up I reckon this site would be as wicked as it was.

I just feel dullness looming over this site whenever i come back to it, no disrespect to users or mods, you are great guys. I think we could make the site pepped up again. Because to be fair we have new mods like a FA youth cup squad coming to play in the prem.

We also have new users coming in like the imported young guns from overseas and the experienced yet small amount of experienced solid players in the side.

That was cheesy, but i reckon we could spice the site up to an extent

[RoryBen]

Hey Anymi,

I'm totally a lurker on this site - I only very occassionally log in and actually post something. But I come on here and have a look most days to see if I can pick up some new tricks

As you mention the community is great but is experiencing a slow death. New people just aren't visiting the forums anymore - but, I imagine the best way to increase visitors to the forums would be to increase visitors to the main site itself.

I agree that the main site content is already good. However, some redesign would be great. For instance, embedding videos, instead of having to download them or stream them in WMP. Nowadays, people want instant access - you read about a technique, and watch an embedded video at the same time - This is basically what you guys do in the forums anyway, you describe something, then you upload a video to youtube. This is where EF falls at the wayside compared to somewhere like http://www.insidesoccer.com.

Is Expert the same guy who did all the original videos and the main website? Does anyone know where he went?

If someone had the time (and permissions) to revamp the main site, add some videos, tighten up the content, re-start up the "ask the expert" section etc, then I'm sure people would come. I mean, there are enough kids out there wanting to learn football that this could become the number 1 site out there...

[Anymi]

Sounds flippin awesome man.

I think this could be a group effort on the revamping. Experts gone for a while I personally dont think he will really come back, ive talked to him on Facebook and thats the impression i got. Hes a great guy to talk to but, so If you have FB i could give you his details.

The videos is a great point man. NBP and Iwannagopro are users that use videos to back up descriptions excellently. Some of their guides could complement whats already there in wmp.

Alot of the Mods that were around for ages kinda went at one stage really, bar 1 or 2. Its a new generation of Mods now so they are in charge at the moment whilst experts out.

But the most important thing is to have regular posters to make this site fruitful and a great mini community. The visitor idea sounds epic anyway. I think we should collaborate ideas on this thread man, and youve already started it.

Good to hear man, i hope you become a regular aye haha

[klc123]

I'm not saying I'm a football expert, but if the ask the expert part of the sight was brought back, to even the load of one person you could have many people answering, I would be prepared to answer questions people ask on there, and I'm sure many others would as well.

A revamp of the whole sight would be good, the information wouldn't even have to be that drastically changed, it might not even need changing at all because I think a lot of it is superb, just the way its displayed and accessed could be greatly improved to be more attractive and more user friendly.

Just for the record, I agree with advertising the website to get more forum users on the site.

[panchester07]

I actually thought the site was reviving lately...

People coming back, and the ones that are here are posting more and more.. But maybe thats just me..

We totally could come up with some ideas to revive the site, chatroom parties... Or some type of competition people LOVE competitions..

How about video contests in which people post videos of them doing particular skills and we compare..

Just throwing a few ideas out there..

[evo]

I check the site everyday and post where I feel like I can help. I agree something needs done, there used to be loads of posts everytime I logged on but recently I've been logging on just wishing of a new topic to read.

Maybe a re-design could be done. I've adminned other forum and experienced that when you get a new skin online the activity picked up because it feels fresh.

Also if there is a database of members, maybe just a mass emails to everyone saying "Hey, EF has a new skin". That will get people back.

[Hugh]

Without sounding slack to current users, because i love all of ya, but i reckon this site is slowly but surely dying.

Agreed. I miss Gnarly, IWGP, ajc and Rzad.

I think you're forgetting one thing though, world cup season is coming up, which means new fans and old fans looking to talk soccer, vamping up the south africa index a bit would help drive some more traffic here and some of it will stick.

Long story short I expect to see a lot more traffic during and after the world cup.

[2brown347]

I agree with a lot of what has been said but I also think the "community" isn't always the most inviting. Lets be honest "flaming" is common from most the regulars and repeated topics or ones that have similar prior post tend to be ignored or given a "look at this thread" then tossed aside.

If you look at any successful forum there are the core members, the sometimers, one timers, and lurkers. EF doesn't do too bad with the core members, one timers and lurkers, but we lack those a couple time a week posters really, and our core numbers could be better.

Not saying it can't be improved but it'll be more difficult than prettying up the site and a WC year.

[Hugh]

I agree with a lot of what has been said but I also think the "community" isn't always the most inviting. Lets be honest "flaming" is common from most the regulars and repeated topics or ones that have similar prior post tend to be ignored or given a "look at this thread" then tossed aside.

Stfu noob.

EDIT: Sorry after I posted this I realized it was a very lame joke and I thought I deleted it. Guess not.

[Anymi]

Without sounding slack to current users, because i love all of ya, but i reckon this site is slowly but surely dying.

Agreed. I miss Gnarly, IWGP, ajc and Rzad.

I think you're forgetting one thing though, world cup season is coming up, which means new fans and old fans looking to talk soccer, vamping up the south africa index a bit would help drive some more traffic here and some of it will stick.

Long story short I expect to see a lot more traffic during and after the world cup.

Totally man, World Cup may have an effect. I miss alot of those guys, dunno if they will be back but new people arent coming to much.

As klc said I dont think it needs an INSANE amount of work, but people are gonna look for the other sections besides community. I know i did. I just came across this part. The other sections are really faltering and I think if we got a group together to collaborate and write up infor about this or that we could get a few to compile and shove on the site. Im not a computers dude so i would have no idea how to do that, but I would write up the info for them and Im sure we could get a group to help out.

As for a new skin that usually spices up the site with a fresh new flavour

[Croatianblood1]

We should just straight up have a porn section. That should attract more people...

[klc123]

To be honest some of the better guides in the forums are of a high enough quality to be on ebay when you look at some of the other bulls**t on ebay... So some of them could definitely go into the main website, things like Newborns Ballstriking guide and so on would be really easy for everyone to access and would hopefully get more people coming onto the site who are googling things like "how to strike a football"

[Hugh]

I really don't think we need to change the site at all, the look and feel of it are pretty damn good in my book. Support for embedding videos would be pretty cool though.

I think however that you guys are underestimating how much work what you're describing would be, I am a computer guy and I can tell you right now that what you are talking about would require days if not weeks of work.

[panchester07]

I'm with hugh, I don't think their needs to be much change.. Maybe revive the applications it had, like KLC said the Q&A thing I would be glad to help as well, though I don't know sh*t about computers...

Count with me for everything, this might sound cheezy, but EF is so part of me, I think its another organ of my body...

[Ward9310]

We should just straight up have a porn section. That should attract more people...

Agreed