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Originally Posted by Interested Ump
Not trying to kill your dreams but the number of umpires online is a very small percentage (excluding the buying public). This forum has in a world of umpires a relative handful of posters and it would be deemd by all standards a success. There are a few quasi-forums, most runaways who have been TOSsed, have no day jobs and post about this forum. 
Either way, good luck again. |
Not exactly sure how to take this
The great thing about the internet is that its is unimaginably large and growing everyday. And nothing on the internet, to the best of my knowledge, is mutually exclusive nor collectively exhaustive. I personally cruise b/t 15-20 baseball/umpire sites a day and have for a few years. I even posted here under a different username until recently. Nothing other than my personal preferences (and my company's internet filter
)limit which sites I go to or participate in.
I am trying to offer something very different than most other sites. My focus is to be more than just a forum, I am really gearing for the ultimate interactive site for umpires. Some of my interactive features include:
- Forum
- Reviews - Where members can load and rate equipment, vendors and as of yesterday training & clinics. Share their thoughts on different things.
- Articles - As you've read. I create little articles as to what happens to spark my interest at the time. Members can not only make comments on these articles, but write their own. One person has already taken advantage of this. And I would welcome you, Interested Ump, to submit those of your own. I don't care if I disagree with you as long as its decently well written, germane, and not offensive.
- Links - An interactive link section where you can not only see what links I've posted, but post your own favorites. I really would like to get a comprehensive list of associations. As well as discover new sites to add to my daily surfing.
- Live chat - I am currently testing two live chat boards. One has voice capability. Look out for this in the next month or so.
- Blogs - I have a predetermined number of members in mind before adding blogs for members. Once I hit my magic number in terms of members I will start offering members their own blog hosted at my site where they can post their own experiences and control who views their blog everybody, nobody invited users, etc. I think this will be a nice feature.
- Classifieds/auctions - Very much like an Ebay where umpires(members) can sell their stuff to other members. This section is ready to go I'm just waiting on some legal advice.
As you can see I'm looking to offer something far different than what is out there currently. You've just inspired me to write a new article, thanks (should be out later today or tomorrow depending on how quickly I can knock out some work here at my regular job).
I am actually very pleased with the response I've received from my site thus far. Today is the 44th day my site is live and I am just shy of my 500th
unique visitor by IP address, 31 members, not to mention the numbers of return visitors. This has far exceeded my goals for this point in the game, but I've still got a long way to go.
For comparison purposes some research I did stated that the conversion rate (unique visitors to members) is <5% for sites in existance less than a year. I am just above 6%.
Do I want to be the next Officiating.com or Umpires Resource Center? No, I am looking to be more interactive. Do I want the traffic and membership levels they have? Absolutely. Is there anything preventing anybody from visiting one, two, all or no similar sites? No. Those who host forums or websites don't mind (generally) others promoting their sites. I have/had a very successful political site for a while (It's still going, I just tend it a lot less than I use to) which was essentially a glorified blog with limited interactivity and I openly solicited people to from other sites to mine and visa-versa with no problem either way because we're not competing for their money.
Before this thread came out to draw attention to my site I was planning on a Shamless Self Promotion Blitz. Very similar to what Rob Drake has successfully done. And I probably will still do, but I have a few bugs I'm still working out and want things to be just a little better cleaned up and just right before doing anything like that. Besides this is Rob's time and I don't want to step on his toes, so I'll probably continue to hang back as not to steal his spotlite.
I'll post here again and PM you personally when my latest idea for an article is posted.