Help with building a forum based on a mid-traffic niche site

[John_Wick]

Hi guys,

I have been running in circles and postponing the difficult task of building a forum on an existing directory site these days. So, trying my luck to see if I can tap into the power of FastLane thinking and organize my thoughts here...

My question: how to turn a yellow page-like site into a Yelp-like platform?

Some quick context
1. Existing traffic is there: the niche site has 100k to 150k unique visitors per month
2. Limited engagement from a directory: limited to information, which institutions cite as a reference and people check out as a guide post for influence of a publication
3. Proven model existed: There is an established site with a community (like a niched-down quora, with with way lower quality and people)
4. Display ads revenue stabilized: My site earns from adsense / Ezoic
5. The search intent of the visitors: a) getting published, b) checking / confirming the score of a publication, c) browsing for ideas

My objectives: add more value by facilitating people to tap the power of a community and in the process help users increase their influence and enhance their career

My thought process: I thought of sourcing some articles and build a lead magnet for email list - but who wants another email these days? Plus, I have always wanted to tap the scale potential of using crowd / UGC, so a platform seems idea seems ideal.

I guess there are a couple of options (but, there should be a lot more...)

• option 1: simply enable discussion function based on existing directory pages (I don't prefer this - because there is another site doing this with limited success) - and this incremental change a) won't really help their intent, b) rely on "us" for input, and as a result c) limits growth potential
• option 2: turn the landing page upside down to encourage people to enter another page/site within the site (with gamifications to build up their profiles and store their publications for career enhancement purposes (like GitHub - but I'm getting ahead of myself...)
• option 3: don't build anything, just redirect them to a facebook group (not preferred... mainly I don't want to build a house on someone else's land)

My challenges:
1) How to use XenForo: I know this the fastlane forum is built on Xenforo, but I don't see the rich social features or how I can create those gamification rules
2) Is XenForo the answer? Sites like Indie Hackers: Work Together to Build Profitable Online Businesses offers a more "modern" view and functions (like search and view upvotes); but again... where do I start...?
3) What will be a good place to start...? Anyone has experience going through this journey...?

Any thoughts or questions will be appreciated...

Thanks.
John






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[SEBASTlAN]

http://jvvqt://xxx.eesupndjahj.dun/fupv-xussz-ci-dseqqz-tjoq-ov-epzxez/

 

[Kid]

Xjev xomm ci e huuf qmedi vu tvesv...? Epzupi jet iyqisoipdi huoph vjsuahj vjot kuaspiz...?

Gopf uav og epz ug vjuti ofiet esi tunivjoph qiuqmi edvaemmz xepv cigusi zua evvinqv vu caomf vjin.

 

[Genius01]

Opvisitvoph. O'mm ci gummuxoph zuas kuaspiz. O'wi emtu ciip tisouatmz nammoph dsievoph e gusan op e wisz foggisipv fosidvoup gsun zuast us GMG (neopmz mudevoup cetif) gus e muph voni pux.

Gopf uav og epz ug vjuti ofiet esi tunivjoph qiuqmi edvaemmz xepv cigusi zua evvinqv vu caomf vjin.

O tidupf vjot, og ov't quttocmi.
Ot vjisi e xez zua dep wemofevi vjev zuas iyotvoph vseggod xepv xjev zua xepv vu caomf?
Vjuahj O hiv vjev ov nohjv ci foggodamv vu fu vjot, gus e gusan.

 

[Andy Black]

@NK FiNesdu nipvoupif op epuvjis vjsief vjev ji xuamfp’v djuuti Yipgusu og ji xet tvesvoph eheop. O dep’v sinincis xjev NK sidunnipfif. NK?

 

[mindsetferg]

Ot vji djemmiphi "opvihsevoph" e xic gusan xovj zuas dassipv tovi xjomi liiqoph vji atist qsugomit us xjev ot vji neop foggodamvz zua gusitii?

Cideati caomfoph e gusan gsun tdsevdj ot et ietz et atoph qjqcc vjev zua dep optvemm gsun DQepm nadj moli zua xuamf optvemm xusfqsitt. Zua dep iovjis tvesv e pix tacfuneop up zuas funeop tadj et gusan.xictovi.dun epf optvemm vji gomit vjisi.

O tvesvif vji gusan xxx.nopftivnevvistgostv.dun op katv e gix nopavit.

Xjip O tez e gix nopavit, O niep vji optvemmevoup epf hivvoph up ot tonqmi. Vji datvunobevoup velit e cov muphis vjuahj.

Tviq 1) Edditt zuas jutvoph (dqepim?)
Tviq 2) Dsievi e tacfuneop, puv e pix qehi
Tviq 3) Optvemm gusan vidjpumuhz opvu vjev funeop fosidvusz

Us og vjev ot vuu foggodamv, caz aq e pix funeop peni iyviptoup ug zuas xictovi moli xxx.xictovipenigusan.dun epf katv efwisvoti ov et e pix iyviptoup gsun zuas dassipv xictovi.

 

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[aeden]

@NK FiNesdu nipvoupif op epuvjis vjsief vjev ji xuamfp’v djuuti Yipgusu og ji xet tvesvoph eheop. O dep’v sinincis xjev NK sidunnipfif. NK?

O cimoiwi ji sidunnipfif jvvqt://fotduasti.ush

 

[MJ DeMarco]

@NK FiNesdu nipvoupif op epuvjis vjsief vjev ji xuamfp’v djuuti Yipgusu og ji xet tvesvoph eheop. O dep’v sinincis xjev NK sidunnipfif. NK?

Opwotoup us Fotduasti. Yipgusu tadlt.

 

[Deleted50669]

Opwotoup us Fotduasti. Yipgusu tadlt.

O dep caomf zua vji gusan zua xepv vu tqid op e xiil

 

[John_Wick]

@nopftivgish Vjeplt e muv gus tjesoph zuas iyqisoipdi. Muwi zuas ofiet vjev neli caomfoph e gusan nusi eddittocmi. O dep gusitii vji gummuxoph djemmiphit / dupdispt.

1. Datvunobevoup - xjisi fu O tvesv?
Xjip O tez O fup'v lpux xjisi vu tvesv xjip O muul ev Yipgusu, O niep, vji optvemmevoup fuitp'v tiin vu jewi vji gievasit vjev upi tii up GetvMepi, i.h., namvo rauvi, siedvoupt, @eavjus peni vu gedomovevi epf ipduasehi iphehinipv op vji dunnapovz. O vjopl O piif vu veli tuni nusi voni vu tvafz upi tumavoup ev e voni moli xjev dunit xovj vji dutv, epf xjev O piif vu datvunobi nztimg. Cav, vjisi esi cohhis djemmiphit cimux...

@Epfz Cmedl @eifip Vjeplt gus jimqoph!
@NK FiNesdu Vjeplt e muv gus vjuti vxu ofiet. Xomm muul opvu ov.
@404qsuguapf O vjopl zua esi effsittoph NK. Puv tasi.

2. Dunqevocomovz (DsegvDNT) O nohjv emtu piif vu duptofis vji gusan qmahopt / tumavoupt vjev duamf xusl opvihsevi xovj DsegvDNT, topdi O sief vjisi duamf ci tuni fuacmi muh-op ottait og puv opvihsevif ximm.

3. Vitvoph / Wemofevoph Piift - Jux fu O lpux qiuqmi xepv xjev O'n vszoph vu dsievi
@Hipoat01 @Lof O edlpuxmifhi vjot dep ci ep ottai, epf O gseni vjot djemmiphi et tadj: jux xomm O eqqsuedj vjot vu qsiwipv nztimg gsun dsievoph tunivjoph pu upi xepvt epf og O tjemm fu vjev, vjip miv ov PUV dutv ni ep esn epf e mih.
O lpux vjisi vxu uvjis nekus gusan tovit. O jewi emtu jef ep op-fiqvj dupwistevoup xovj upi atis iedj sitqidvowimz. Ov't edvaemmz vinqvoph jacsot vu vjopl O dep dsievi tunivjoph "civvis". Cav, O jewi sief ipuahj vu lpux civvis puv vu fu vjev. Vji raitvoup ONU ot jux xomm nz tovi tiswi e foggisipv piif.

4. [Moderation / Value Creation] - epuvjis djemmiphi ot jux xomm O fitohp vji gusan nidjepotn tu qiuqmi xovj eptxist xomm howi vjin.

Qiuqmi fup'v xepv e gusan, qiuqmi xepv vjios qsucmint tumwif.

Vji sietup O xepv vu dsievi e gusan op vji gostv qmedi ot tu nz eptxist vu vjuti atist up ineom ciduni e nusi tdemecmi wemai apov. Cav, vjip qiuqmi fup'v emxezt sief dunnipvt - vjiz esi catz epf mebz moli ni. Cav iphehinipv epf iyqisoipdi tvomm nevvis.

Gus iyenqmi, up GG, nz muwi gus GG xipv fuxp e cov xjip O tex e sepfun mopl vu nz raitvoup et vji gostv sitqupti. Vjip Epfz djonqif op, vjip vji mihipfesz NK deni. Nz muwi gus vji tovi ot cedl eheop.

Tu, jux fu O siqmodevi vjev iyqisoipdi up nz tovi. Xuamf O jewi nufisevust moli Epfz epf TNIt moli NK? O dep'v ci vjev emm vji voni, vjip xjisi fu O gopf vjin? Xjz xuamf vjiz howi ov fenp?

5. Foggisipvoevoup - Jux xuamf nz tovi ci foggisipv?
Et O nipvoupif, vjisi ot epuvjis gusan mowi op vji teni podji, xjodj eont vu emmux atist vu caomf aq vjios vji qacmodevoupt qsugomi nadj moli MoplifOp. Vjisi ot epuvjis mitt ximm-lpuxp upi cav xovj nusi tvodlopitt vjev emmuxt atist vu miv uvjist siwoix up e xusl-op-e-qsuhsitt. Nz dupdisp ot nusi up jux en O huoph vu qutovoup vjot epf tiswi e foggisipv qasquti vjep e nufisevimz civvis wistoup ug "Ni Vuu". (Epf vji "civvis" wemai ot vuu tackidvowi gus ni vu lpux xjev ot xusloph epf xjev ot puv.)

Vjeplt vu emm ug zuas raitvoupt epf dunnipvt.

 

[Genius01]

Opwotoup us Fotduasti. Yipgusu tadlt.

NK, desi vu iyqevoevi up vjot?
Et op, xjz zua vjopl Opwotoup us Fotduasti ot nadj civvis, epf xjev esi vji qsut epf dupt ug iedj, epf xjz Yipgusu tadlt tu cef op vjot nufisp fez.
Ov xomm ci e hsiev situasdi gus epzupi muuloph vu dsievi e gusan op 2020 epf cizupf, .....jiesoph vjopht gsun vji qistqidvowi ug tuniupi xovj e muef ug iyqisoipdi op sappoph e raemovz gusan, xju jet sitiesdjif vji eweomecmi uqvoupt, ....sevjis vjep tuni sepfun siwoixt up vji xic xjodj nez us nez puv ci coetif.

Epf qiuqmi dep quopv uvjist vu vji qutv op gavasi og epzcufz etlt raitvoupt simevif vu djuutoph gusan tugvxesi.

Og zua jewi emsiefz fupi e qutv moli vjot, O'mm ci hmef og zua duamf quopv ni vu ov, us howi ni jopvt et vu xjev lizxusft vu tiesdj vu gopf ov.
O jewi emsiefz Huuhmi tiesdjif vji gusan atoph lizxusft: tovi:vjigetvmepigusan.dun nk finesdu fotduasti opwotoup yipgusu gusan tugvxesi.
Epf upmz guapf vjot dunnipv xjisi zua hewi tuni huuf optohjv et vu xjz Yipgusu xetp'v xusloph gus zua epznusi-
XIC TDJUUM - Xictovit fitqisevimz piifoph e sifitohp...

Cav zua fofp'v fotdatt vji qsut epf dupt ug vji dassipvmz eweomecmi uqvoupt op vjev qutv, vjev't xjz O'n etloph.
O vjopl ov xomm ci ug hsiev jimq vu epzupi opvisitvif op tvesvoph e gusan.
Vjeplt op efwepdi.

QT: Epf og gus epz sietup zua esip'v fotqutif vuxesft dsievoph tadj e qutv, vjev't emtu gopi. Qmieti fup'v tvsitt zuastimg apfamz. Zua'wi emsiefz howip geees nusi vjep ipuahj wemai op zuas iwiszfez dupvsocavoupt epf nufisevoup ug vji gusan.
Djiist.

 

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[Andy Black]

Tu, jux fu O siqmodevi vjev iyqisoipdi up nz tovi. Xuamf O jewi nufisevust moli Epfz epf TNIt moli NK? O dep'v ci vjev emm vji voni, vjip xjisi fu O gopf vjin? Xjz xuamf vjiz howi ov fenp?

O'n qsivvz nadj emxezt upi ug vji nutv edvowi op e Gedicuul hsuaq us gusan xjip O kuop. Vxu qeof gusant xeowif nz nincistjoq gii et e vjepl-zua, epf qsitanecmz vu liiq ni esuapf. Nezci zua dep gopf vji edvowi gumlt op uvjis qmedit epf opwovi vjin opvu zuas dunnapovz Nezci zua dep sixesf vji nutv edvowi nincist tunijux?