Attracting Traffic to FWF

Announcements from the Management and assistance with forum software. New to FWF? Please consider introducing yourself
steves
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 3200
Joined: 01 Mar 2005 15:02
Location: Hornby Island BC
Contact:

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by steves »

parvus wrote:I dunno. Fussiness works for some -- to their advantage. Attention to details and all that (recursive or not). :wink:
I'm just saying..... it has a derogatory connotation.
Live Rich, Die Broke (but not too soon).
User avatar
parvus
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 10014
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 16:09
Location: Waiting for the real estate meltdown on Rua Açores.

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by parvus »

Not to me. But then I like those old Morris the Cat commercials.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen — a wit
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki Your go-to guide for financial basics
Image
User avatar
Springbok
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 5438
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 16:47

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by Springbok »

steves wrote:It is too close to 'finickey' which means "excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy. . " It is not a positive description.
Sounds quite accurate. Maybe that is the problem?
tedster
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 8515
Joined: 27 Feb 2005 10:11
Location: Montreal

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by tedster »

I appreciate the Financial threads, although I do not understand most. :roll: However, I was mostly attracted to what are now known as Plugged in, DIY, and Around the Watercooler.
User avatar
Peculiar_Investor
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 13271
Joined: 01 Mar 2005 14:52
Location: Calgary
Contact:

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

in Dec '12, Dibs wrote:1. Google: People will google all sorts of stuff. More importantly, people who are googling are already interested in whatever they are looking for. Search engine optimization is key to improving traffic here. At the moment, CMF is consistently placing higher on typical search results.
Note that I'm quoting from a Dec '12 post (as indicated). Check again, seems like we're making progress.
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki New editors wanted and welcomed, please help collaborate and improve the wiki.

Normal people… believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet. – Scott Adams
mr_l
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 164
Joined: 23 Dec 2013 00:06

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by mr_l »

I have recently discovered FWF and really appreciate it. A few comments:

1) Would be nice if it had better google currency. When I type "fwf" in google, it doesn't show up anywhere. Anyone know that SEO stuff?

2) Would be nice to have a mobile app (for Android =)) I access from my phone half the time, and it works pretty well just in Chrome, but an app would be nice.

3) You guys should totally have ads. A tonne of the personal finance blogs are covered with them (what better way to get rich than to make a blog about how-to-get-rich and get rich off its ads!). But really, it wouldn't upset me at all, and that way the nice ol' folk that put this site together can retire a little sooner!
tedster
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 8515
Joined: 27 Feb 2005 10:11
Location: Montreal

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by tedster »

Please no ads.
User avatar
Peculiar_Investor
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 13271
Joined: 01 Mar 2005 14:52
Location: Calgary
Contact:

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

mr_l wrote:When I type "fwf" in google, it doesn't show up anywhere.
Actually we'd love to have the FWF.org domain, but it belongs to the Fort Worth First Church of the Nazarene, Crowley TX.
Would be nice to have a mobile app (for Android =)) I access from my phone half the time, and it works pretty well just in Chrome, but an app would be nice.
The mobile style doesn't work for you?
You guys should totally have ads.
We are an independent, non-commercial site. Always have been, always will be. Hopefully everyone who visits and contributes to FWF gets rich (in their own way) through the knowledge we all share. See Donate to FWF for how this site keeps the lights on without ads.
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki New editors wanted and welcomed, please help collaborate and improve the wiki.

Normal people… believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet. – Scott Adams
tedster
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 8515
Joined: 27 Feb 2005 10:11
Location: Montreal

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by tedster »

I remember the fact that originally we could "donate" but forgot. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
mr_l
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 164
Joined: 23 Dec 2013 00:06

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by mr_l »

Peculiar_Investor wrote:
mr_l wrote:When I type "fwf" in google, it doesn't show up anywhere.
Actually we'd love to have the FWF.org domain, but it belongs to the Fort Worth First Church of the Nazarene, Crowley TX.
I just meant there must be ways to increase the relevancy on Google search result. You know, so people are pointed to this website when they search for terms like "learning investing Canada" or "finance Canada learn". I've been trying to learn on my own for years (~10 years) via Google and never came across you guys til now. And yet it is a site with so much depth and breadth. Far more terrible sites come up first in my Google results over the years. I'm not a computer guy, but I think most websites that want traffic hire some "SEO" (search engine optimization) specialist to get more traffic from search engines. Someone on this forum must know how to do that.
Would be nice to have a mobile app (for Android =)) I access from my phone half the time, and it works pretty well just in Chrome, but an app would be nice.
The mobile style doesn't work for you?
The mobile webpage is great. But I like apps better than going to webpages. Might seem like a minor difference I suppose, but I'm just used
You guys should totally have ads.
We are an independent, non-commercial site. Always have been, always will be. Hopefully everyone who visits and contributes to FWF gets rich (in their own way) through the knowledge we all share. See Donate to FWF for how this site keeps the lights on without ads.
I'm used to ads (so long as they are not deceiving). Plus some would make sense for the site's visitors e.g. discount brokerage, GIC promotion, investing/personal finance book, Quicken, tax software, mortgage provider; maybe could even get special promotions e.g. discounts. A few banner ads across the borders of the page could help visitors connect with interesting products or services, and could help fund the site. Try it for a year - if you make $5 then forget it, if you make $500 then that can help cover off expenses.
ig17
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 3418
Joined: 21 Feb 2005 20:54

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by ig17 »

mr_l,

This forum has a long history. It separated from the predecessor forum (The Wealthy Boomer) in 2005 I think. Ads were one of the issues that led to the separation. TWB owner wanted to run ads. The posters who contributed the most forum content objected. They left to start FWF. You are unlikely to see ads here, which is a good thing IMO.
mr_l
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 164
Joined: 23 Dec 2013 00:06

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by mr_l »

Yikes! So be it then. I'm sure many sensible reasons were put forward.

Cheers,
Mr_L
User avatar
Bylo Selhi
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 29494
Joined: 16 Feb 2005 10:36
Location: Waterloo, ON
Contact:

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by Bylo Selhi »

Actually most, if not all, of the founders go back earlier to the days when The Fund Library had a forum. TFL is/was a commercial site that was(is?) essentially funded by the fund industry. We were never comfortable discussing DIY investing, criticizing the fund industry, etc. in this environment. We founded FWF under the principle that we would be entirely non-commercial. That way we could avoid any perception of conflicts-of-interest and concentrate on helping individuals to create and realize their financial plans independent of industry influence.

The out-of-pocket cost of running FWF is about $100/year IIRC. It's quite possible to fund it through voluntary donations so there's no need for paid advertising or other commercial sponsorship in any case. (Of course the value of the folks who do all the unpaid heavy lifting behind the scenes is, well, "priceless.")
Sedulously eschew obfuscatory hyperverbosity and prolixity.
User avatar
CROCKD
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 3343
Joined: 15 Aug 2008 16:59
Location: GTA

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by CROCKD »

Bylo Selhi wrote:Of course the value of the folks who do all the unpaid heavy lifting behind the scenes is, well, "priceless."
+1
" A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it is written on " Samuel Goldwyn
"The light at the end of the tunnel may be a freight train coming your way" Metallica - No Leaf Clover
User avatar
LadyGeek
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 1975
Joined: 26 Oct 2011 16:51
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Contact:

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by LadyGeek »

mr_l wrote:
Peculiar_Investor wrote:
mr_l wrote:Would be nice to have a mobile app (for Android =)) I access from my phone half the time, and it works pretty well just in Chrome, but an app would be nice.
The mobile style doesn't work for you?
The mobile webpage is great. But I like apps better than going to webpages. Might seem like a minor difference I suppose, but I'm just used
Why don't you add a bookmark to your homescreen? It's the same effect. See: mobile bookmark homescreen - Google Search

It works fine on Android / Chrome.
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki To some, the glass is half full. To others, the glass is half empty. To an engineer, it's twice the size it needs to be.
BRIAN5000
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 9064
Joined: 08 Jun 2007 23:27

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by BRIAN5000 »

) You guys should totally have ads
I like the fact that there is nothing blinking (other than the smilies) or taking up space on my screen other than the threads. However I wouldn't object to a locked thread where if someone wanted to they could place a small screened ad. I could then have the option to go and look at them or not. Moderators could verify credentials or whatever.
This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed
mr_l
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 164
Joined: 23 Dec 2013 00:06

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by mr_l »

LadyGeek wrote:
mr_l wrote:
mr_l wrote:Would be nice to have a mobile app (for Android =)) I access from my phone half the time, and it works pretty well just in Chrome, but an app would be nice.
The mobile style doesn't work for you?
The mobile webpage is great. But I like apps better than going to webpages. Might seem like a minor difference I suppose, but I'm just used
Why don't you add a bookmark to your homescreen? It's the same effect. See: mobile bookmark homescreen - Google Search

It works fine on Android / Chrome.
I do have a bookmark on my Nexus 5 homescreen :lol: It's fine, it's great. But it's not an app. Apps have neat features, like offline content. For instance, there is a website called mobilesyrup.com - it has a great mobile website, but the app (Canadian Mobile News) is way better because you can star stories you like, and set controls on what is downloaded automatically to the phone. So whenever I use the app, all the stories load instantly because they are already downloaded, plus can access them offline. Also really easy to share articles via email, Drive, Evernote, clipboard, FB, WhatsApp, etc.
User avatar
Shakespeare
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 23396
Joined: 15 Feb 2005 23:25
Location: Calgary, AB

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by Shakespeare »

Dumping on newcomers is not a great way to attract traffic.
Sic transit gloria mundi. Tuesday is usually worse. - Robert A. Heinlein, Starman Jones
User avatar
parvus
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 10014
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 16:09
Location: Waiting for the real estate meltdown on Rua Açores.

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by parvus »

Brian, we are self-supporting -- and it costs about $150/year to host the discussion forum and wiki. We don't need the revenue -- though many have attempted to buy us. They don't want to buy a label. What they want to buy is the millions of hours of volunteer effort spread across thousands of members that has gone into making FWF such a valuable resource. We won't sell that volunteer effort -- and you know what, we can't.

FWF emerged as an ad-free and more tightly moderated spinoff from the old The Wealthy Boomer forum. Key resource people left TWB, and others followed. Still others found us here on their own, away from the madding ads of banks and mutual fund companies alike.

We are a DIY website. In a DIY tradition, we will figure out how to make the site more attractive to DIYers (and to those who do not yet know that they are DIYers :? ). Your efforts are appreciated. :thumbsup:

Everyone's efforts are appreciated, particularly with finiki, our wiki of Canadian finance. And on the financial side, you can always donate, if you wish.

Whatever you can contribute -- recruiting new readers, adding your wisdom to a financial thread, yes, even money, but that's the last and least important concern -- it builds up the site and its reputation, and more importantly, it builds our community.

So if you have ideas on SEO, on getting us into the press, onto social media ... please share. We're all here together in this.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen — a wit
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki Your go-to guide for financial basics
Image
User avatar
poedin
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 2614
Joined: 27 Nov 2008 13:20

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by poedin »

CROCKD wrote:
Bylo Selhi wrote:Of course the value of the folks who do all the unpaid heavy lifting behind the scenes is, well, "priceless."
+1
+2 :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
User avatar
Springbok
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 5438
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 16:47

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by Springbok »

:thumbsup:
Shakespeare wrote:Dumping on newcomers is not a great way to attract traffic.
:thumbsup:

PS: I just learned how to do those thumbsups!
User avatar
parvus
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 10014
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 16:09
Location: Waiting for the real estate meltdown on Rua Açores.

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by parvus »

Springbok wrote::thumbsup:
Shakespeare wrote:Dumping on newcomers is not a great way to attract traffic.
:thumbsup:

PS: I just learned how to do those thumbsups!
8)
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen — a wit
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki Your go-to guide for financial basics
Image
User avatar
Peculiar_Investor
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 13271
Joined: 01 Mar 2005 14:52
Location: Calgary
Contact:

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

Bylo Selhi wrote:Financial Wisdom Forum? ISTM the main benefit of participating, whether actively or passively ;), in FWF is to acquire the wisdom needed to successfully fulfil our financial goals, especially as DIYers.
We have a winner :thumbsup:
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki New editors wanted and welcomed, please help collaborate and improve the wiki.

Normal people… believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet. – Scott Adams
User avatar
parvus
Veteran Contributor
Veteran Contributor
Posts: 10014
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 16:09
Location: Waiting for the real estate meltdown on Rua Açores.

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by parvus »

+1
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen — a wit
Imagefiniki, the Canadian financial wiki Your go-to guide for financial basics
Image
robertro
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 91
Joined: 07 Apr 2009 21:41

Re: Attracting Traffic to FWF

Post by robertro »

I did a double-take this morning as the Webring reinvented itself as the purveyor of Financial Wisdom Forum :thumbsup:
Post Reply