Website Review and Suggestions

**Spud In Disguise** · 06-23-2008, 07:33 AM

Hey everyone. I have a bit of a problem.

A while back I set up a site featuring music downloads from the popular game 'Deus Ex'. [Don't worry, I talked to Eidos and made sure I was allowed to host the files before I went ahead - so no need to comment on the legallity of the site lol].

The site features original music as well as fan created remixes and inspired music.

The site seems to bwe doing reasonably well, we have had a few thousand downloads and the hits are constant (if not huge at about 100 a day).

My problem is that people don;t seem to come back. They need to sign up to download, but then that's it - they never show up again.

I know I should expect a certain amount of this kind of activity, given the nature of the site - but I'd really like to get some people to come back and become part of a community.

My question therefore is: how do I get these people to come back to my site?

link

**mmklon** · 06-23-2008, 08:52 AM

This is one of the hardest parts about running a site, especially one that requires user interaction. I think it really comes down to having something that people want or need and frequently adding stuff to it.

It doesn't really look like you have added any downloads since march(saw a few from april), so I would suggest adding and finding more content on a regular basis at least until you get enough of a contributing user base that you do not need to.

When you do have new content rather than just adding it all on one day, I would spread it out too and use a few different user names so it gives the appearance of new fresh content from multiple users.

**highanddry** · 06-23-2008, 11:16 AM

niche is too specific. People take what they want and leave.

**J-G-Ju** · 06-23-2008, 12:40 PM

Fresh content, ask them to sign up for a newsletter, that way you can inform them of new stuff on your site and they might come back

**siberia77** · 06-23-2008, 07:44 PM

Build up a userbase around the remix scene? have competitions? Or try to branch out into more games?

**Spud In Disguise** · 06-24-2008, 08:15 AM

mmm, some good ideas there. I'll have to think about it a bit more...

**umurali2000** · 06-24-2008, 02:38 PM

having competitions will really fetch ....

**vangogh** · 06-24-2008, 07:03 PM

it is possible people are able to find what they want on their first visit and don't feel the need to return. If you're collecting email addresses as part of the sign up why not send out an autoresponder as a way to remind people about you. Nothing sales oriented, but maybe there's something you can let people know about that would benefit them.

You might try promoting your forum while people are downloading since the forum should help with the sticky problem. If it's feasible a newsletter could help.

Another thought is adding information more consistently to the news section to offer more reasons to people to come back.

So some people come back to the site? If so you might want to ask them why they did to understand better what might make others come back.

**Simrn** · 04-18-2009, 01:22 PM

I dont have any experience in music niche, but in my opinion, the more user interactivity you create on site the more you get loyal and direct traffic. Give them a chance to hook up to your pages and give them something that is specific to YOUR SITE in comparison to your competitors.

**dljstudios** · 04-18-2009, 05:52 PM

I'll agree with the others. If i was looking for a community to join, i would find one that has updates and new content released on a regular basis, instead of releasing 50 things one day, then 7 months later releasing more. Like they said, release it little-by-little under different usernames.

**muzicera** · 04-22-2009, 12:25 AM

I think you need to have something unique and original to get visitors interest which you must update daily so that people return to see what you have to offer.

**ashley27** · 04-22-2009, 02:35 AM

You should update your site every now and then and put interesting topic of course related to your niche.

**Wayward** · 04-22-2009, 06:40 AM

Expand.

You have a good niche and you are providing for it well. Like others have said though, you've got the kind of site where people are after a download. They search, they grab, they feel no need to return.

Updating like others have suggested alleviates this problem, but how many updates can you make on one game?

You don't have to destroy your niche to do that, especially if you move slowly. Why not put a poll up of other oldschool FPS games. System Shock 2 for example, has some great music. See what your visitors are after an then add support for that game.

If you do it slowly and with support of your visitors you can't really go wrong.

**searchlight** · 02:21 PM

But why would one have to sign up and then download the music
not many would be interested on signing up
some of them will just be looking to download the music directly
you will have to find some other way to get traffic to your site instead of a sign up

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