Bruce,
Concerning your first two questions concerning how to convert lookers into forum members and forum members into PGCA members, I think that we are doing that by being a very knowledgable body of members who also share their knowledge. I copied your prodding forum members by suggesting they become PGCA members in my answers to them. Perhaps that method would be more effective it every PCGA member ended their answers to forum members with something like what you suggest: Please considering joining the PGCA.
Another idea is to add a link to an entire Parker Pages from a year or so ago. Let the forum member see what they are missing. That could be followed with a link to the cover and at least one full story and the opening paragraphs to several stories in each current Parker Pages.
"...this forum had become the pre eminant shotgun collecting site and I asked if there was any way to measure that" Well Bruce there is. There are websites that track the activity on the top 100 websites of many different subjects. Maybe our magnificiant webmaster Mr. John Dunkle would create a (for profit to John) Top 100 Gun Collecting Sites? I mentioned gun collecting sites because there is a cost to starting and running something like this. Would we be as popular as the Colt SSA or Winchester Lever Action forums?
Just my thoughts for now,
Mark
|