Searchen.com Forums Now A Paid Service

**Zap** · 04-18-2006, 03:30 AM

Received this in e-mail today...

Quote:

There has been some changes on the Searchen forums and I should make an announcement on it so here goes:

The Searchen Networks forum is now an exclusive membership. There are three membership levels available.

1 - Lifetime Member $250
The ability to post in all forums including a new private forum. Lifetime members will also be on a list for special email announcements and industry news. Things that I feel you need to know about will be sent to you in the event that I see it first. I will also welcome in-depth questions from members in the private area.

2 - Corporate Member $100/year
The ability to post in all forums except private forum.

3 - Individual Member $50/year
The ability to post in some areas.

There will no longer be free access to post on the forums. Once a member registers, they will not have post privileges unless they subscribe to one of the above membership levels.

This decision was made for a few reasons, one of which is to combat spam on the boards which had been very heavy lately until we locked things up. The second was to create a more exclusive atmosphere on Searchen, something I have always wanted to do. Last but not least, to earn revenue for the instruction and advice given out on the forum. Those that upgrade membership levels will be contributing to Searchen Networks mission to educate, help, and provide strategy. We appreciate your support.

Membership levels can be reviewed and or purchased here:
http://www.searchen.com/forum/payments.php (Must be logged in)

Now, it is important for me to mention that out of over 700 members, near no one has been kicked out completely. Anyone with over 50 posts was automatically upgraded to one of the above membership levels. Unfortunate some of you have not been very active and did not make the upgrade, but on the other side of the coin, some of you have been very active and helpful and your accounts have been upgraded to a higher level with no worries of cost (you know who you are).

Those of you that are satisfied with your current membership level, do nothing. You are good to go with whatever status level you're at, and you do not need to upgrade or pay anything. Consider yourselves grandfathered in.

I know that many of you will have mixed feelings about this change. Change is not always easy and everyone doesn't always agree with everyone else's decisions, but such is life. Those of you who enjoy Searchen membership who have learned a great deal from your membership and participation, well, I'm sure this will not be an issue.

** Also, if there is anyone that wants there account completely removed, please feel free to just reply back and I can easily delete you account. But remember, once I delete the account, that's it, you won't be able to get back in at all, even if you were previously upgraded before the deletion.

700 Members and it's gone pay to post? Am I missing something here?

John Scott · 04-18-2006, 03:30 AM

Interesting approach.

**Zap** · 04-18-2006, 03:56 AM

Yeah. I thought it was strange. I wonder what I am missing.

Most forums I know of, struggle with converting guests into members, and not the other way around.
This one really has me scratching my head.

yfs1 · 04-18-2006, 03:58 AM

Site seems to be down now though - I went there to check how many posts I had to see if I was "upgraded"

I like John but I'm not sure how many of the 700 members (although 700 aren't active) will stick around when the forum slowly gets quieter and quieter

I think i was like member 10 over there but I haven't posted in a really long time

**Zap** · 04-18-2006, 04:06 AM

I post a little bit more here.

(Over there, I think I have 5 posts to my credit. - I'm thinking I'm not one of the "upgraded".)

**Zap** · 04-18-2006, 04:15 AM

John,

This might be a good time to pay him for some e-mail advertising.

"Sorry you can't be a member at my forum any more. But, why not check out this forum?"

yfs1 · 04-18-2006, 04:23 AM

I also find this comment interesting:

Quote:

Last but not least, to earn revenue for the instruction and advice given out on the forum.

Does that mean the forum posters get the membership money as a revenue share (That was a rhetorical question

)

**Zap** · 04-18-2006, 05:11 AM

Yeah. That line caught my particular attention too.

Just my opinion, but I think it's suicide.

John Scott · 04-18-2006, 05:28 AM

I feel horrible for not paying members here, so I offer ambassadors freebies and stuff to make up for it. I guess different strokes for different folks.

yfs1 · 04-18-2006, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnScott

I feel horrible for not paying members here, so I offer ambassadors freebies and stuff to make up for it. I guess different strokes for different folks.

Its a better approach as the problem with charging people $250 is that they have $250 worth of expectations. Like I said before, I like John (Clasione) but I have never really seen anything on that forum that you couldn't get elsewhere.

So many people in the SEO world offer everything for free, I don't understand how a forum of that type can charge. Add to that the fact that you can read for free, why would anyone pay $250 just to post.

If the site ever comes back up, it will be interesting to see how it fares (Is it only down for me?)

John Scott · 04-18-2006, 05:41 AM

Not coming up for me either.

The whole pay to post thing is not new. WMW has it in the "Supporters Forum". We tried it out once before by offering a Private Sponsors Forum. But it felt weird taking money from people who are the real reason for the website's success.

And, yeah, I like Clasione too.

yfs1 · 04-18-2006, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnScott

Not coming up for me either.

The whole pay to post thing is not new. WMW has it in the "Supporters Forum".

I actually view that as different as you still had the public forum which was free plus they had the numbers to pull it off (They also implemented that back when you could, I think things have changed quite a bit)

I suspect John is more looking to close the forum and figured this was a better way to do it. Upgrade existing members and either you get no new members or if you happen to, he makes a couple of bucks.

I just can't believe he is thinking he will make a good amount of money at $250 a pop

DarrenC · 04-18-2006, 05:48 AM

I'm not a member so this doesn't affect me but I wouldn't pay for membership to a forum. I once toyed with the idea of paying for membership at WMW, but then realised that the information is available for free elsewhere, be it a forum, blog or articles.

You would have to be providing some damn good information thats not available anywhere else to get me to pay.

John Scott · 04-18-2006, 05:50 AM

I think the financial burden of running a forum should not be put onto the members. That's what advertising is for.

DarrenC · 04-18-2006, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnScott

I think the financial burden of running a forum should not be put onto the members. That's what advertising is for.

Good point.

The financial burden though is not that big for 700 members - V7N or Digitalpoint that's different.

yfs1 · 04-18-2006, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarrenC

Good point.

The financial burden though is not that big for 700 members

Definately not $250 per head...Maybe its $1 for each active member then the rest goes to the "General Fund"

**Zap** · 04-18-2006, 06:51 AM

There's great information at that forum, but as has been pointed out here, that information is freely available on totally free forums and you get to ask questions (post) on the free ones.

John Scott · 04-18-2006, 06:57 AM

The WMW supporters forum.... I don't know about that. The marketing line is, it's supposedly where the great, meaty insightful posts happen.

True, there are some great, meaty, insightful posts there. But they are being posted by the people who pay to post there.

And WMW is not non-profit. Sure, they don't have ads. But it is one big ad for Pubcon, which is brilliantly profitable.

That Brett dude. He sure is one smart dude.

Ferre · 04-18-2006, 08:15 AM

I run a (non profit) forum with 3000+ members and NO ads, and it's not a 'financial burdon' at all.

DarrenC · 04-18-2006, 08:27 AM

I've had a quick look around the forum in question and think alot of the discussions are very basic. Judging by the number of people who have responsed to John's forum post about the subject I'd say that it's not a busy SEO forum - they are better for free.

Bad decision IMO - but time will tell.