[Suggestion] Xenforo vs World: How To Attract New Customers [LIKE ME]

[trigatch4]

I run a pretty huge vBulletin forum. Like many others in my (ironically unfortunate) position, I am eagerly rooting for the success of Xenforo. But will I even have the opportunity to TRY it?

Switching a huge forum to an unproven platform is too large a risk. Starting a new website/community on Xenforo is intriguing, but what happens if the site takes off and I find Xenforo is not a good match? I'm probably stuck, because the demand for Xenforo to vBulletin conversions will be close to non-existent.

I'd like to see the Xenforo Team create a way to easily export Xenforo sites to vBulletin and other popular forum softwares. It would GREATLY reduce the risk of switching/testing, and send a fantastic message that, "we're so confident in our product, we've made it ridiculously easy to switch back to our competitors should you decide."

With this type of exporting feature, I feel like I would have to try Xenforo. But without it? For myself and many others it may prove too risky.

Fingers crossed. Will watch this thread closely.

 

[Vladislav Rastrusny]

No need to attract me. I'm already attracted. Just release it and let my old coder hands touch it.

 

[Shamil]

Yeah, your server will definitely be able to handle it.

 

[EQnoble]

I'm sure there would be a demo of some kind in the future but in response to your post: You want Kier and Mike to make an exporter that will allow you to move to other forum software, away from XF? Other competitors already have importers, and likely one will be made for XF when demand for it comes up. This would require more resources to keep it up to date whenever a new update for other software comes out, not to mention you're asking XF team to put up money to acquire licences (remember that some had renewal fees) in order to build and test this exporters.

I think that while this idea works in theory I really can't see it working in practice so easily.

I gotta agree with this post. If software company wants to attract customers who bought an xF license , it's there job to provide the importer much like the way it would be prudent for xF to provide some kind of importer for switching from some of the more widely used boards to xF ( not saying less popular ones aren't good enough for an importer, it's that it's not fiscally sound to spend hours of developing for something 7 people are going to use again this is my opinion and I don't know the business model inside and out so I really can't say 100% either way)

 

[PGP]

Maybe XF team will provide some discounts for users who already have vB licenses? =)) that would be cool...

 

[Forsaken]

Maybe XF team will provide some discounts for users who already have vB licenses? =)) that would be cool...

Already been said there will not be.

 

[EQnoble]

Maybe XF team will provide some discounts for users who already have vB licenses? =)) that would be cool...

no that wouldn't make sense as they are trying to attract customers based on the fact the xF offers what they need and that they are listening to see what a majority needs and it seems all else can be covered with mods.

An offering like that seems to target a software company and isn't cool. Just sell your license, it's allowed and it can be done....just remember that if you transfer your license its permanent, you can't get it back so choose what you do wisely. My suggestion is wait and see before you do anything if you have any reservations.

 

[---MAD---]

Switching back will be like exporting away from XF to another forum solution. Other solutions will probably create an option to export from xenforo once xenforo picks up.

 

[Princeton]

doing a large upgrade and then reverting sends the wrong message to your members

before a large upgrade, do your research!
( don't jump off a bridge because someone else does it! upgrade when you are 100% sure that this is what you want to do)

you should be well prepared for some negative feedback - by nature, we, humans, hate change

 

[Walter]

before a large upgrade, do your research!

Exactly my thoughts.
I will buy a XenForo license and do a test install on my largest site. I will do many tests and collect feedback from moderators and trusted users. If I am satisfied, I will switch and then there is no need to revert.

 

[Salty]

+1

 

[Chromaniac]

haha. you are supposed to press the like link instead of +1

 

[Salty]

haha. you are supposed to press the like link instead of +1

-1

 

[feldon30]

I think it would show cheek if XenForo had a built-in converter not only FROM vBulletin but TO vBulletin.

 

[EQnoble]

I think it would show cheek if XenForo had a built-in converter not only FROM vBulletin but TO vBulletin.

I can agree that it would be a mark of confidence that xF has that but... in business terms it makes no sense...they would be doing the work for the competition which takes away from development time that the actual functionality of this software could benefit from. I said it before but if I owned vB (as a company) I would take that as a personal attack at me. I don't know maybe someone could offer their side of how they feel about that. ( i'm talking about the to vB from xF here only)