What Do You Offer Members with User Upgrades?

[System0]

I'd love to hear what forum owners are offering to members who support their websites.

I have seen many forum owners handle upgrades by restricting what regular members can do. Premium members have additional permissions such as avatars, access to special rooms, private messaging, custom titles, and more.

I also thought it would be good to display ads to free members and remove them for paying members; though I am not sure how much this will tempt people to upgrade seeing as adblockers are becoming more popular.

I am reluctant to use an add on to give more features to members as I know that long term, most add ons lose support from their developed. So I'd rather define permissions and options through the default version of XenForo.

Would love to hear what you guys are offering your premium members

Kevin

 

[TPerry]

My monthly (even though I don't have many users) is a very low price but it gives the users the following:

• Bookmarks (you can bookmark resources, posts and more)
• Push Alerts (via the Pushover App available on IOS and Android)
• Keyword Alerts (definable list of words that will give you an alert when found)
• Profile cover image
• Removal of all ad displays
• Signatures (400 characters, 4 lines, 2 links, 1 image)
• Increase time limit on editing own message(s) from 3 hours to unlimited time limit
• Edit your thread title
• Add poll to your thread after creation
• Increase conversation participants from 10 to 50
• Increase tag alerts per message to 30

 

[System0]

Thanks Tracy.

Is the functionality for bookmarks, push alerts, keyword alerts, provided via add ons?

 

[TPerry]

Thanks Tracy.

Is the functionality for bookmarks, push alerts, keyword alerts, provided via add ons?

Yes
Bookmarks are by @Syndol (got a feeling he'll be around awhile unless hit by a car/train/meteorite
Push alerts are done via the Add on by @Chris D - again same reason about being around as Syndol
Keyword alerts by @xfrocks (another one that will most likely be around for a while)

 

[System0]

Thanks Tracy. I'll check those out. Seem like a great way of rewarding premium members.

 

[TPerry]

Thanks Tracy. I'll check those out. Seem like a great way of rewarding premium members.

On my motorcycle forum it's open for all (same features for everyone) but the above is done on my Linux forum. I'm thinking about doing something similar on the Apple one. Of course, it helps to have users.

 

[System0]

On my motorcycle forum it's open for all (same features for everyone) but the above is done on my Linux forum. I'm thinking about doing something similar on the Apple one. Of course, it helps to have users.

Two of my forums have a decent user base. The other is a private forum where all members are premium members. Though in order to increase activity, I may introduce a model where free users have basic permissions. If done right, it should increase the number of premium members on the board.

 

[digitalpoint]

About half the stuff we offer are just "fluff" things. Things like ability to change user title, access to private forum, etc.

The real value for our premium members are the products/services they get with it. Additional functionality to some of our tools, access to vBulletin and XenForo addons we made, access to special API functions, etc.

Might get some ideas: https://www.digitalpoint.com/help/premium

 

[System0]

I agree with you about these things being fluff. I was thinking that it would be worthwhile removing avatars from free accounts, though I think that could have a detrimental effect as it is the way that most users identify themselves and integrate in the forum.

Allowing premium members to post an advertisement or offer would be one way to reward them. Do you know of any Xenforo add ons that restrict the frequency in which a user group can create threads in a specific forum room?

 

[digitalpoint]

I agree with you about these things being fluff. I was thinking that it would be worthwhile removing avatars from free accounts, though I think that could have a detrimental effect as it is the way that most users identify themselves and integrate in the forum.

Allowing premium members to post an advertisement or offer would be one way to reward them. Do you know of any Xenforo add ons that restrict the frequency in which a user group can create threads in a specific forum room?

Nope, never wanted to do that myself, so never built such a thing (I only use self-built addons, so I also never looked for any).

We do have a few areas that only premium members can post in, but it's not a frequency thing, it's just a flat out can/can't thing (user group permissions).

 

[Jeremy]

I agree with you about these things being fluff. I was thinking that it would be worthwhile removing avatars from free accounts, though I think that could have a detrimental effect as it is the way that most users identify themselves and integrate in the forum.

Allowing premium members to post an advertisement or offer would be one way to reward them. Do you know of any Xenforo add ons that restrict the frequency in which a user group can create threads in a specific forum room?

You could most likely hire someone to create a usergroup promotion criteria that continually adds/removes the Create Thread permission for the forum. Similar to @Brogan's for posts x times in y days.

 

[System0]

My concern is that if premium members can post in a marketplace or advertisement room, they will abuse that privilege. I'd rather limit it so that the feature retains some sort of exclusivity, and perhaps offer free account users the ability to post in that room too by paying a one off fee.

Jeremy - Good to know that others have did this in the past. Will need to look into this further

 

[digitalpoint]

My concern is that if premium members can post in a marketplace or advertisement room, they will abuse that privilege. I'd rather limit it so that the feature retains some sort of exclusivity, and perhaps offer free account users the ability to post in that room too by paying a one off fee.

True... we've certainly had to restrict posting in marketplace areas, just by other means.

For example, if someone is selling a domain/site, they have to verify ownership of that domain before they can post it for sale. Since we then have the verified owner on record for that specific domain, no one else can create an additional sale thread for that same domain (including the person that listed it to begin with... instead, it forces them to use the Relist option).

We've limited sale threads to 1 per domain automatically for all sorts of things that can be domain-specific (domains, sites, web hosting companies, link sales, advertising, etc.) Definitely helps when users *can't* repost the same thing for sale. And as an added bonus to buyers, they know the ownership has been verified (for example see the note at the top here: https://forums.digitalpoint.com/threads/android-technology-news-blog-pr-3.2717318/ ).

 

[System0]

Yeah there are a lot of pros and cons to a marketplace. Some people will try and abuse it and there is the risk of your forum attracting spammers and scammers; yet if it is handled correctly, it can be a big draw. It can also be one of the best ways of generating income from a forum.

DigitalPoint is such a huge forum. I am sure you guys tackle problems that wouldn't be an issue on smaller forums. I think that you guys are doing the right thing by verifying ownership. You can't mediate in all matters, but you can save a lot of problems by making members follow strict guidelines for buying and selling.