Figured I'd throw this into the Pre-Sales forum for anyone who is debating whether to switch.
vBulletin user for 10 years. Two sites. 60,000+ members. 700,000 posts, etc.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Google SEO Optimization
Switched to XenForo, was able to clean up all our thin content (noindex user profiles, noindex threads with less than 100 characters, require minimum # of words in a Thread Title, and a ton of other SEO related functions with the addons available for this software). SEO options that come default with the software are above and beyond VB by leaps and bounds.
Result: 6 months later our forum traffic has quadrupled. We are averaging 165 users in Analytics "realtime" right now, and the forum software reports upwards of 700 active user sessions browsing the forums in a given 15 minute period, as mass quantities of high quality threads are getting indexed, and Google is removing all our "thin content" pages.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Preventing Spam
Spam handling is just incredible. one of our vBulletins - with all the bells and whistles of spam registration prevention turned ON - was still overrun with nearly 20,000 fake accounts that we simply couldn't stop from registering.
Result: Over the last 6 months, with Question and Answer, registration timers, and several other XF spam handling functions enabled, we have had a grand total of ZERO spam registrations succeed to go through, and on an average week, I might get 1 user that would have made it through, had it not been for XF's "safety net" that prompts me to approve or reject them - kindly telling me that the user's email or username or IP matches a previously banned user, or blacklisted account.
XenForo vs vBulletin: Usability
I have a forum full of grumpy people who are miserable. They hate change. And when I have switched forum softwares in the past, I had to listen to months of complaining. When we switched to XF, the reaction was not a single complaint from anyone. People absolutely love the UIX theme (its gorgeous in my opinion - the best one on the market hands down - great job @Mike Creuzer ), and it has caused participation to skyrocket in our first several months.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Mobile Friendliness
I wont even try to tell you how terrible vBulletin is for mobile. XF dominates in this regard as well.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Notices and User Communication
Floating notices (a sexy opaque, dismissable black box that appears bottom right when you want to alert people) have enabled me to communicate with users non-invasively for the first time anytime I need to. This has helped me push hundreds/thousands of views to specific threads, or new articles we've posted outside the forums. There are also options for a marquee with default functionality.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Addons and Extensions
The addon community for XF is staggeringly better. I wont mention any website names, but there are highly professional groups that major in creating addons, as well as many proficient users here who create them - to do anything and everything you could possibly imagine. The whole process is far more polished and well-done for XF compared to vBulletin.
In any case - I came here to say thanks to the XF devs for doing an amazing job and thought it might actually be a useful thing to put into Pre-Sales. If you're debating whether you should switch from vBulletin to XF - do it. The vBulletin team has, in my opinion, stopped putting out a quality product.
vBulletin user for 10 years. Two sites. 60,000+ members. 700,000 posts, etc.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Google SEO Optimization
Switched to XenForo, was able to clean up all our thin content (noindex user profiles, noindex threads with less than 100 characters, require minimum # of words in a Thread Title, and a ton of other SEO related functions with the addons available for this software). SEO options that come default with the software are above and beyond VB by leaps and bounds.
Result: 6 months later our forum traffic has quadrupled. We are averaging 165 users in Analytics "realtime" right now, and the forum software reports upwards of 700 active user sessions browsing the forums in a given 15 minute period, as mass quantities of high quality threads are getting indexed, and Google is removing all our "thin content" pages.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Preventing Spam
Spam handling is just incredible. one of our vBulletins - with all the bells and whistles of spam registration prevention turned ON - was still overrun with nearly 20,000 fake accounts that we simply couldn't stop from registering.
Result: Over the last 6 months, with Question and Answer, registration timers, and several other XF spam handling functions enabled, we have had a grand total of ZERO spam registrations succeed to go through, and on an average week, I might get 1 user that would have made it through, had it not been for XF's "safety net" that prompts me to approve or reject them - kindly telling me that the user's email or username or IP matches a previously banned user, or blacklisted account.
XenForo vs vBulletin: Usability
I have a forum full of grumpy people who are miserable. They hate change. And when I have switched forum softwares in the past, I had to listen to months of complaining. When we switched to XF, the reaction was not a single complaint from anyone. People absolutely love the UIX theme (its gorgeous in my opinion - the best one on the market hands down - great job @Mike Creuzer ), and it has caused participation to skyrocket in our first several months.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Mobile Friendliness
I wont even try to tell you how terrible vBulletin is for mobile. XF dominates in this regard as well.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Notices and User Communication
Floating notices (a sexy opaque, dismissable black box that appears bottom right when you want to alert people) have enabled me to communicate with users non-invasively for the first time anytime I need to. This has helped me push hundreds/thousands of views to specific threads, or new articles we've posted outside the forums. There are also options for a marquee with default functionality.
XenForo versus vBulletin: Addons and Extensions
The addon community for XF is staggeringly better. I wont mention any website names, but there are highly professional groups that major in creating addons, as well as many proficient users here who create them - to do anything and everything you could possibly imagine. The whole process is far more polished and well-done for XF compared to vBulletin.
In any case - I came here to say thanks to the XF devs for doing an amazing job and thought it might actually be a useful thing to put into Pre-Sales. If you're debating whether you should switch from vBulletin to XF - do it. The vBulletin team has, in my opinion, stopped putting out a quality product.
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