TwoScoopsOfHot wrote:
One way would be to disable the Premium account requirement for features on the EQ site. Honestly, there are other sites out there now that give the same information for free.... Magelo is one of them (like Recipe information per item). So, there's not real reason to have a Premium account that I can see... at least, not from a user's perspective. And not being able to find the thing I'm looking for on here just drives me to use those other sites anyway, which has made me more and more disinterested in Zam overall.
I've actually forwarded user input about premium to the powers that be at Zam. I don't see any movement on that happening at this time.
I think some get value out of premium for whatever perks it gives that they like (full searches, recipes, no need for adblock, etc.).
I think many stay subbed out of loyalty to support the site.
I think it is important to distinguish between a database user and visible participation in the community. Some users never login in, but lurk and use the database (which is fine). Some logged in users post exclusively under items, quests etc. to provide info to the playerbase --they are the backbone of this site being useful. Some login and post mainly in the general forum --this is the traffic that actually makes the place feel more alive.
Obviously some people do a mix of all.
To the point of the OP though, I think the easiest way to get more people on the boards is to have conversations started that are interesting enough to compel a person to login (or even sign up for a login). Every registered user can help with that... just start an interesting thread in the general forum. If nobody replies (has happened to me lol) then I guess the topic wasn't as interesting as you hoped.