What would you guys think???

What would you guys think if i did a S.B.O special users area?????
it would be a area for members that donate "like a membership" and its forums only donating members can post and see like a club sort of..
this would help a little with supporting the cost of running the site.

the rest of the site will stay the same as always.

just throwing ideas out to help me off set the cost of running things...if you have any pleas feel free to share.

thanks smitty

Smitty,i'm in to help or donate in anyway i can..what ever you guys come up with im down.. Maybe we can raffel off some plug,reels,tackle or anything that can be shipped..

Smitty just my .2 cents but I hate the idea of a pay to belong to a what would be a private area. There might be some young kids or ppl that can't aford to pay to join. That said what would be the gain to belong ??
Maybe something like Joe said to donate twice a year. For a raffle or to auction items.

I agree with Charlie. Even though I would probably join the private area I think it would alienate some members from others. I like the idea of an auction or a few auctions throughout the year to help raise funds. I also think that as our membership grows the site will become more attractive to advertisers. Tackle shops, party boats, charters, More tackle suppliers. I realize with 300 members its tough to charge much for advertising but we'll get there. I would talk to Ronnie and see if he'd be interested in free ad space for a few months to help promote the site. I also think we need to attract the club guys. How about charging a nickle everytime someone curses? :) Monty and BJ would be paying alot of bills!

I don't have a problem with a paid-user area with special access as such, but I don't know that a locked forum like that would really be much of a draw if all you get for your membership is special access. I'm an "insider" over at Striper Surf. I joined for access to the members-only articles and for access to the members-only forum. Both have proven to be, in my opinion, a colossal waste of money. Paying for something like that and not really getting what I consider to be my moneys worth kinda turned me off to Striper Surf and I would never buy an insider membership there again. I don't recall what I paid for the insider membership, it wasn't much ($10-$20) but it's something that they're only going to hit me up for once. The thing is, if they had simply asked for a donation I would have made one. And I wouldn't have had any hard feelings over not getting my moneys worth because it would have been a "kindness of your own heart" sort of thing rather than a purchase I'm unhappy with having made.

I think there are better ways to make money than to disapoint people.

A couple of suggestions in addition to auctions:

1. Voluntary donations. It never hurts to ask. There isn't any special access or anything for making a donation, but maybe you get a little "badge" under your avatar (that I suppose would make you all warm and fuzzy if that's how you get off). You aren't promised anything and you don't recieve anything so there's nothing to get your feelings hurt over. I would try this first. I don't know what it costs to run a website but I would imagine that many people here (at least those who post regularly which is probably up to 100 or so members) would be more than happy to pony up $10 or $20 a year to help keep this place running.

2. Any business transactions that occur on the site are "taxed" at 5% or 10%. Just as a for-instance kind of thing, I just bought 4 plugs from Sephus for $45. Joe's plugs are worth well more than $11 each, in fact I would say that they're worth triple that. If Joe knew going in that he was going to be "taxed" he could have sold them at 4 for $50 and that extra $5 could have gone to SBO. I'm happy because I get a couple of great lures for an incredible price, Joe's happy because he gets to sell his baits at a price he chooses, and SBO gets a little something for making us both happy and for providing a forum in which we were able to make the transaction. Why shouldn't the site benefit for putting buyer and seller together like that. Trades might be a little harder to valuate, so maybe you put a flat tax of $1 or $2 per transaction on any trades. Again, all parties benefit. You could also waive the tax at your discretion or the discretion of the Yard Sale forum administrators for folks who might have a tough time paying it (kids, the elderly who are on fixed income, those getting their balls crushed by this recession, etc...) Further, you could collect these taxes in cash or in kind. If guys are trading $50 and $100 lures regularly there's no reason that that they couldn't be asked to "donate" a Gibbs lure or some metal or a fished-but-in-good-condition custom Jersey wood once or twice a year that would get thrown into a lot that gets auctioned off (or is individually auctioned off).

I was going mention the "Insider" forum as well. Except my opinion is the exact opposite. For the cost of a plug you get access to articles, a more detailed report section (in season), email notifications if a report update is made, and members are a little more willing to share information in the forum because you know that every tom, dick and harry isn't reading it. Is the information I gather and the ability to catch more fish worth the money. I think so.

Some other ideas could be to get the plug builders on the site to donate some pluggage and then sell raffles.

Bobes wrote:I was going mention the "Insider" forum as well. Except my opinion is the exact opposite. For the cost of a plug you get access to articles, a more detailed report section (in season), email notifications if a report update is made, and members are a little more willing to share information in the forum because you know that every tom, dick and harry isn't reading it. Is the information I gather and the ability to catch more fish worth the money. I think so.

Some other ideas could be to get the plug builders on the site to donate some pluggage and then sell raffles.

So it would be a section where spot burning is allowed among other things? Hmmm.

That would be up to the administrators on how far you want to take it. Could be. Could be informational articles, how to's, etc.

keep them coming guys i like this lots of great minds at work .......

ok so as of now i wont be looking to do a private area this is why i ask for your input i need to know how you guys feel and what you guys like...

Smitty, I'm down with what you need to get this great site running well. And I would have no problem with Soot's idea. Even if you have an initial annual charge permitting a member to sell or trade and then perhaps a $1 charge for each transaction.

I understand there are costs to cover, so I'm sure whatever you come up with will be honored by your members

Seph


Soot: thanks for the compliments on my lures :)

Smitty
Look at this way. If the website is run as an expense of Smittyplugs Inc. It can be written off. Chances are you'll not owe any taxes for the next several years.

Im sure its not the taxes that are the issue its the cost of keeping up the site itself. people dont understand the cost involved. You have to pay for domain, as well as hosting and the more you grow the more space you need and bandwidth, that all cost money and believe me the cost can grow rapidly. As I stated earlier I thinbk there are pleanty of options to raise funds before having to directly charge for manbership or entrance to a private area. I dont know if Im allowed to post names of sites here but I can name quite a few who went that rout and are now gone. There is also currently what was a great site owned and run by some of the best on this hobby that is a pay site and its just about gone, sometimes no new messages in days except from the admins trying to get peoples interest. For a site to do good you need members, all the members you can get, young, old, smart stupid, fat and skinny and when you charge you alienate some. And to grow you cant afford to alienate anyone.

OK guys thanks for the input....

i think in the future i will do some auctions like said above...
the last thing i want to do is scare any one away form being a member.
till that day comes i will keep paying the bills as thay come lol more Smitty plug in the yard sale lol....

I am memeber of 2 pay sites and renew every year , be one way to keep the assholes out

Ok Smitty

I will make a 4 plug set to be auctioned off or sold what ever way you want with all moneys going to SBO..

Time is tough write now but give me a little bit and it will be done ...


You Got It

Ed

awesome ed thanks

Oldsalts wrote:Ok Smitty

I will make a 4 plug set to be auctioned off or sold what ever way you want with all moneys going to SBO..

Time is tough write now but give me a little bit and it will be done ...


You Got It

Ed

I'll take them!!

fifty bucks a plug sold to kevnmary lol thanks kev for the site help

$50 Ouch that hurts. Looks like the family will be eating pasta and beans for the next couple of weeks! :affraid:

dont worry kev i help you out and give u a striper to eat too lol :idea:

I'll take one of those trout you "guided" that little kid to.

Smitty I belong to several sites and try to donate to them all. I appreciate the work it takes to keep them up and running. Your site is a good un as I have said before. I will donate to it regardless of a special site designation. There are good points etc to both sides of the question. Instead of the site, a hat perhaps with the logo on it?? Or not, depending on what you decide to do, one way or the other, I ain't going nowhere.... salt

Smitty Maybe you could do something like a one time fee to sell on the yardsale area of the site then you wouldn't have to charge per transaction. If people don't want to pay the fee then they still would be able to use the rest of the site just noth the yard sale section. (This would be for sellers only) You could put something over by their avitar so you would know if the fee was paid and that person should be selling there. It still would be cheaper than any auction site fees and would help you out with your costs.