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Fourms VS waiting for database - 7/2/2010 10:49:15 AM
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FreeEagle
Posts: 81
Joined: 7/2/2008
From: Minnesota
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I manage a website in which we sell ad space, for collectors looking for the items they collect. The problem is currently, when an ad is submitted, we create an html page, for the ad, and another for the collectors contact information, then the categories with in the ad, are added to some other pages, which link the category to the ad. Because each page is SEO, and much research is done to set this right, it takes about an hour or more of physical time to get the ad posted. I know the real answer would be building a database. I am now learning PHP and MySql to build the database I want, but that will be about a year out. In the mean time, My web host offers a PHP BB, in which someone suggested I use that to post the ads. While the ads would not be SEO, they could be uploaded quickly. In addition, because it's important that the ads stay organized, (and not easily lost) we will have to give the end user limited posting rights, and have to bump or rearrange the posts on a regular bases. The use of the forum board would get the ads posted about 90 times faster, but we would loose the quality of the html postings. Would you use a BB for this type of purpose/ Why / why not? Or would you wait until the database was built correctly? Or is there an easier (cheap) way?
_____________________________
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse and the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Psalms 32 8-
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RE: Fourms VS waiting for database - 7/2/2010 11:15:52 AM
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iluvatar
Posts: 3548
Joined: 4/12/2005
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What is the web site you have now? I don't really see how a forum would replace paid ad space, but I may not be understanding how your business works, either.
-Dan.
_____________________________
Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
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RE: Fourms VS waiting for database - 7/2/2010 2:54:00 PM
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neuronstatic
Posts: 1431
Joined: 7/14/2005
From: North Carolina!
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It occurs to me that if you are going to offer ad space at a cost, then you must add something of value, either optimization, quality of ad, or something else.
In that light, I would tend to not use the BB service, most are not designed for that kind of thing. They do well at sorting threads/categories and allowing free-form posting, but my guess is people pay more for some real service, not just to drop a note on a page, they can do that cheap enough on eBay.
You probably want some kind of CMS like system or webstore.
Or you could do something that at least automates what you are doing now/ Perhaps something that allows a "customer" to post their ad in a form, then you have some magic run across it on the server and spit out a web page just as if it was manually edited. This would be a step up and not require a full DB yet.
What is the current site?
_____________________________
Click here for an example of God blessing a man with a second chance at marriage in a new wife.
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RE: Fourms VS waiting for database - 7/2/2010 4:44:02 PM
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FreeEagle
Posts: 81
Joined: 7/2/2008
From: Minnesota
Status: offline
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The web site is MisterFindIT, it's been a real learning curve to build it, but I do rank high with Google when searching for "collectible buyers". My challenge is two fold. 1.) I post many of the ads myself (from my personal list of collectors), in honor of the original buyer. I know that when enough buyers ads are posted, more people will buy the memberships to contact said buyers. Most of these buyers have paid $40 - $100 to place 3 line ads else where, I charge $32, (currently discounted to $10). But I also include photos and many more lines of information. I myself have almost 10,000 buyers on my list (in paper form), and I have to hand type and contact everyone I post an ad for. 2.) But I also know that the more ads posted, more people are going want to post their ads. I know that if I keep posting the way I am, there is no way I can keep up. And if I hired someone, even at minimum wage, after taxes and SSI withholding, I'll be paying out at least $15 per ad. I want to keep the process affordable, but yet not be loosing money in doing it. The plan is to post (copy, paste, organize links, and postings) ads the way people type them, (not doing the SEO for them, but giving them the tools to do it them self), and charge $5 for an ad posted that way (into BB). And charge full price for ads in which we do the SEO work, and post the ad in HTML as well as the BB.
_____________________________
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse and the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Psalms 32 8-
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RE: Fourms VS waiting for database - 7/2/2010 7:10:36 PM
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iluvatar
Posts: 3548
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
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Honestly, a forum might be a good a model for this - or at least for most of it. phpBB is free and vBulletin is pretty cheap (which reminds me, I have to renew my license...). You could just charge a subscription to use the site and let the users practically run free. There are several message boards I frequent that have classified sections that work just fine.
-Dan.
_____________________________
Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
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