Proposed website expansion

**admin** · 02-07-2009, 02:56 PM

When the forum was created in December we decided to wait a while and see if there was any interest from you guys before deciding to proceed with stage 2 of the construction. Which is where we are now my friends.

We wanted to build a complete Wordpress based website around the forum.

Any suggestions of what should or shouldn't be included? For example, is anyone interested in writing articles, providing photo's, benchmarking latest tools, adding a blog or should we be sending out newsletters to the members? These are just a few ideas from several different combinations we could add to the forum. Can you think of any more?

Only wanted to see if you guys think this is a worthwhile idea. No poll, no deadline, just give us your honest opinions.

**admin** · 02-07-2009, 03:08 PM

And unlike Heathrow's Terminal 5 expansion, you won't have any baggage to go missing.

**admin** · 05-07-2009, 06:11 PM

Maybe I phrased that question wrong?
Is everyone happy with the forum the way it is?

**JPxTPxMP** · 05-07-2009, 08:24 PM

Only you know if adding to the site will make your life any easier, as it will surely cost more time and money?
Site is OK for now and i will still visit if it stays as a forum only. I enjoy the non commercial independent nature of the site , by this I mean its obvious you have a genuine interest in the trade and dont appear to financially backed by a big multinational whos sole aim is to generate massive amounts of cash. Are you trying to create something bigger like a brand?

Its a great idea inviting members to interact by writing there own articles.

**admin** · 05-07-2009, 11:22 PM

You're correct JP, the site was set up by amestaper and I. All you guys had to do was find the site and take part.

We wanted to create a simple nuts and bolts meeting place with no frills where we could talk, debate, buy, sell, argue, hire, fire or whatever. The only business plan we had, if there ever was one, was to build a website to cater for tapers as there wasn't an English speaking one available in Europe. There are plastering, painting and DIY communities where taping and drywall finishing occasionally get a mention and our idea just turned this concept on it's head. Somehow a forum seemed a good way to begin and a conventional website was shelved for 12 months to see if guys in the trade were interested in the site. If it flopped then we would just shut it down without anyone noticing.

We aren't backed by anyone else and there are no big companies hiding in the background influencing any decisions we make. What you see is what you get and we personally subsidise all the hosting costs while managing to work a few hours behind the scenes even though we have day jobs.

If it was our intention 'to generate massive amounts of cash' we would have spent a lot of money on creating a flashier site than this, may even have had the brass neck to ask for member subscriptions and have a tools and materials shopping cart. We've already been approached by several high profile companies enquiring about selling items but we graciously turned them down. Regarding the recent advertising thread, any fees we do charge will be directed back into redeveloping and running the site. (If it does go ahead and that’s not a certainty either)

The idea behind this thread was we wanted feedback, to know what you guys thought about the site and areas you reckon we could improve on. We encourage suggestions and constructive criticism which will give us facts and figures that we can use to improve the site because it isn't perfect. We do know our stuff about taping and jointing but we're amateurs when it comes to developing and expanding a website that’s generating a lot more traffic than we expected.

Adding anything to the site will make our lives more complicated and time consuming. After 7 months building the site up from nothing, we aren’t looking to do things the easy way, but only looking at ways to make it better.

A brand can only be created if you guys keep using the site and membership increases. We just got lucky in managing to buy a fantastic .com domain that was available.

That’s the setup in detail and what we hope to create at tapingandjointing.com JP. Thanks for your comment.

**amestaper** · 06-07-2009, 04:42 PM

The general idea is much the same as anything you would create. Shouldn't you always be looking for ways to make it better, bigger, faster, more efficient, and have some kind of aspirations and projections for the future?

In a way a brand is slowly being created if you take the tshirts and our other hair brained schemes into consideration.

The response over 4 days is crap and it reminds me of voter apathy at election time. Why don't you rename the thread to "dirty blondes pose with free tools" etc etc? I know it would catch my attention. If you don't get any feedback, I'm happy to leave the forum alone as I have lots of other stuff to be getting on with instead.

**the_tapeinator** · 08-07-2009, 06:45 PM

Honestly not bothered. anyone want to start a readers wives page ?

**admin** · 08-07-2009, 07:52 PM

Your sarcasm and wit are always appreciated. I can only say I'm thankful you don't have moderator privelages to add such a page to the forum and I've made a written note never to leave you in charge if I'm unable to administer the website.

You will have to find that kack somewhere else or use your imagination like the rest of us!

Thanks for your (first) opinion.