Any plans for an app on the app store users can use for our websites?

[Disruption]

With trying to compete with items such as Discord, it is become apparent that users tend to use apps provided via the App Store to check things versus using Safari. Push notifications on iOS mobile suite aren't out officially yet which means users aren't being enticed to check websites where as Discord has push notifications. Trying to figure out ways to entice registrations in the future and I feel that a mobile app would yield significant benefits for my future community. Thoughts?

[Randy Calvert]

IPS worked on this for awhile, but discontinued the project.  In fact, it was in version 4.6.11 that IPS actually removed the last of the logic for the native app.  

Their efforts shifted to building better mobile web support and adding PWA.  

So it's most likely not on the radar anytime soon.  

[Disruption]

6 minutes ago, Randy Calvert said:

IPS worked on this for awhile, but discontinued the project.  In fact, it was in version 4.6.11 that IPS actually removed the last of the logic for the native app.  

Their efforts shifted to building better mobile web support and adding PWA.  

So it's most likely not on the radar anytime soon.  

Ah rats. I just have found that the majority of my audience uses Discord. Struggling to find the best ways to migrate that population to a website. Any suggestions? 

With the latest addition of forums to Discord, its become a challenge to draw people to some of what a website offers and hope that they check it as regularly as they do Discord ya know?

[Gary]

There is a topic created discussing Discord's new Forum Channels feature. There are always going to be pros and cons when it comes to these discussions, but you have to really nut down what you want out of your community. If the content you have on your forum is engaging and brings people back, then Discord can be used more like a chat service than a place to find actual content. At least that has been my experience. Perhaps coming up with ideas to redirect that traffic to your forum rather than Discord? Things like announcing something on Discord with a link to your forum, disabling discussion in that channel and indirectly you should find that your audience will go to the forum to discuss it. The more active they are on the forum, the more reason they have to come back often to follow up or engage.

I use Discord for four channels, and they are all related to games I play. The chat facility in the games these channels are created for are either very average, extremely limited or time out after ~100 chats, so anything said gets lost for good quite quickly, especially in active periods and in different time zones.

[Disruption]

8 hours ago, Gary said:

There is a topic created discussing Discord's new Forum Channels feature. There are always going to be pros and cons when it comes to these discussions, but you have to really nut down what you want out of your community. If the content you have on your forum is engaging and brings people back, then Discord can be used more like a chat service than a place to find actual content. At least that has been my experience. Perhaps coming up with ideas to redirect that traffic to your forum rather than Discord? Things like announcing something on Discord with a link to your forum, disabling discussion in that channel and indirectly you should find that your audience will go to the forum to discuss it. The more active they are on the forum, the more reason they have to come back often to follow up or engage.

I use Discord for four channels, and they are all related to games I play. The chat facility in the games these channels are created for are either very average, extremely limited or time out after ~100 chats, so anything said gets lost for good quite quickly, especially in active periods and in different time zones.

I like the idea of redirecting to the forum for announcements. That incentivizes forums. I agree with you on the subject of good content getting lost. Its why I am making the website in the first place. I want a reference-able area where users can find important content along with have meaningful discussions. Plus, there are a lot of other features that Invision offers that is substantial to my future growth plans. 

Appreciate the link too 🙂

[GazzaGarratt]

Its a hard balance to work out what's best. Overall though, as IPS has moved away from a fully fledged App, you have to find a way to embrace the community on all levels.

I use @SoftwareFactory's Discord 3d party application and get push notifications set up to channels across discord to remind people to see new topics, posts, polls, videos, events, etc. They have then have the choice. Some still won't and ultimately, thats okay if you want to keep the entire community. If you force people, it only antagonises the crowd and they step away from it all.

My 2p after embracing all channels of choice, is that its okay still to say all of the following:

• Our Website (or Forum) is the Main Hub/Home for all members
• Discord can live alongside it without the use of forums functionality as its not very good imo (switch it off in the settings)
• An App for IPS is definitely still worthwhile/needed seeing how users have evolved

[Disruption]

17 minutes ago, GazzaGarratt said:

Its a hard balance to work out what's best. Overall though, as IPS has moved away from a fully fledged App, you have to find a way to embrace the community on all levels.

I use @SoftwareFactory's Discord 3d party application and get push notifications set up to channels across discord to remind people to see new topics, posts, polls, videos, events, etc. They have then have the choice. Some still won't and ultimately, thats okay if you want to keep the entire community. If you force people, it only antagonises the crowd and they step away from it all.

My 2p after embracing all channels of choice, is that its okay still to say all of the following:

• Our Website (or Forum) is the Main Hub/Home for all members
• Discord can live alongside it without the use of forums functionality as its not very good imo (switch it off in the settings)
• An App for IPS is definitely still worthwhile/needed seeing how users have evolved

Thanks for the feedback Gazza. Out of curiosity, what does your website fulfill in comparison to Discord? How do you merge the two to make them a more seamless experience versus two disconnected applications?

If you are using forums for your website, how active are they in comparison to your discord?

[GazzaGarratt]

2 minutes ago, Agent Shark said:

Thanks for the feedback Gazza. Out of curiosity, what does your website fulfill in comparison to Discord? How do you merge the two to make them a more seamless experience versus two disconnected applications?

If you are using forums for your website, how active are they in comparison to your discord?

And thanks for an interesting topic to think and discuss!

I look at it as meaningful conversations and thoughts (like this one) happen on the website/forums. Discord and WhatsApp is there for instant messaging - a little talk but ultimately grabbing people's attention, for online stuff to do in the moment (we're gaming like most others connected to Discord).

You can use the app to merge accounts, but I've chosen not to - thats about your effort to benefit ratio. I focus on pushing content from the website to other channels of choice that they use to remind them where the conversations and other fun things are at. Interacting a little in Discord which is enough to keep engaged and then asking them to get involved in website stuff.

I look at our members as the website is the home, so you visit it like you go and see your Mum and Dad 😄 For some thats daily, others not so much! 😅 So they chat with their immediate family in the channel they choose, or house if you want to keep with the same analogy. I chat with my wife and kids in my house, or in this case, WhatsApp/Discord - but I get calls from my Mum (website/Forum) about stuff and then i engage/interact in that discussion.

I could probably change us to some super hungry user all about members, but I care about an engaging one, so members buy into this thinking and philosophy. I gain members slower but lose less over time. Thats I think the best way to manage a community, or in my thinking, family.

Sorry if my analogy got weird in that response...just easier to convey how I think which may resonate with you....or not! 😄

[Disruption]

27 minutes ago, GazzaGarratt said:

And thanks for an interesting topic to think and discuss!

I look at it as meaningful conversations and thoughts (like this one) happen on the website/forums. Discord and WhatsApp is there for instant messaging - a little talk but ultimately grabbing people's attention, for online stuff to do in the moment (we're gaming like most others connected to Discord).

You can use the app to merge accounts, but I've chosen not to - thats about your effort to benefit ratio. I focus on pushing content from the website to other channels of choice that they use to remind them where the conversations and other fun things are at. Interacting a little in Discord which is enough to keep engaged and then asking them to get involved in website stuff.

I look at our members as the website is the home, so you visit it like you go and see your Mum and Dad 😄 For some thats daily, others not so much! 😅 So they chat with their immediate family in the channel they choose, or house if you want to keep with the same analogy. I chat with my wife and kids in my house, or in this case, WhatsApp/Discord - but I get calls from my Mum (website/Forum) about stuff and then i engage/interact in that discussion.

I could probably change us to some super hungry user all about members, but I care about an engaging one, so members buy into this thinking and philosophy. I gain members slower but lose less over time. Thats I think the best way to manage a community, or in my thinking, family.

Sorry if my analogy got weird in that response...just easier to convey how I think which may resonate with you....or not! 😄

I LOVE THE ANALOGY! This is the crossover that I need to understand more and attempt to make it seamless. No pushy behaviors but rather, incentivize users to join. For my needs (I am a gaming geared group as well), I have a lot more opportunities to enhance a users experience with a website than I do with Discord. Discord is great and I have bots in place to offer moderating behaviors and other suites of items however, there are things missing and things that well... like you said, aren't mom and dad's. 

[Gary]

21 hours ago, Agent Shark said:

I like the idea of redirecting to the forum for announcements. That incentivizes forums. I agree with you on the subject of good content getting lost. Its why I am making the website in the first place. I want a reference-able area where users can find important content along with have meaningful discussions. Plus, there are a lot of other features that Invision offers that is substantial to my future growth plans. 

Appreciate the link too 🙂

Anything I can offer that I do myself, I am always happy to share.

Where else would you find this sort of information on Discord without having to find a channel specifically related to forum discussion? 😉

I look forward to seeing your community grow with some of the shared knowledge that you can find here at Invision Community, and the endless list of things you can find throughout the internet. It's just a matter of figuring out what works for you individually and for your audience. Some things are simpler than others, but you never really know unless you put it into practice. Try it, if it fails or has little traction, adjust your methods and soon enough you'll land right on something that works smoothly for you.