Introducing Bike Hub Plus

Thanks to everyone for the support. Not only our new Plus subscribers, but every member who continues to be a part of the Bike Hub journey. Thank you.

 

We know the introduction of paid memberships will raise some questions. We know it's not going to appeal to everyone or be possible for everyone, and that's okay. Bike Hub as you know it is not disappearing behind a paywall.

 

But for those who find value in the Plus features or simply want to support what we do, it is an option.

 

Ultimately revenue from memberships will enable us to do more to continue improving the platform into the future. Although some features will remain Plus specific, broader ongoing improvements will benefit all users. 

So... how about those comments in the classifieds?

Thanks to everyone for the support. Not only our new Plus subscribers, but every member who continues to be a part of the Bike Hub journey. Thank you.

 

We know the introduction of paid memberships will raise some questions. We know it's not going to appeal to everyone or be possible for everyone, and that's okay. Bike Hub as you know it is not disappearing behind a paywall.

 

But for those who find value in the Plus features or simply want to support what we do, it is an option.

 

Ultimately revenue from memberships will enable us to do more to continue improving the platform into the future. Although some features will remain Plus specific, broader ongoing improvements will benefit all users.

Why are you trying to get an updated super-site when most of the users here are just after the banter?

You seem to be trying to justify keeping an office full of geeks employed.

I for one am not after cutting-edge website technology.

Who are you trying to compete against?

thanks, thats awesome to know.

 

I also promise to keep asking all the uncomfortable questions on everyones behalf

What?

Most of the updates you guys do is a waste of money anyways.

Why are you trying to get an updated super-site when most of the users here are just after the banter?

You seem to be trying to justify keeping an office full of geeks employed.

I for one am not after cutting-edge website technology.

Who are you trying to compete against?

Mature they are trying to make constant improvement to keep up with the times

Where?

Here

Where do I subscribe

 

Please no Corona threads for Plus members

All the details are in the intro article here: https://community.bikehub.co.za/features/_/news/industry-news/introducing-bike-hub-plus-r8134

And if you'd just like to sign up here you can do that here.

I really want my subscription fee to go towards uploading photos on mobile

 

and I want stuff, loads of stuff for fee

 

I demand

+ 1 million 

 

Please, Admin. Been asking since Peter Sagan become world champ for the 2nd time.

me three

 

 

I know we've been overpromising on this one without any delivery.   

Short version: Agree it's much needed, we'll see if there is a short term solution on the current forum platform.

Long version: The forum platform we're running now is a very old version in dire need on an update. It's necessary to support much needed features like mobile uploads (which should be a default) and to ensure ongoing stability & security. Updating the forums requires us to undo some of the customisations we'd made over the years (e.g. Classifieds, Events, Stolen Bikes). The big one (Classifieds) is complete so we're well on the way to completing this step, but realistically it's still a few months away. 

***Post only visible to BikeHub® Premium Members***

Haha beat me to it bud, after all of these years its an actual things now

It absolutely should have been called BikeHub Premium™

They should hide the leaderboards

we actually agree here..i do snub/stay off websites with paywalls lol...

 

EDIT: let me explain my stance further.

i dont have an issue if you want a gold border around your avatar and get some added benifit. I'll even go so far to say that you need to be a premium member to be able to sell on here...I would totally get that....and support it too ( only with comments on classified ) it will be better for everyone.

I do have an issue with being denied acces to information/a website because i choose not to be subjected to spam...if that means I lose some of it's functionality...thats fine by me.....but totally denying access to information?

 

my gut says bikehub is going behind a paywall. i can obviously be wrong.

 

anyway..lets see how it goes.

admins silence is deafening.  i'm scratching on purpose...i want an answer

It costs money to host and develop a site like this. Sometimes that can be recovered in the form of advertising but with all of the ad blockers that isnt always the case.

I think the bottom line is that you either want to support the site of you dont. If you dont then that is cool too, this community means more to some than others.

Forums like Carbonite have been doing this for years and have not put themselves behind a paywall.

Its funny how you get to know personalities over time on a forum like this. 

Pretty much most of the people I expected would support this have their yellow borders and I think that is awesome.

It costs money to host and develop a site like this. Sometimes that can be recovered in the form of advertising but with all of the ad blockers that isnt always the case.

 

I think the bottom line is that you either want to support the site of you dont. If you dont then that is cool too, this community means more to some than others.

 

Forums like Carbonite have been doing this for years and have not put themselves behind a paywall.

Yet only last December the hub community was not deemed the core of the bikehub and that classifieds were and hence the justification for the revamp of the website

Forgive me quoting myself from another thread:

Classifieds does account for the lions share of activity on Bike Hub (70% of page views on the site) so it is certainly an important factor for the business and a big focus for us moving forward. One of our goals is to better highlight this section, particularly for new visitors.

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/184170-site-update-whats-new-feedback/?hl=site

Call me a cynic or playing devils advocate here....

Covid19, reduction in classified traffic, reduction in site sponsors and advertising.  Hello hub community, you are now important and you have to pay for it?

It is the only forum that am on that have ever been now asked to pay for!

So lets continue down this winding road.  As stated...

As a Bike Hub Plus member, your contribution means we pull the plug on external advertising networks which supplement our revenue but offer less control over your experience and privacy on Bike Hub.

We all subscribe, we all start blocking adverts (personally I do not find them intrusive as no matter what site you go to whether social media, online forums, online newspapers... adverts are there and there to stay). 

Clients who want to pay for adverts now realise that their target audience actually have the ability to block adverts so there is no benefit in advertising on the Bkehub!!  What then??? Bikehub hits forum community for more money to keep going?  You join "Premium Bikehub" not just Bikehub plus????

As soon as I am back at work and earning 100% salary, count me in. Unfortunately, until then I will have to stay as a "free loader".

Yet only last December the hub community was not deemed the core of the bikehub and that classifieds were and hence the justification for the revamp of the website

 

Forgive me quoting myself from another thread:

 

Classifieds does account for the lions share of activity on Bike Hub (70% of page views on the site) so it is certainly an important factor for the business and a big focus for us moving forward. One of our goals is to better highlight this section, particularly for new visitors.

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/184170-site-update-whats-new-feedback/?hl=site

 

Call me a cynic or playing devils advocate here....

 

Covid19, reduction in classified traffic, reduction in site sponsors and advertising.  Hello hub community, you are now important and you have to pay for it?

 

It is the only forum that am on that have ever been now asked to pay for!

 

So lets continue down this winding road.  As stated...

 

As a Bike Hub Plus member, your contribution means we pull the plug on external advertising networks which supplement our revenue but offer less control over your experience and privacy on Bike Hub.

 

We all subscribe, we all start blocking adverts (personally I do not find them intrusive as no matter what site you go to whether social media, online forums, online newspapers... adverts are there and there to stay). 

 

Clients who want to pay for adverts now realise that their target audience actually have the ability to block adverts so there is no benefit in advertising on the Bkehub!!  What then??? Bikehub hits forum community for more money to keep going?  You join "Premium Bikehub" not just Bikehub plus????

well I don't think anyone is disputing that this is a business, and sometimes businesses need to take tough decisions.

in the sector online bicycle sites, this is Sagan vs Betancur after a 2 week training camp in vegas.

https://inthebunch.co.za/forum/

so they need to do what they need to do to keep it going, and what they want to improve. As a monopoly in a small space they can be pretty wild. I'm a little bit skeptical of the value add that a plus member gets for me currently, but I'm more than happy to put my ca$h down to support and come along for the ride. BUT you can't please all the people all the time, so some pushback is not unexpected or unwarranted.

of course i could be totally wrong, and the new Mrs Admin might have found the pants during lockdown and now just wants SMEG all over her kitchen, and she wants it NOW.

To be honest, I do not find the ad's intrusive at all. In fact, I  like them! I like to see who is offering what and give's you a bit on insight in to the world of selling bicycle components etc. 

And to ask for money now?  I am already paying gym membership with no gym. Think I'll keep my randela's.

As soon as I am back at work and earning 100% salary, count me in. Unfortunately, until then I will have to stay as a "free loader".

yeah I'll probably do the same once I'm earning money.

Whilst I have a dislike for the paid membership as a principle, I also appreciate that this is not just someones side hobby and real money is needed to keep things going.

I do hope that paid member gets a few more forum perks down the line though.

Most of the updates you guys do is a waste of money anyways.

Why are you trying to get an updated super-site when most of the users here are just after the banter?

You seem to be trying to justify keeping an office full of geeks employed.

I for one am not after cutting-edge website technology.

Who are you trying to compete against?

How do you know it's a waste of money? Can you see their back office, flow/visitor numbers? You see what the updates 'look' like, but you will find what they 'DO' is better. 

I think you need to accept that as a business, BikeHub needs to keep it's platforms current and up to date, not just for the end user but also for their data collection, ease of use, size of delivery etc

Geeks? Really? 

Wow....... Traditional name calling from the school yard to try to come across more assertive. 

You go big man! 

Yet only last December the hub community was not deemed the core of the bikehub and that classifieds were and hence the justification for the revamp of the website

 

Forgive me quoting myself from another thread:

 

Classifieds does account for the lions share of activity on Bike Hub (70% of page views on the site) so it is certainly an important factor for the business and a big focus for us moving forward. One of our goals is to better highlight this section, particularly for new visitors.

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/184170-site-update-whats-new-feedback/?hl=site

 

Call me a cynic or playing devils advocate here....

 

Covid19, reduction in classified traffic, reduction in site sponsors and advertising.  Hello hub community, you are now important and you have to pay for it?

 

It is the only forum that am on that have ever been now asked to pay for!

 

So lets continue down this winding road.  As stated...

 

As a Bike Hub Plus member, your contribution means we pull the plug on external advertising networks which supplement our revenue but offer less control over your experience and privacy on Bike Hub.

 

We all subscribe, we all start blocking adverts (personally I do not find them intrusive as no matter what site you go to whether social media, online forums, online newspapers... adverts are there and there to stay). 

 

Clients who want to pay for adverts now realise that their target audience actually have the ability to block adverts so there is no benefit in advertising on the Bkehub!!  What then??? Bikehub hits forum community for more money to keep going?  You join "Premium Bikehub" not just Bikehub plus????

I can understand the concerns and there is merit in some of what you're saying, however it's important to look at what we've communicated in full context and I'm happy to give transparency.

In December we did launch the update and explain some of the shifts. This is the full version of the excerpt you quoted:

Classifieds does account for the lions share of activity on Bike Hub (70% of page views on the site) so it is certainly an important factor for the business and a big focus for us moving forward. One of our goals is to better highlight this section, particularly for new visitors.

 

However, it's vital for us to balance the community (forums), news & articles, events and other elements of the site. They're all important pillars for us and the forums and great Bike Hub community are the reason for our existence. 

 

Although we have increased the prominance of Classifieds on the home page, we've not decreased that of the forums (e.g. the Discussions aka "Latest Topics" box is still in a similar position).

 

Community is at the core and even with the increased focus on Classifieds, community underpins everything we do. The Bike Hub community grew within the the forums, but it extends to all areas of the site. There is a community within Classifieds, community in the Forums, and some overlap. 

Covid 19 impacts

It's no surprise that Covid 19 impacted Bike Hub as it has most people and businesses. As you've rightly pointed out, Classifieds activity declined significantly in April. And advertising revenue was hit hard. Thankfully both began recovering in May and we're seeing a continuation of that trend in June.

The impact of lockdown was not the driving force behind Bike Hub Plus. It was obviously a factor in the timing and frankly in that regard we felt it's not an ideal time to launch a paid offering or to ask people to part with money. Ultimately we went ahead with the confidence that it is 100% optional and we're not taking features away from those who don't sign up. 

Advertising

You're quite right that there's a risk that advertisers see less benefit in advertising on Bike Hub in a scenario where a significant percentage of our users are blocking ads. Even without Bike Hub Plus blocking ads is a risk to us. Although we've always leaned in favour of user experience over advertising revenue, we are already impacted by freely available ad blocking thanks to the proliferation of intrusive advertising across the web.

We work with some fantastic brands in the local bike industry and will continue to do so. We firmly believe that a less cluttered and more refined advertising environment on Bike Hub can offer more value to advertising clients, while still respecting the choices of Plus users. 

In May 2020 Bike Hub had 238 650 Unique Visitors. If 10% of that number were Bike Hub Plus members (which would be VERY optimistic in our view), even if they all blocked all advertising there remains a compelling case to advertise on Bike Hub based on the audience reach. Sure, even at low percentages perceptions will matter, and it's our job to ensure we communicate effectively with the market around that.

 

In May 2020 Bike Hub had 238 650 Unique Visitors. If 10% of that number were Bike Hub Plus members (which would be VERY optimistic in our view), even if they all blocked all advertising there remains a compelling case to advertise on Bike Hub based on the audience reach. Sure, even at low percentages perceptions will matter, and it's our job to ensure we communicate effectively with the market around that.

 

 

 

Out of interest, what is the normal average of unique visitors to Bike Hub ?

Was there a spike during lockdown ?

To be honest, I do not find the ad's intrusive at all. In fact, I  like them! I like to see who is offering what and give's you a bit on insight in to the world of selling bicycle components etc. 

 

And to ask for money now?  I am already paying gym membership with no gym. Think I'll keep my randela's.

yeah I'll probably do the same once I'm earning money.

Whilst I have a dislike for the paid membership as a principle, I also appreciate that this is not just someones side hobby and real money is needed to keep things going.

 

I do hope that paid member gets a few more forum perks down the line though.

As I touched on in the lengthy post prior, this was a big topic of conversation and consideration for us. Is it the right time to launch this given the major financial crunch many will be facing. Are we being tone deaf or insulting in even asking?

We launched with much apprehension considering the current environment, but chose to push ahead given the key principles of the offering:

#1 it's optional

#2 we're not restricting or altering the "free" Bike Hub experience

In terms of perks... most definitely. These will expand over time and we're keen to learn more about where Hubbers see value. We know that won't be the same for everyone, but we also know there's much room to grow the value proposition.

To be honest, I do not find the ad's intrusive at all. In fact, I  like them! I like to see who is offering what and give's you a bit on insight in to the world of selling bicycle components etc. 

 

And to ask for money now?  I am already paying gym membership with no gym. Think I'll keep my randela's.

Just to clarify the Bike Hub Plus advert removal. Direct sold adverts from the bike industry are not blocked on Bike Hub Plus by default. We appreciate that people like to see these. It is the adverts that follow you around from site to site that are blocked.

There is an opt-in option for BH Plus members to further remove the direct sold adverts too and be completely ad free.

1 word: PiHole 

Shoewee. Nice one guys

How do you know it's a waste of money? Can you see their back office, flow/visitor numbers? You see what the updates 'look' like, but you will find what they 'DO' is better. 

 

I think you need to accept that as a business, BikeHub needs to keep it's platforms current and up to date, not just for the end user but also for their data collection, ease of use, size of delivery etc. 

 

Geeks? Really? 

 

Wow....... Traditional name calling from the school yard to try to come across more assertive. 

 

You go big man! 

@jewbacca  I am on the same side as you on this one.  It blows my mind why people have to pivot immediately to insulting, derogatory and abusive language when they find something they simply could choose to ignore or just pass by. 

You know, if I were a less than civilized person without the gobs of restraint that I possess, I would be inclined to call out this KingCrispy human dumpster as a miserable box who should eat a bag of d1.cks.  Fortunately, I am far too peaceful and serene, so all I am going to do is politely suggest that he exercise his economic right to decline BHPlus offer, and perhaps refrain from the attempts at just sh,1.tting all over a genuine attempt by the good folk at BH to try something new.  How hard is that?

Out of interest, what is the normal average of unique visitors to Bike Hub ?

Was there a spike during lockdown ?

We normally see numbers in the 170-220k range depending on the season. 

April was slightly up relative to depressed March numbers but still on the low end of that range. In April we saw a 20% growth in forum activity, but had a 50% decline in Classifieds activity.

May was a different story though, posting our best numbers traffic wise in roughly 12 months. We suspect in part as a result of people getting out on their bikes more in level 4 and more newbies came looking for advice and options to get out on two wheels.

We normally see numbers in the 170-220k range depending on the season. 

 

April was slightly up relative to depressed March numbers but still on the low end of that range. In April we saw a 20% growth in forum activity, but had a 50% decline in Classifieds activity.

 

May was a different story though, posting our best numbers traffic wise in roughly 12 months. We suspect in part as a result of people getting out on their bikes more in level 4 and more newbies came looking for advice and options to get out on two wheels.

Thanks, your answer follows what I suspected in term of traffic peak in May.

Now just to retain those visitors.