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  • Category: Announcements

    Future of ISC - Need your inputs

    Team,

    A few years ago, we made an announcement that we are switching to a true academic website. The goal was to make ISC an education portal with only education/admission-related content. The reason behind this change was because Google was giving priority for websites which focus on limited topics rather than dealing with all sorts of mixed content.

    However, I am afraid that our decision didn't bring the results we expected. Over a period of time, we lost traffic in various sections. Also, since we didn't allow non-academic topics, we lost lot of opportunities for additional traffic through general topics.

    We are now reconsidering switching back to our old approach of allowing all general topics. This might give us additional opportunities to generate traffic through a wide range of topics.

    However, before making such a big move again, I like to get the feedback of each one of you. You all made ISC what we are today and so we want to take your input into consideration in every move we make.

    Dear ISC members, please let us know your honest feedback regarding this.

    Should we switch back to a general portal dealing with a wide range of topics or should we remain focused on education specific topics?

    Looking forward to seeing the feedback from each one of you.
  • #777250
    Today we are in a dynamic business world that is changing fast depending on the circumstances and tough competitive environment around especially on the internet.
    Some websites are operating in some focused areas but again there are many in the fray and I am afraid that there will be more competition among them in coming times. So that could be one disadvantage of remaining in a niche area for a long.
    The same logic of competition applies to the general sites also but the only advantage is as there are so many activities in them traffic could build up considering the large number of floating surfers in the webspace.
    For example, if allowed to advertise one's writings elsewhere in the social hub here, some people will visit only for that purpose. Like people visiting book clubs just to talk about their published books.
    At the same time managing a general site would require more editors to handle the spam and unwanted content issues.
    In essence, going back to general things with an emphasis on education would be a good idea in this situation. Many old members might start contributing back.

    Knowledge is power.

  • #777251
    ISC has always been an educational portal with freedom to discuss any topic. When people had freedom they contributed better, which is the reason ISC had many active users in the past.

    In my opinion, if something is not working then there should be no problem in reverting back to the old style. Afterall, traffic matters to ISC and it should come at any cost. You give freedom to the users and they will make this place lively for sure.

    Humble yourself or life will do it for you!

  • #777269
    When ISC was educational cum general site then I was contributing in various sections and was taking part in the contest also. Many members were participating in those contest and were being awarded also. That time forum section was very vibrant because of so many contest in a month. Due to personal reasons I had to stop contributing in this site and now I have come back after the gap of about 2 years.
    I observed many changes here as the site was dedicated to mainly educational contents. Still I found some sections like article section, information update, knowledge centre, etc where I could contribute but the fun and excitement part of participating in the contest was missing.
    If going back to the earlier model helps ISC in generating better traffic then I will certainly welcome that move.

    Thoughts exchanged is knowledge gained.

  • #777273
    Every person can't contribute to an educational site. So, I think we are facing low traffic to the site. In my opinion, it is a good decision to switch again to an educational cum general site. The field of education is very waste and everything we contribute may be considered as an educational resource. Can make different sections subject-wise or category-wise where the members can contribute as educational resources.

    Tony sir, you are the master and know better than others. If you are also thinking about switching this portal to a general site, I think it would be a better decision. As we have observed there is a good contribution in the forum section after the permission for general discussion.

    Honesty is the best policy.

  • #777277
    I feel it is better to switch over to a general site dealing with all types of subjects. Because more people will be visiting this site for various reasons. For example, earlier we were getting questions related to various topics in the Expert Answers section. Today if somebody wants to ask a question other than education-related there is no room here. Probably such people may be going for other sites. If we accept articles related to all fields we may also receive more articles. Earlier we saw many articles related to tourism etc. But these days I am not seeing such articles.
    All stakeholders should try their best. There were many Editors earlier. But these days we are seeing only 2 or 3 of them only active. We may not know the reasons for their absence. ISC should have editors who spend some time on this site. These are my feelings.

    drrao
    always confident

  • #777287
    This thread by Tony evokes mixed feelings in me.
    1. Happy and plosive - that Tony and his team have come with an open mind admitting their misjudgment; and without blaming members or expecting miracles from them, have sought for a frank feedback.

    2. Sad- that ISC lost a couple of productive years and lost revenue in the miscalculated interregnum. Sadly we members also lost. This was (I feel) because of the rigidity by ISC authority team, overlooking the consistent reminder from members that the reason for low productivity(activity) was due to the changeover to a fixed educational sector site.

    3. Feeling more responsibility- as it is our(members) moral responsibility to bring back the site to its pervious glory and earning positions, as we feel sentimentally attached to it especially after the site owners have realized their wrong decision and openly sought our co-operation.

    4. Feeling proved analytically or prophetically right- Though I was allowing the ISC authority the prerogative of selecting or changing business strategy, I was also hinting directly and indirectly that it is not prudent to identify ISC as a 'pure educational channel' with its current business model and sought to roll back to its old, general channel mode.

    I quote the relevant portion from my forum response to this thread in February 2023.

    Quote "The situation now is general visitors who are interested in light learning and decent social interaction do not have anything new here; at the same time the new generation students and job seekers do not have anything more here to learn than what is available in their academic realms and in general media sources. It also does not offer professional content in guidance or awareness.

    So either (1) ISC has to rediscover itself as a general content site with a bent towards decency, civility and knowledge sharing with amateur participation, as it was;
    OR
    (2) it should change and repack itself as a professional site focused on education and career opportunities guidance.

    ISC has to identify and then place itself at the right slot. No meaning in blaming social media.
    I trust my frank view here will be taken in the right spirit. I do not have any personal axe to grind and I am one who always believed and said that the world (real and virtual) is so large that everyone will find their suitable place. ISC too." Unquote

    I recall a couple of proverbs or quotes in this context.
    "You must have the bird in your heart, before you can find it in the bush"
    "Keep a bough in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come"

    Yes, the singing birds of ISC which had flown away when the giant tree was cropped lean and dry, will now come back- all of different feathers ,will now flock back, if they see and ensure that the tree is being nourished to be back with green leaves, branches and flowers.

    I would be only too happy to see the good old ISC with its variety, openness and magnanimity and user friendly interface, coming back and flourishing.

  • #777293
    As we are aware, ISC being an exclusive platform for education and career orientation transformed recently, has been of quality importance, but traffic always counts for its growth in terms of contributions/performance/revenue and so on. I feel that education and career are completely for our young generation, who have now been in the modern era of technology, the reality we need to accept. As a service-oriented, educational niche channel not much support with the revenue part and slowdown of traffic, I suppose, change alone is unchangeable. It is essential at this point and time to modify the website to match the requirements of the potential users, I should say, the youth of our nation if it completely depends on education and career.

    I would like to mention here one point most of us have no patience in going through lengthy articles but are interested more in short/sweet/visual content. Why I am pinpointing this factor is because YouTube/other apps/platforms dominate the search engines.
    Moreover, to continue as an ideal education website, I believe that the site needs redesigning to suit the modern trends of internet-friendly users to attract more traffic.

    I would suggest the site may be transformed to a general with more emphasis on education plus adding a few more sections on reviews of books, movies, media, travel (since these are also part of entertainment-based education), lifestyle, health, gadgets, etc. A few years back, ISC conducted contests in such categories, which kept the site entertained and lively, which are now missing,

    In a nutshell, Tony and his team of webmasters have enough knowledge at present search engine algorithms and we all hope for the best of our ISC as a part and parcel of this wonderful portal. Finally, a word of appreciation goes to the webmaster to look forward to our feedback in his polite way, which indeed exhibits his generosity.

  • #777301
    Thank you everyone for the valuable feedback. We will come back soon with our final call on this.
    regards,
    Tony John
    Webmaster - IndiaStudyChannel.com

  • #777305
    I would love to add my input to the given thread. It is as follows:

    When the site was doing fine, then what was the need to change the already tested and steadily performing website?

    It is always better to add some branches or disciplines to an existing one and then keep note of its performance. Then, gradually, making a shift would be an intelligent move.

    What I disliked about the change the most was writing on general issues is more interesting than writing on educational topics. It's not that the members are unworthy to write about such subjects, but many would not like to delve into academic content. In my opinion, academic topics are monotonous and lack creativity, which never interests me.

    The members are not on this site to earn lots and lots of money. They are interested in fruitfully using their spare time. During the process, if someone earns an extra amount, then nothing is worth it.

    All of us writing on this site are certainly remarkably academically qualified. Many are in a job, some must have retired, and some, like me, hardly get time from familial duties. Still, members try to devote some hours to the site as it helps to unwind. The various contests are highly missing.

    Nothing comes free, so our contributions. Every member would expect a few monthly contests to showcase their capabilities, which will help in earning. It is missing now.

    Last but not least, there should be an increase in prize money. Although it is only about ISC, I want to draw your attention towards the Social Village site too. The prize money given for the contests is not respectable at all. The members must feel justified about the time and intent they try to contribute to the site's success. Giving Rs 8, 6, 20 or 25 makes the writer's contribution of time, knowledge and creativity very meagre and cheap.

    Finally, I would request you switch back to the old format of the ISC and regain its lost glory. Side by side, to improve the performance of the Social Village site, you must seriously think of paying a respectable amount to the writers as well as it must increase the number of contests too. Some members write two posts for one topic, but usually, only one write-up gets a cash amount. As I mentioned above, it's meagre, just like a peanut that hurts a lot.

    shampasaid

  • #777306
    Frankly speaking, trying to make ISC an academic website, ISC management itself made it an extremely boring website without any niche. The articles/posts which were being published on this so-called 'academic' website could be found everywhere. It also lost its personal touch.

    During the Covid period, ISC suffered a lot because it lost many readers at that period. Immediately after Covid, this terrible decision by the management to make it an 'academic' website, completely destroyed the goodwill of the website.

    Again, the management is planning to go back to the old format. I don't know how successful this step would be. A cord already broken cannot be brought back to its original form/shape.

    (a) Those who have forgotten Noakhali, how can they protest Sandeshkhali?
    (b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

  • #777310
    The purpose of education is to acquire knowledge and develop a scientific temperament. Any topic that imparts knowledge and makes people think individually and form their knowledgeable opinions is education. Mere academics cannot be considered education. I wish the ISC to revert to the old structure allowing various topics to be discussed in the forum
    " Be Good and Do Good "

  • #777311
    Tony sir,

    Many members have already provided their feedback and it indicates that ISC in its old form is preferred. Yes, contribution to ISC, especially in the Forum, has come down and we are not finding new members on this platform these days which may be primarily because of a shift in focus of ISC. As you have mentioned earlier in this thread that the focus on education is because of the change in algorithm of Google so that ISC can have an advantageous position in the search engine, the Knowledge Centre was introduced to answer the various questions on education/courses/admission, etc. with the sole intention to address the queries of students.

    The main thing for any website or business is its revenue and as long as revenue is generated the business survives. With time, things change and so are the policies of survival. For any website, traffic is the main source of revenue and from this post, it is understood that the expected revenue is not coming. Actually, revenue generation has dropped significantly during the past couple of years which you have mentioned in some earlier posts, I can't remember the title or link now, and that's why the switchover following the new Google algorithm, with an expectation that there will be a boost in revenue generation. When it's not fulfilled ways must be found so that ISC can stay in competition. We say old is gold but in businesses, it may not be always a viable option with changing scenarios. Revenue generation is most important here for survival and what kind of traffic will bring maximum revenue has to be found. A bit of experiment by introducing new sections may help and we can emulate other reputed sites, in terms of contribution and features to stay in contention.

    As you are well-conversant with the Google search engine, its algorithms and what is expected in future in terms of revenue generation for websites, you can think of various ways and provide your suggestions accordingly. It's always a teamwork and Members, Editors and Webmasters have to work together for the progress of the platform.

    Sankalan

    "Life is easier when you enjoy what you do"

  • #777314
    Educational niche website is the most suitable one for ISC per major search engines' perspective but unfortunately not enough or even close to 10% contribution of the latest educational content on the website published (including from me) regularly to compete with others for traffic / revenue etc., thus, we can see a dip for sure.

    ISC management has to take the decision next.

  • #777328
    There may not be any in improvement after conversion into a complete educational portal. Sure, it would be because of the old wine in new bottle. No substantial increase in the number of subscribers, specially from younger lot, no contribution from from the teaching and academic community and the present contributors expecting revenue from Google share are the key factors for the not getting a positive yield. The article section should be allowed to continue with General topics and AE section should be brought back to its place. Jobs section need not be continued while the QP section to be continued with answers also so that only Teachers/ students who are in the arena can contribute. This is my honest opinion.

    Posting from my mobile and unable to add more.

    Regards,
    Jagdish

  • #777373
    Hi all,

    We heard the inputs from everyone. The general sentiment is to restore to the old ISC where we allow all types of content. We respect the different opinions as well but we have come to a conclusion that we will slowly reopen ISC for wider topics. Wait for some key announcements.

    Thank you all

    regards,
    Tony John
    Webmaster - IndiaStudyChannel.com

  • #777596
    I am posting here just because this thread is still open. Whichever section is brought alive, some features should be changed for sure.

    1. Implement RTE
    These days not many would care to learn HTML tags to contribute to the website.
    The attention and retention span of writers of today is very short-lived and they will simply leave and never come back if they find it not easy. The simplest solution here is to implement Rich Text Editor. Please do so and remove this big hurdle between contributors and the website.

    2. Build static content
    Please add explanatory content on section pages. https://www.indiastudychannel.com/topics/ - This page for a first-timer looks like a link farm and nothing else.

    3. Get VC Funding
    Time and again we have heard that Indiastudychannel does not have money. ISC has been a beautiful project and has its fair share in shaping your future. Upon your return back to India your attention got pulled over to other avenues like Digital Education and SMM. I feel you should give a higher attention to the website which has been the mother of all of your projects. If deemed proper, get good VC funding, inject a good amount into the website and help get ISC back to its old glory. Or else make it public that ISC is only a Revered Memory.

    4. Close down all other competing websites
    ISC as a concept gave birth to multiple websites which could not stand the test of time. Whatever they did for the company, they did not favour ISC. All of that information if had been on IndiaStudyChannel would have helped grow ISC. And I think let's close down other websites and bring all content back to ISC. I have been a part of a multitude of projects with Indiastudychannel over the past 15 years and I have seen the growth phase and the fragmentation phase as well. I hope the next phase which is consolidation and reorganisation comes along well with the website.

    5. Building content with value
    Most of us read content and write in our own words. While we avoid plagiarism (or such content is removed), I doubt if they hardly contribute any further value. Improve the methods by which writers can include images, videos and other multimedia. The current system is at best rudimentary. My initial point of having Rich Text Editors will make the job very easy for contributors.

    6. Mobile Phone Friendliness
    For a long time, it was discussed that ISC should become mobile-friendly. While a good effort has been made, there are still many sections of the website that are not smartphone-friendly. Some sections pop out, sometimes screens expand and some places are simply not responsive. There is a loss of readers and their retention due to this non-responsive behaviour. Why not let go of the current custom CMS and migrate to WordPress CMS?

    7. Hide poor sections from Search Engines
    Through the years there have been thousands of pages have been created which are only skeletons and lack any content. The course pages have created probably millions of such pages which do not have any content on them. Hide all of these pages and only make them public once they have content in them.

    8. Bring back the My India section
    My India was a great section. But given its enormity, and lack of content in them, it was probably shut down. It provided a huge opportunity to link content across all sections to India and Indian topics. I suggest a strategic comeback for the same.

    Lastly, I suggest having a dedicated digital marketing team, a dedicated research team to direct content building and full-time editors for the website. Good funding and analysis will help grow ISC to an all-time high glory. Reorganisation of non-aligned team members may also be a suggestion.

    I hope the above suggestions will be taken in the right spirits. Thank you.

  • #777706
    Firstly, I commend your transparency and willingness to seek feedback on this crucial decision. The sentiments expressed by members echo a collective desire to return to ISC's previous model, which allowed for a broader range of topics and more vibrant community engagement. Several valid points have been raised, highlighting the need for flexibility in content and format to cater to evolving user preferences. The suggestion to reintroduce contests, diversify content categories, and improve user experience resonates strongly with many members, myself included.In addition, addressing technical aspects such as implementing a Rich Text Editor, enhancing mobile-friendliness, and optimizing search engine visibility are essential steps to modernize and revitalize ISC.
    Explore, create, inspire

  • #777781
    I was going through an interesting conversation once again on this topic and observed that few members' do not know the whole picture or a decade plus of history of ISC. When ISC was going well then no one changed anything for sure (why should?) except increased the points and cash credits, revenue sharing, many awards, and bonuses introduced besides.

    It (ISC's previous model) was going well most probably from 2007-2014 (better traffic and revenue). Later, major search engines brought some algorithm updates and other social media platforms introduced or picked it up well as competitions side by side. Effects and changes happen for multiple reasons including Tech developments, and the effect is not only for ISC but many websites or blogs etc. afterward.

    When ISC's traffic and revenue started to decrease most probably from 2014-15 (even with previous model) then slowly updates came out to date compared to 2007-2014 (with previous model and satisfying result till that time). In or around 2015, ISC Admin and Editors (among) started to discuss time to time on decreasing traffic / revenue (even in previous model) and then tried to bring some changes quite often to match the latest algorithms and recover from decreasing traffic / revenue further. Stopped a few unwanted non-educational contents here after a few years for sure as those were not much effective for the web and revenue per Site Analytics and Traffic history.

    ISC Forum was/is glorious in many ways for sure but didn't give enough revenue compared to other few sections of ISC. So, can't depend on Forum section alone just for active participation by many therein with average revenue.

    Huge competitions (within Web, Blog, YouTube, Apps and other social media platforms increased many-folds after low cost data connectivity and mobile devices usage percentage increased) and very less niche contributions herein ISC (that we had discussed in a few different threads in the past as well) causes further decreasing traffic and revenue.

    Admin meanwhile just concentrated on avoiding chaos between members (in different sections) and aimed to increase quality contribution later thus had to make rules and regulation updates from time to time.

    Almost all are (less or no or regularly) contributing here based on their niche interests as volunteers thus we can't say anything to anyone.

    Suggestion: Those members who are expecting traffic and revenue have to contribute regularly based on web-niche and upcoming trends (e.g. for this website, pure latest educational content, admission, exam date, state/board info, results, education tips related, its guidelines and on with quality info etc.) to meet their requirement. Rest niche might give you some traffic and revenue but not as you are expecting.

  • #777791
    I do appreciate the constraints being felt by the ISC platform at present. However, this was an experimental stage to mark the consequences of such decisions introduced lately. This was also necessary to examine the impact of the earlier modifications.
    In the past, we attached so much importance to Ask Expert Questions related to various fields such as health, psychological ailments, present market trends of different items, best institutions and colleges and so on. This resulted in a surge in traffic to a significant level. Hence I feel that this might be introduced within the system to get back the lost glory.
    Article Section entertaining the coverage of multiple essences had favourable effects on the platform.
    The Review section of the imminent institutions could create a better surge of the traffic since the students would like to know which one would be ideal for them.
    I am thankful to Tomy Sir for providing us an opportunity to make the site more competitive and reader - friendly with the introduction of some tips suggested by the members.

  • #778190
    Thank you everyone for the added comments. We are trying to implement many of these suggestions.

    The comments and honest feedback from Dr Apurva is really valuable. I think we shoudl seriously consider external funding. Please share your insights on the same.

    regards,
    Tony John
    Webmaster - IndiaStudyChannel.com

  • #778191
    Hafeezur Rahman
    ,
    You are very correct. We started losing traffic and revenue after some of the Google algorithm updates. Also, other factors like too many competitors, too many sections in ISC etc also caused us losing the traffic. Let us all together work on a solution to bring back the glory.

    I understand the need for Rich Text Editor. But the problem is, the iSC website is running on a very old platform, which is several years old. We have an ongoing project to rebuild the website using modern technologies but it hasn't reached anywhere. I hope to launch a newly built website soon with all modern features.

    regards,
    Tony John
    Webmaster - IndiaStudyChannel.com

  • #778196
    Here are a few points I want to bring is as follows:
    I think ISC needs a clear direction to grow effectively. Other competitive websites are specialize in offering courses, admissions, and exam-related updates promptly, with dedicated professionals managing the information. These platforms have established a strong foothold in their niche. They have messaging facilities and counselors available for admission enquiries. Where as in ISC members are providing such information occasionally, which can be challenging to compete with, given the expertise, time and interest gap. Earlier ISC has less competition and one of the top websites that provide such information. I think for ISC to stay competitive, it requires a dedicated team that updates all admission and courses related information in real-time, both daily and hourly basis. Website design should be created accordingly.

    On the other hand ISC evolves into more of a community-driven website where members share their knowledge based on their experiences and interests.

    So it is crucial to clarify the direction of ISC that is required for its growth.

    If ISC chooses to prioritize admission and course-related information, a team of professionals is essential to compete effectively in today's competitive landscape. The website should be made in a way that gives out updates fast and become one stop solution for students about their enquiries of admissions etc.


    In case, if ISC remain a community-oriented knowledge-sharing platform, it needs to adapt its website design and features accordingly. So that more people attracts towards the website. I believe members could suggest ideas for new features and the website's design.

    Explore, create, inspire

  • #778228
    I think the lack of marketing is causing ISC to lose many potential visitors who could become members. For example, when someone lands on ISC through a shared member link or organically, they often just read the necessary information and then leave. Instead, ISC should focus on converting visitors into members by implementing strategies such as pop-ups that encourage users to explore more content on the website and subscribe to email updates etc. For example, a visitor could be shown pop-ups like "Write and earn" or "Join the latest contest and earn," or provided with links to other related articles in a way that encourages them to return to the site.

    So my feedback is that visitors need to be engaged when they arrive at the website, enticing them to eventually join and contribute their knowledge. If done marketing in this way will undoubtedly helps ISC to grow much faster.

    I think ISC has most of the features available since its establishment but in cluttered way and ISC has never used call to action marketing for getting more members.

    Explore, create, inspire

  • #778257
    I appreciate the transparency in seeking feedback on the direction of ISC. As a member, I've observed the evolution towards an education-focused portal and the challenges encountered along the way. While the intention was to align with Google's preferences for specialized content, it seems we may have faced setbacks in terms of traffic and engagement.

    In my view, considering the current circumstances, it could be advantageous for ISC to reconsider allowing a broader range of topics, including non-academic ones. By doing so, we may unlock additional avenues for traffic and provide valuable content to a wider audience. However, it's crucial to weigh the potential benefits against any drawbacks before making such a significant decision. We must ensure that any shift aligns with our overarching goals for ISC and meets the needs of our users.

    I believe flexibility and adaptability are key. By carefully considering the input of all members, we can make informed decisions that propel ISC forward while remaining responsive to changes in the digital landscape.

    Thank you for fostering an environment of open communication and collaboration within ISC.

    Arvind
    "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X

  • #778443
    Its great to know that ISC is thinking about bringing back general topics. Actually I stopped writing in ISC since it became education portal as I am not very good at it. It will great if Past ISC is back.

  • #778458
    After a long gap I joined back ISC in December 2023 and now contributing regularly. I am trying to contribute in many sections because that helps me to break the monotony.
    While going through the information update that is while updating information about schools, colleges, institutions, and universities, I observed that there is a lot of scope and especially the educational institutes in the remote and small places require more corrections and updates. The problem is some of these institutions are not having their websites or it is not functional. So it becomes difficult to update their information in an authentic way.
    We can think and consider allowing to update their information from their Facebook or other social media pages or if there are no issues of copying, from the reputed educational sites. What I am talking here is only the contact information and not the content about them which is of course a copyright of those sites.
    I remember, a few years back ISC started a drive for identification of duplicate educational institutes to clean and update the system and awarded the participating members.
    If possible in the present situation, we can also consider such drives (like writing a brief about these institutions, wherever there is a gap) by inviting members to do it.

    Thoughts exchanged is knowledge gained.

  • #779331
    After a long time I'm happy to back here. Engaging people in one activity is challenging nowadays and if the challenge is interesting then the engaging is possible. I'm one of the old member of ISC I know this is highly reputed educational forum but not get single payment once I open this now 372 as points after writing this it shows 367.
    This happens more time I don't know about member rank and it's gone . In my initial stages of joining this forum member rank is very progressive and it motivate me a lot but while submitting article it is quite difficult. These are the experiences that I face and sharing this because for the improvisation is need which makes easier submission and getting traffic. Sometimes this is also a reason to scatter traffic.
    About payment process , though I know genuine nature of site but the fact of submission is not possible not earned points for long period got frustrated, bored and also affects the fame. So minimum threshold may EASIER to achieve for everyone. It is Win Win opportunity. Holding mere money for long time is not feeling good. I think most experienced this.

    Actually speaking about the younger generations are very intelligent and learn more thing using online and doing side hustles too. I want to say the hard hitting truth nowadays forum is not used as like as last decades. Focusing or targeting the standards from eighth to twelfth is possible.

    I must say this will work for sure .Need more activities like English games, Maths games were engaging students. Making simple presentations according to the subjects and making audio books by providing the software in this site which avoids any duplicates in the internet moreover engaging book lovers as much as possible.

  • #779411
    We have a mixed variety of viewers belonging to various age groups and having different choices. It is better to go for all sections where there is need.

    Sharing information at the first hand can give more traffic. Look out for which section has more demand, so that each one's contribution gets a major value to build the channel and take it to new heights.

    Lead the leader

  • #781214
    I am here after many months just to respond to this thread as I read few thread every months since 2008 or atleast I open ISC once a month just to see the progress.

    To be very frank, ISC does not look like an authority site is anyway. None of the section on this site is strong compared to the competitors. Other competitors have strong website layout for each section.

    Let assume I am searching about OJEE Exam, other websites provide many information at one place for OJEE so that once a user is landed on any one article, they read all other information related to that exam. It reduces bounce rate and also 1-2% users shares those links with their circle via social media tools which indirect helps in SEO and bring more traffic.

    In case of ISC, Once I am on any page related to OJEE exam, I don't see any other information or links related to ojee on that page and so I might close the page and move to other websites.

    Now second point of view, is depth of the articles are very less. I mean now a days readers want to know all information at one place. Or atleast a layout of all information at one place. Small articles are not going to keep users on site.


    You need full time inhouse experienced writers, SEO people to keep track of trending unique keywords and be first to post articles. Also one set of writers we needed to update old articles with latest information.

    Give others a reason to Smile. :)

  • #781722
    I feel that the latest decision to stop RSB for the time being greatly impacted the site. The activity has drastically come down. I think the top bosses of the site and the editors play an important role in the performance of the site. should have a brainstorming session and
    drrao
    always confident

  • #781725
    The ISC management has to ensure that there should be a constant traffic flow on the site. Though Knowledge Centre is an ideal site fulfilling the needs of the students covering a lot of institutions with detailed inputs regarding the admission - process, and eligibility criteria for inducting the aspirants. However, I feel that even on that site responses are not very encouraging to entice the aspirants.
    Secondly, the Ask Experts platform is now no more which has resulted in a total closure of this site.
    Forum Section remains dull at present with the less presence of members as compared to the past six months.
    As pointed out by Dr Rao, we need to go in-depth to remedy the situation.

  • #781869
    I resonate my opinion with Mr. Jha #781725, discontinuation of Ask Experts section has really taken away just another reason for users to come to this site. People who had issues related to health, finance, relarion or education were all signing up quickly to ask questions and follow the answers. In the meantime, they used to explore other sections and started participating. Why would this group of people come now? They were getting proper and human answers, and now the section is gone.

    If ISC reconsiders a full comeback of Ask Experts, I believe it will be a good decision overall.

    Apart from that, something needs to be done to attract more members to engage in the forum. As what happened in the past was that maximum members who used to participate in Article writing or Ask Experts or other sections, they used to come and chill in the Forums.

    And forum section itself was never a dull place. It was always filled with posts and discussions on a variety of topics. Whoever used to visit forum, s/he used to find something to be engaged in.

    Nowadays, there is limited engagement, and limited new posts coming to forums. This week, I have tried to start two new discussions, but I am not sure how much is this going to help.

    Right now, something that should hook users to this site, feels missing. In simpler words, give them a better incentive, perk or chocolate maybe?

    Apologies for the informal language, but I hope you get what I am trying to imply here, Sir.

    Also, how about a plan to hire a team of SEO experts who have proven their worth in the industry with an excellent track record. ISC is still getting a significant amount of new content everyday, including the forum content. How about they train us to use a certain SEO tactics to make our posts do better, and also train the editors for advanced SEO practices, so that they may create contests or discussions on trending topics with rich and high value keywords.

    Regards,
    Ank Arya

    "Your value does not decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth"

  • #781880
    Good suggestions came from Ank Arya. I agree with him and say that the Ask Experts section is to be revived or KC should be given a new look allowing members to post questions from all the fields but not restricting it to only education and related fields. All should take a more active part in making the forum section alive. These two actions may bring in some increase in the traffic I feel.
    drrao
    always confident

  • #781882
    The suggestions provided by Sri Ank Arya seem to be appealing with his constructive suggestion that the Ask Expert Section needs to be revived covering different features like health issues, questions related to AI and Computer Sciences and other relevant features to augment traffic - flow. Let us see its effects in the time ahead.
    Knowledge centres must cater to the needs of different sections of readers to meet their appetites. Since Forum Section has its importance and hence different types of competition must be held periodically.
    We would certainly observe the effects of such changes shortly.


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