[mele]

OKay, for those of you that have been paying attention, you probably noticed the grayed out menu items on the main snipercentral menu. These grayed out items are the "member only" areas. I would appreciate comments about them and suggestions for more.

As of right now, you can officially sign up for Sniper Central Membership and even log in:

http://www.snipercentral.com/members/signup.phtml

BUT, the reason its not heavily promoted on the site yet, is because the additional content is NOT THERE!! Now, I do have lots of information I want to drop in the members only news letter that I'd like to send out soon, but I'm still working on the content. I'm starting with the ghillie suit section, then on to mastering the mil-dots.

Once I get at least these two sections done, then I'll start the main campaign push for snipercentral membership on the main pages.

We had talked about having some members provide some relevant content, like reloading/law stuff from mag, or perhaps BC would be willing to contribute some recon operations input, or even some on ground "things learned" articles from SPEC or BC, or others over in Iraq of the Stan now, and many other possibilities from members. I'm trying to figure out how to organize those on the site now....

Anyway, you can sign up now if you'd like, or wait until you actually get something more for your hard earned cash (or credit).

comments are encouraged!

MEL

 

[Dead Roman]

OKay, for those of you that have been paying attention, you probably noticed the grayed out menu items on the main snipercentral menu. These grayed out items are the "member only" areas. I would appreciate comments about them and suggestions for more.

As of right now, you can officially sign up for Sniper Central Membership and even log in:

http://www.snipercentral.com/members/signup.phtml

BUT, the reason its not heavily promoted on the site yet, is because the additional content is NOT THERE!! Now, I do have lots of information I want to drop in the members only news letter that I'd like to send out soon, but I'm still working on the content. I'm starting with the ghillie suit section, then on to mastering the mil-dots.

Once I get at least these two sections done, then I'll start the main campaign push for snipercentral membership on the main pages.

We had talked about having some members provide some relevant content, like reloading/law stuff from mag, or perhaps BC would be willing to contribute some recon operations input, or even some on ground "things learned" articles from SPEC or BC, or others over in Iraq of the Stan now, and many other possibilities from members. I'm trying to figure out how to organize those on the site now....

Anyway, you can sign up now if you'd like, or wait until you actually get something more for your hard earned cash (or credit).

comments are encouraged!

MEL

Im diggin it, i was gonna message you about the gray today but it seemed the answer was obvious, ill send you my mebersip fee with the next rifle payment(did we decide on 5 bux?)

 

[spade]

its 10 according to the site.

 

[mele]

Everyone was complaining that $5 was too little! So I made it $10. I was thinking of running a $5 special for members of the forums with a member_id less than 525. But you would have to send in the money via mail. (paying online would be $10).

MEL

 

[Scatch Maroo]

I think the purchase of a rifle should include free membership(!)

Scatch Maroo

 

[LONG TRA'NG]

yes me to. a free lifetime membership

 

[Scatch Maroo]

I’m not sure that the free membership idea is so hot. Mel is making so little on the SC’s that it is unfair to expect him to pop for the membership too.

I am not familiar with the books of Mel's business, but I'm willing to bet that he should be able to offer an extra ten bucks off when he produces a rifle: if he can't, I think he seriously needs to raise the price of his rifles!

Anyhoo, it was a suggestion, not an expectation, and if Mel's business finds it affordable, I think he should consider it.

Scatch Maroo

 

[muzzleblast]

Heck if the brother just asked me for 10 bucks I'd give it to him

 

[Cannon fodder]

Ah well either way I signed up just a few minutes ago. 10$ well spent I think!

 

[Scatch Maroo]

As would I, even if I bought 17 rifles--but I'm referring to people who have no actual relationship to Mel. I think people develop as loyal customers when they have a lot of personal interaction to their service provider, and by giving them that extra bit of access, I think Mel can develop said loyalty amongst his clients (referring to those that aren't us locals on the boards here).

Scatch Maroo

 

[Kamatz]

One idea could be to let people sign up for two, three..or more years. Of course, you'd had to add a disclaimer about not refunding anything... But at least people could decide themselves. Ok, dangerous thing. But still..

 

[12twist]

Looking forward to the extra content.

 

[mele]

Ghillie suit page is about half done now... should be done tomorrow.

Well, I'm not opposed to offering a 6 month or 1 year membership with rifle purchase. In fact, I am planning to take things even a little further and will be building a rifle tracking system for the web page. So, you order a rifle, you get a username password. You'll be able to log in and check exactly where in the progress stage your rifle is. It'll also have all the financials on it so you are aware of remaining balance, etc. I'm doing it all on paper right now, which is fine, but stupid in my opinion. I mean, geez, I'm a computer guy, it will not take too much to add this system, and nobody else (that I know of) out there offers anything like that

MEL

 

[JRP3]

That sounds like a great idea Mel. It will keep your customers happy, as well as freeing up some of your time since people will be spending less time pestering you for information. :roll:

John

 

[Dead Roman]

That sounds like a great idea Mel. It will keep your customers happy, as well as freeing up some of your time since people will be spending less time pestering you for information. :roll:

John

less time pestering mel for info?

DOUBT THAT Will HAPPEN lol.

 

[mele]

Ha! Yeah... true! But one can wish :wink:

I like helping people out... so its not that big a deal

MEL

 

[genen]

may be this has been answered before, but what do you do in 'real life' Mel? I would guess that you don't sell enough rifles to make it a FT job... I know you're in the Guard, but again that is PT right?

I'm a information security guy by trade, been doing that for 17 yrs now... been shooting handguns for last 13 years...
smoking cigars for 10 years...
playing poker for 3 years...
and just NOW got a sniper rifle

 

[Dead Roman]

, been doing that for 17 yrs now... been shooting handguns for last 13 years...
smoking cigars for 10 years...
playing poker for 3 years...
and just NOW got a sniper rifle

Havent you heard poker is hazardous to your health?

 

[mele]

Real Life? You mean you don't think I do this for real life? :wink:

No, I do not currently sell enough rifles to do it full time. But here is the pie in sky plan for me and snipercentral:

I want to do this full time, my plan for self suffeciency for snipercentral is to bring in revenue from 4 different sources. Hopefully, all 4 combined will provide enough to do this full time. The four sources of income are:

1) SC Series of rifles (SC1, SC2, SC3, SC4, SC85, and SCAI)
2) SC Membership & SC.com Ad revenue
3) Product sales - T-Shirts, Ammo, Logbooks, etc
4) Sniper Sim

Supplemental income would come from:
1) Car restoration and sales (http://www.ssmoparmuscle.com is my work also, my dad and oldest brother run the business side of it)
2) Other investments.

Is this going to happen next month? Nope. But its the long term plan. I feel once I can brake away and do SC full time, it should snow ball from there because I'll be able to provide more and better content which should drive more traffic which drives more sales, etc etc.

MEL

 

[spade]

speaking of goals and aspirations.... wheres the 05 goals sheet man? lol not that it changed much from last year im sure.