Suggestion

Hello! I was just browsing your site as a perspective member and there were a few things I wanted to mention that may help you out. Unfortunately I'm on way too many sites right now so I won't be joining in the fun, but I do like this site and would like to see it succeed. So here are just a few suggestions I have for you, but in the end it's your decision to take them or leave them.

1) ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY!!!
Activity is everything. When prospective members are browsing a site they want to see if they will have fun here. They want to see the dynamics and the relationships of the site. They want to see that if they start a thread or a game that it will responded too and they will be able to roleplay successfully. Your plot pages are great, there's lots of activity there and it looks really nice for a guest browsing your site for the first time, keep that up.

But then you scroll down and you look at the posts in the boards. They're practically all empty and all the threads that have been posted haven't gotten very far. I'm especially calling the staff to action. Your staff are in barely any threads, barely make any new posts, barely online, and just barely keep the site alive. That is something that needs to be fixed. Your staff should be the most active, the most willing to participate, friendly, and excited about everything going on in the site. That's what reels in the members. Whenever I start a new site I always make sure there are as many open threads as possible and that I'm active in a lot of threads and games just to make it less daunting for new members and it makes them feel more welcome. If guests are intimidated by the staff they will not join. Not saying that you guys are scary or unfriendly, it's just that the inactivity and the aloofness can throw people off.

2) Lighten up
This is roleplay, I'm pretty sure that nobody does this proffessionally. When you make so many rules and regulations it starts to feel like a job, when really it's supposed to be fun. Right now you are really hurting for members and being so strict is only going to hurt you more. As guest, seeing that nearly all your applications were pending or denied is going to scare me. I'm gonna skip over your site and go to the next one, who seems a little bit more friendly and welcoming.

Now I'm not saying abandon all your authorities as an admin. I'm just saying right now if you want the site to be successful, you can't be picky. Once you have a large member base and active community then you can really start cracking down, but right now your job is to be as welcoming and friendly as possible.

3) Have Fun!!
Roleplay is fun. That's the only reason why people do it. Make your site seem more fun. Encourage members to get involved in games, talk about something hilarious in the chat box. Think of it as selling your site, you have to seem appealing and desirable if anyone is going to buy it. Maybe have a site-wide event like a quidditch match or a school dance or something that brings the site together and makes people want to get involved. Roleplay with everyone, not just your usual clique of members and their characters.

When you are having fun being an admin and roleplaying on your site then the members come in easy and activity skyrockets. Why? Because not only are you doing all the suggestions above, but you are making your site seem like the best site in the world and there is no way your guestie should even consider visiting another site.

Another tip that doesn't really fall under a category is to be usable to new roleplayers. Do you remember when you first started roleplaying? How intimidating and scary it was, and how you had no idea what you were doing? Yet some sit or some roleplayer out there helped you figure it out and now here you are a roleplayer for life. New roleplayers can make up a big chunk of your member base if you make the site easy and accessible for them so they can succeed.

Well, that's all I have for you. If you decide to use my advice I truly hope it helps. Best of luck to you!