Website issues

[hawgdrvr]

I'm not sure if you're aware but if you use Google Chrome it's going to assume https as the URL prefix. If you open chrome and just type in "cubcrafters.com" the site is not going to show. I'm not sure how much site activity you're losing as a result but you may want to setup SSL on your main domain so when people go to https://cubcrafters.com it will show your site.

One other feedback item and one of your new customers asked me about this "why is there no activity on the forum?" I did not have an answer for him other than this site seems to be more of a marketing and/or kit building tool. I personally would love it if many more CC owners participated here, shared photos, events, lessons, tips, etc. There doesn't seem to be any sense of community here for some reason. Maybe your marketing team or web team or whoever can turn this around. I think prospective owners or simply enthusiasts would love to come here and see all the great cub activity. My $.02...peers/community are invaluable, several here helped me immensely before, during, and after including along my journey home.

[jason.navarrete]

Thanks for this feedback, Neal. Specific to your point about SSL/HTTPs, you'll noticed that we've (finally) updated this for the main website.

[hawgdrvr]

Thanks for this feedback, Neal. Specific to your point about SSL/HTTPs, you'll noticed that we've (finally) updated this for the main website.

Checks good, good job.

[ceslaw]

I wonder if the growth of 'instant gratification' sites, like the Face Book CubCrafters Owners Group, is steering people away from this site.

I don't spend much time over at FB because those posts come, go, and are soon forgotten. What is posted here can be searched and is typically more in depth and thoughtful. Therefore this forum remains my own preference.

Just my two cents worth.

[aeroaddict]

Agree with the comments.

To hawgdrvrs' comment on community, that is why I started the 'Where did you fly today' thread. But I guess reality explains itself. Only a few have posted (4 people including myself), it's a dud.

[Springloaded]

I wonder if the growth of 'instant gratification' sites, like the Face Book CubCrafters Owners Group, is steering people away from this site.

I don't spend much time over at FB because those posts come, go, and are soon forgotten. What is posted here can be searched and is typically more in depth and thoughtful. Therefore this forum remains my own preference.

Just my two cents worth.

I don’t believe it’s FB or Twitter. Unfortunately we get people on the forum that make it where others are uncomfortable to post because a few people are likely to criticize what they’re doing or done. It’s really a shame they can’t just sit back, listen and learn. They have to give there opinions like there now experts to steer people into there ways of thinking or how they should configure there plane. This is a small community and lately a few have expressed the dislike of it ,so I think lots have just gone to reading and contacting dealers, experts by emails,phone calls and private messages to avoid it all. We really have a wealth of knowledge and experienced guy's here that could be very useful to a lot of folks and there all willing to help. I found Supercub.org to be a turn off to me for the same reasons. You can unfollow and unfriend people on FB that is a advantage.
My 1/2 of cent

[aeroaddict]

My $00.02

Good comments by all. I find this forum non-threatening compared to others and quite a knowledgeable base. An example was when I owned a Yamaha FJR motorcycle. The FJR forum was hostel, I rarely posted to avoid getting flamed.

I agree that with the popularity of the CC planes that this forum isn't more active.

You had mentioned SuperCub.org. I have had very beneficial help on that forum and found a wealth of information from very experienced people.

In any public forum there will always be the 'ones to avoid'.

But my own opinion, it is a disappointment that this forum doesn't have an active base of many people. It's a great product and with exceptional sales; why is this forum barely surviving?

[hawgdrvr]

It is very disappointing and I've pretty much resigned from coming here unless I have a problem. There is so much to learn from each other and embrace and enjoy the new aircraft ownership, or building your plane experience. I've pretty much taken my conversations offline and direct with other owners where we share learning about the plane, garmin components, how to do things (changing oil, cleaning, etc.), survival vests, go pro use, training, meetups, on and on. All of that should be on this forum for everyone to be excited and enjoy the experience together and it is something new/prospective customers will see and want to be a part of. This forum has an active userbase of about 5 regulars, maybe 10 or so more that browse just to see. It's CC's job to create and embrace community or use this forum however they choose it to be, but for now it's mainly avoided by most it appears. Very sad as for someone like me with their first airplane owned and this amazing experience, this is a huge void in what should be part of the CubCrafters ownership experience. There are areas still severely lacking, incomplete aircraft configuration information, some of which threw red flags for me (deposit amount is still wrong) which may make people wonder if they can't do this right, can they do that right (attention to detail)? Not all options, one of which is a very popular option, is not listed on the configuration setup, maybe intentional, who knows. So that's my feedback, there is still work to be done for trust, accuracy, and community building.

Edit:

This is a great opportunity missed by CubCrafters that would REALLY help new owners and probably existing owners as some prior owners here didn't know how easy it is to drain the oil in the FX-3 - YOUTUBE Video Training. CubCrafters uses YouTube for marketing which is great, we all love the videos and Daveembry has done a great job using YouTube to document the kit building which also helps others such as FX-3 owner learn. He's also created some for his customers for routine maintenance and this is where CubCrafters could really use YouTube. Think about "okay, now you got your new plane, here are some helpful videos." Ideas:

-How to clean various items such as the windscreen (my delivery crew was great in educating me on cleaning)
-Oil change
-Safety wiring
-Checking or changing spark plugs and what to use (anti-seize)
-ELT - whatever needs to be done here
-Garmin updates
-Servicing the prop
-How to jack the aircraft (if you don't have a lift, etc.)
-How to change a tire, we will all need to do this at some point
-How to adjust your seat (most know, but why not educate someone that may need to know, new buyer of a private sale or pre-owned)
-Service plan, what "should" be done and when (AMM is extremely lacking)

Probably some good stuff for Pete or whomever, but so much opportunity for the CubCrafters ownership experience post delivery to help educate and ensure things are done properly. Just an idea, but this would really help me, one of the newer owners.

[ceslaw]

On the other hand we perhaps should be measuring forum activity based on "views" rather than "posts". Dave Embry's excellent EX3 build blog has over a half million views but only 204 posts. 'Chuck and Ryan's Build Tips' has a quarter million views and only 270 posts. So perhaps there are many pilots looking but not posting. That is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Dan L]

I think that a little more participation by CC staff would be very appreciated. In the early days Randy Lervold would make comments and he set a good tone for the entire site.