Is it worth adding a forum to your site? How can it become popular with targeted users? These are question that almost every more or less experienced webmaster asks after getting some experience with World Wide Web. Definition
There are so many answers to these questions…Though I can assume that all answers can be simplified to two basic answers: “Yes” and “No”. Really opposite, isn’t it? Why so? I can guess that answer you give depends on experience you gain. Let us try to get an objective answer and let us start with definition. Well, what is a forum? Britannica says: in Roman cities in antiquity, multipurpose, centrally located open area that was surrounded by public buildings and colonnades and that served as a public gathering place
What are keywords here? Multipurpose, open, public gathering place. On Web public gathering places are used to generate a huge amount of traffic…Hmmm…Traffic is a magic word for any webmaster. What is all noise about? Ah, it’s just you crying… -I want a Forum on my Site! -Stop. Wait a minute. We have a definition only and know nothing about other features of this Roman relic, which managed to get second wind with appearance of World Wide Web.
Forum Features or What I Can Gain With It
Let’s clarify this.
Traffic is not only a useful feature but also one of most important. Traffic on Internet can be easily converted to anything you want… additional earnings in most cases. We are all rather materialistic, ah?
What does a forum actually do? It just makes visible traffic site already has, makes this traffic stronger by allowing some sort of interactivity. If a simple site (by way, I haven’t seen such sites for a very long time) can be compared to a monologue, a site with some feedback forms – a dialogue, then a site with a forum implemented is a fully operating discussion. The tangible appearance of community which already exists – this is what launching of a forum is.
Let your permanent visitors talk not only to you but to each other. Establishing a place of communication – putting into life basic idea of Internet, isn’t it really great and inspiring? And it’s rather profitable, by way… Though before you start counting your earnings from ad space of forum pages, I think you should put some efforts into breathing life into it; in other words, you should promote it and make it really popular.
Another feature of forum is that it will allow you to be always informed on thoughts of your website visitors. And you won’t need to make any kind of surveys or polls – just look through fresh posts every day.
An easily spoiled and almost impossible to restore reputation is of great importance within commercial world. How can a forum be of help with this? It’s easy. Any Internet user looks not for products only but for living support and probably product community as well. The place where he will be able to discuss all topics of interest related to product with both a support team and other customers. A living forum is best evidence of company’s prosperity.
Search Engine Rankings can also be improved with a good forum. As a forum unites your target audience, whose members share same interests, it is logical to assume that all posts of your forum members will relate to your keywords in some way. This will stimulate Search Engine Spiders to improve rankings of your site. Should I explain why it is good?
Forum Promotion Basics
The best and worst thing about a forum is that a true forum lives its own life with a minimum of external interference. Indeed, it is best when forum is a living community, though admittedly when it’s only a starting community, it is one of most efforts taking and exhausting of things.
When should you start building a community with your forum? A long time before you actually launch your forum. Why? A forum – is only a place surrounded with colonnades in Roman times and with some links in present time of World Wide Web. People are Lego breaks of community, not their armchairs.
How to start community building? Enter some! I suggest that you are a member of community already, and if not, that you join immediately! Don’t know what to discuss there? Just share your idea of adding forum to your site. Ask questions. Try to give answers, gain some reputation with community make some acquaintances or maybe even friends. All these contacts can be of great help to you when you will launch your own forum, as they may be interested in supporting you, especially if you are a friend of theirs.