Can anyone give me some advice on starting a online forum? Is it worth it? Whats the best way to do it? Best way to profit from it? I was thinking of making a forum with many categories, so it wont be 1 specific topic.
- If you're going to make one go with vBulletin. If you use anything else, you won't succeed due to many reasons including prone to hacking etc. Also make sure you get a unique from the start otherwise, don't bother. - Its not worth making a forum now > unless you buy up quite a few forums and integrate them into your "new" forum and/or have a massive marketing budget. There are many reasons for this, but i can't be bothered explaining them all now - use the search tool on the forums or google to find some. - There isn't one specific way to do it, although using the search tool on the forums or google will provide you with some ideas. - There are many ways to make revenue from a forum although this doesn't mean you will profit including paid memberships and obviously having advertisements on the forum. You should also take a "niche" and become the leader of that niche before you expand, having alot of categories and little posts isn't the best idea. Rather having a few categories and alot of posts is better, then gradually expand if you must.
I advise building a website first and establishing yourself as an authority. THEN open the forums. Too many try to do it the other way around.
erm. You need users and use traffic specific topics relating to your forum maybe spend about £100 on advertising.
Well, it's really good. Actually you can earn money and be famous. But something important its. What is the purpose. Is already lot of forums with that subject? Etc.. Example, mine i was giving free software builded myself, of a game called SRO. And well, with that i just got like 10,000 members, then i started another game in same forum, etc etc. And well, i was earning good. So i really recommend it. Also, you can share with others, and be kinda popular in a specific subject. I used to work to install other forums, etc insert some ads etc etc... If you need any help feel free to pm me. Im here most of the time.
vBulletin is light years ahead of any other software. Using other forum software you can still succeed, but vBulletin will make the process easier and more pleasant.
Is it hard running a forum community? Im sure if the site became popular i could make some users moderators?
But vBulletin and IPB are not free software and, unless you have too much money or a very good project, is not worth investing purchasing them to end here selling your owned licences. There are tons offered in the Buy, Sell and Trade forum. MyBB is the closer to both vBulletin and IPB that you will find online and it runs with no major hassles when it comes to configuration, plus it's free.
you need a lot of time on your hands and a good team of mods and support, not to mention a unique niche and lots of members to make a go of it, but thats not to say not to do it, not my cup of tea (tried it before) but each to there own
If you are going to start a new forum that you want to make successful. You will have to. -Have a good advertising budget. -Pay for vBulletin if you are serious about the forum. -Dedicate a lot of time to the forum or members will leave. -Add new mods to the forum all the time to keep people coming back.
I'll advise you to be niche specific. People get carried away with many niche, as I do most of the time. It doesn't fits in too much. And as a Board I'll recommend SMF over vBulletin - Surprised - Well I recently saw a Friend's vB Board got badly hacked, I'm positive about SMF though. Everything is worth alot on the net, if you just know what your goals are.
Not much at all. I've got a forum with 12,000+ members, and I pay less than $10 per month in hosting. Like the first poster said; go with vB, it's the best by a mile. Also, just know it won't be instant, it can take upwords of a year to get a forum really rolling.
I am not into this business too much but now most of the pro blogger first create on help center page where they start helping other users and answer their question and slowly slowly move them to their forums too .
I am not into this business too much but now most of the pro blogger first create on help center page where they start helping other users and answer their question and slowly slowly move them to their forums too .
Interesting thread...I am thinking of opening my own forum as well.. But n-james, what do you mean by buying some forums and integrate them? Do you mean buy the forum content from other forums and integrate into our own forum? How much normally is the cost? And if there are around 1000 users online (active users), what is the monthly bandwidth needed?
OK. i have just decided what the forum is going to be about. i don't want to spend money on a forum license. What is the best FREE forum? I know about MyBB and SMF....is there any other good ones out there?
PHPbb is my favorite and is also the favorite of many other ppl... but also note that spending money on a forum license is more than worth it.