How do you start a forum?

Please give all the tips you can here, and should I start with phpbb or vb? Standard default skin or custom skin? How do I generate activity? How to lure users to the site?

 

If you are thinking of making this forum big I would suggest vbulletin. Definitelly a custom skin, vbskinworks.com is a very good site.

To start off with I recommend doing post exchanges, 10:10 or something like that.

Then try to advertise. Find sites with the same age group and genre as yours and try to lure people into your forum.

 

IPB is just as good as Vbulletin, but they both have their ups and downs. a custom skin would be bettter...check ours out.

 

Start with phpBB. It is free. Later on, if your forum grows and you start earning money, you can then pay for vBulleting.

 

1. Use phpbb and switch to vb later as forum gets bigger
2. Do post exchanges
3. Find same age group/genre and lure them over or advertise there
4. Custom skin to make it more appealing

Anything else? I heard of starting fake accounts and start talking to yourself, is that efficient? What are some ways you use to get people to come over to the forum? Let's say the forum have like 10 members, why would new members join if they see the forum is like empty?

 

WOW, your forum is huge. How long have you started this forum? How did you initially got people to register?

Thanks.

 

vBulletin with a custom skin is my first preference.

 

but vb with a custom skin could cost about $400, that's too expensive

 

IPB is less secure phpBB is lesser! i would advise you to use VB for a secure forum

 

Start with fewer catagories so it makes it look like you have more posts in them (this will draw members in)

Have you and a couple friends start posting so it looks busy...

The key to starting a forum isn't in what it looks like (although that helps)... It's how helpful/active it seems to the user... More posts will help with just that

 

Agree, VB with a custom skin is the way to go. Try reading this as well

 

i'd suggest you to use phpbb ...its open source

 

theres always paying people to post so it looks like you have activity and not a dead forum

 

If you have budget vBulletin is great, for generating activities obviously you need a community for relevant subject.

 

You generate visitors by commenting on blogs/sites that cover your forum subject

 

As many others in this thread have told you,start with VB if you have a big budget.
As for the marketing bit,there is nothing in the rule book which says that you cannot create multiple accounts and talk to yourself.

Try posting and link exchanges or buy a few posters to get your forum kickstarted.Get some chaps to produce some good length,quality posts and Do the SEo bit OFC.Ensure that every visitor( unless he is just some hopeless one post spammer) feels happy the first time you visit.It also basically depends on the niche you are starting out with,because there are some parts which are quite saturated.Newer niches will pay in the long run,but may struggle to get traffic initially.

PS-Good article,Matt

 

I made mine using YaBB. But I think most people starting out these days will go for phpBB. For the more experienced admins amognst us though, vBulletin is the only choice.

 

you can go with phpbb or SMF. SMF is way more secured ehe

 

What about the homepage? Does it go directly to the forum? Does phpbb have that thing vb has for the homepage where it can show news, latest posts, etc.?

 

vbulletin is the best at least in my opinion