Do Forums really make money?

I am considering building my first forum, so I would like opinions from those who have already succeeded. Do forums really make money?

I am sure it all has to do with the niche of the site, but overall, do forums make money?

I know that DP makes a pretty penny everymonth from adsense.

Is it through adsense, affiliates, advertising or a little bit of everything?

 

it all depends on if you can build up members and get steady traffic

 

According to overture the niche I am looking at gets around 4000 hits a day. So hypothetically, if I can get into the top 10 for that keyword, I usually figure on around 10% traffic as a low end estimate of what to expect. That would be about 400 hits a day.

 

400 hits a day wont provide much money

 

It could make a lot of money over time if 10% of them 400 a day become regular visitors.

 

You need to have a unique idea, and be managing the forums a lot in the beginning, and one it hits off, then you don't have to be on it as much.

 

Thanks everyone. I have never built a forum, but from reading through DP, it seems that VBulletin is the best.

 

They can yes. Try adsense in the beginning then find a cpm ad company.

 

If you can't make enough form adsense then you can sale link on your forum.
Normaly on footer links. If you have good PR you will make money from links sales no matter what is your traffic

 

You can make money with any type of website

 

Forums are hard to monetize. I have a forum with about 5000 visits per day, and earn less than $1!

 

one thing is traffic. But to exploit best from forums is by placing the ads at the correct places.

 

If You Can please the member then they will be definitly staying on your forum , All you need is one brillian idea , if you need any help coming up with one then i can help you i am building a site that requires tons of idea's i could give you one

 

Forums are low CTR usually... so you will need tens of thousands of hits to make any living out of it, unless it's very specific niche etc

 

forum members never click ads but search engine visitors do and betetr to show ads to guests..i also mad a new forum regarding formula one but will consider ads only after sufficient no. of posts/memebers are there

 

yes, i believe that forums. but it depends...

 

Niche forums are a v. good way of making money. i know - I do it!

Just look past the traditional - selling advertising etc!

Notting

 

starting a new forum is a great idea
but in the begining you do not make money (about 3 years)

 

dont listen to this guy - he's talking shite.

Notting

 

Notting..would you mind PM-ing me an example of one of your forum sites (or post here if you want). I will tell you that I am looking to do one in the sports niche..so hopefully we will not be competing sites.