How many forums is too many??

I would like to create a network of forums, all about sports. Is it better to do 1 big forum, or to break it up into smaller pieces to reach a smaller niche?

My thinking is that one person may be interested in several niches (for example, football and baseball). Having one forum, the user would only need 1 login to access all aspects. It also might be easier to manage.

However, having more targeted niches, might attract more visitors, but would also be more difficult to manage.

Is it possible to have 1 forum span over several URLs? Or can several URLs share the same User (login/password) information?

Looking for help from the experts.

Thanks

 

Yes, you can have one site span several URLs, and there is a banned mod for vBulletin to do it...but that mod is banned because doing so actually requires a separate license for each url *shrug* However you can seperate the thing into separate sections that have individualized skins, that can look as if they are different.

I am unsure if other platforms can do it or if there are mods for them, but if it's a paid platform, I'd best check to see if such a think is within their ToS.

As for one forum for all sports, I am unsure if that would be pleasing to the many. If I log into a forum and it's TMI from the very start, I may use it as a reference point, but changes are I'll not bother to stay. Though, if I was into sports, I may say, join a forum about "hockey".

 

That is kind of what I was thinking too. Would you think going to the sport level (like Hockey) or going down to the team level would be better?

 

It would depend on the sport I think. Like College Football should likely be regional, then possibly broken down into team depending on popularity. Maybe start off with a general forum, and work your way out as an interest is shown. That is likely better then having a bunch of empty or almost empty forums.

Starting off with 101 forums that are all empty is just bad for business. If you can some how work in a more general area, and expand with interest I think you'll find that it'll grow better.

Though, how you do it would be up to you, heh, I have no clue about any sport really, other then the fact I know that Tennessee does not play Michigan in college football, and that was a fact I only learned last year, and I'm 34, lol.

 

I found some examples to help me explain my question better. Is having all sports in 1 forum a better idea ..examples
http://www.goteamsgo.com/forum/
http://www.prosportsdaily.com/forums/index.php

 

More forums than members is too many.

 

I would generally agree.

Start off with a few rather broad forums, and then add in child forums as the needs arise. Even the child forums can have children, just don't add too many generations, it gets even more confusing then having a lot of main forums.

Then again, there really is no way to tell. What works for one forum, may not work for another. Just do what you think is right, and what you can handle. If it does not seem right to you, then it will fail, and if it's too much for you to handle, it will simply get out of hand.

Get it started, and let your members help you figure it out. I bet they would love to have a hand in such things, and it would make them feel all warm and cuddly inside...which in turn will make many of them loyal and long term.

 

Focus your energy on one forum, first. Communities need that sort of upstart to really get anywhere. As sub-communities get large enough, create spinoffs.

DP Army FTW.

 

Largely, I agree with the sentiments expressed by other posters. Forum building is a slow, gradual process. The reason so many forums are here to day and gone tomorrow is because the owners expect rapid outcomes and as anyone who has built a forum knows, turning it in to a thriving community overnight is a myth.

Therefore, begin your forum with, and concentrate your posts in, just a few forums/subforums. This has several benefits:

i. it can make your forum seem more active;
ii. it prevents current members from overlooking recent posts;
iii. it does not look too imposing/chaotic/overbearing to prospective new members - who really wants to wade through 40 subforums?!

Once you build membership and post count you can begin to approach regulars and say something like: "Hey, I think we should have a separate sub-forum for striped-widgets, would you do me the honor of being a mod if I create it?" etc. And slowly begin to fractioanlise your forum as it grows. Grow the structure as membership grows, it's a simple idea really.

 

For SMF is a multiforum system.
With one installation you may have multipleforums.
yourforum.com/football.html
yourforum.com/general.html
yourforum.com/sex.html
and so on you can create unlimited forums.
For more infos: http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=158330.0

 

Depending on your time that you can spare for forum, I think you need to be regular in forums whatever you select.

 

Organize them in an excellent way, such as eBay's categories.

This way, the no. of forums won't be looking much, whereas actally they will be.

 

I own 15 forums now. it's not easy job. I am already swamped with work

 

I have plans also to create many forums, but depending on what every individual forum is focused on depends on how much work you need to do. For me, I currently have one forum. It is focused on making a RPG game project, me being the owner I have allot to do.

I would suggest doing this one by one, and when each forum gets active and you have staff members helping you run it. Then move onto the next forum, make sure you dont over load your daily work on forums.

 

i would recommend creating 1 forum first, work and work on it until its goin and very popular and then if you think you are ready to create another go for it