Hi, The forum has been running for 2-3 days now with minimal advertising I am hoping to advertise this forum over the next week Thanks
If you really want to start a good one I will lay it out for you: Domain: About $8 License: 70$ (IPB yearly) or $180 (vB Owned) Hosting: Atleast $5.00 /month to start off Design: $100-$200 If you cant design your own Advertising: $100+ Thats just starting off, that will get you going with a good site, now all you need to do is put your own work into it such as posting and referring people and possibly buying posting packages.
I started a website for 0$ All you need to do is make a post called I need sponsors and why you need them and you will get some posts for a free domain and hosting.
Here is a good site for forum administrators: http://www.theadminzone.com/ It has good articles & resources.
Hi i own a forumwww.simplelance.com i started with a free forum script but was getting no were so i switched to vbulletin leased license and i am doing better so i recommend you get vbulletin. So far i have spent in the region of $1,000 securing all domains, vbulletin, hosting, marketing, etc I did design and all mods myself so these cost me nothing. If you want to start a forum be prepared for a long road without much success.
OK, I just have to say it. I mean absolutely no offense, but the reason you have no success is because you are doing what literally thousands of other people are trying to do. That is making a forum on a topic that already has the forum leaders. Look at your site. It's almost an identical category clone as Digital Point. Why on EARTH would anyone want to visit your site when they have DigitalPoint? We would all like a forum like DP. But it's been done. People visit a forum to converse with other members, get feedback from other members. Why would anyone go to your forum? It's like your opening a tiny little shop selling soda on a street full of supermarkets. SUPERMARKETS SELL SODA TOO! When creating a forum, make sure you create it on a topic that does not have a lot of competition. Make yourself a leader in your field. THEN start a forum when you have a following.
If you want to do it right, I suggest a minimum of $1,000 per forum. That way you can do some advertising right away.
You can get hosting for with primehost and use there fantastico to get a phpbb forum. Domail would cost you $10 or whatever so thats $30. No big deal there. Everyone is saying that it costs no money to get a forum and that is pretty much true. I mean if you really want a forum, it is almost free. BUT If you think you can spend nothing and advertise it in forums and on other social internet places, you are not going to go very far. Forums are hard to populate. Most of the time, you will get 40 visitors all the time that read and never post and that is good but not great when you wan that content. I had a forum and I never did anything with it. Nothing really happend with it. I got spammed by porn a lot. I bet its packed right now actually If anyone thinks differently and knows a way to get a busy forum going simply with no money and little effort let me know. I mean you can do all the advertising and posting work yourself... make 50 usenames and post by yourself... but that will take forever and those things will only cost about maybe $100 for a freelancer at scriptlance... Thank You, George Christodoulou
If you are serious about your forum, get Vbulletin. I know it costs, but IMO it is the best forum software available.
Not necessarily, I know it's your opinion, but there are different forum products out there that can be used for different audiences. I have a niche travel forum and since I converted FROM VB to Vanilla, member signup has increased and general activity increased 5 fold. The members are NOT net savvy and find it MUCH more intuitive.
Point taken, but I just feel VB has a more professional theme about it, not to mention the features it has.
Thanks for all of ur opinions.. but iam started my forum with just these below steps, 1) SMF or Mybb ( botrh are free and good) 2) Domain - 7$ ( Just 7$ - or use coupon codes ) 3) Hosting - 22$ ( dreamhost offers good offers and coupons so u can go for just 20$ per year also..) 4) Posts : 0$ (I have some of good friends online for posting..) 5) Advertise : Just go to yahoo chat and select ur forum related room.. and introduce ur forum there ...submit to searchengines.. and directories .. and go to ur competitor foum and just do posts in ur free time .. and set ur forum as a signature there ... 6) Design : there are so many free skings and themes for ur forums... So Just start with 30$ per year ... If my post is helpful please give me some greens... Thankyou
a few things vbulletin is not $100 many of the free forum softwares have way too MANY exploits frankly when i started my forum all it cost me was the vbulletin license fee and about $5/month for hosting + the time put in, other than that forums (IMO) are not hard to start or run financially