[ Beyond Discussions ] Many people told me that my forum is no different than the millions of other general discussion boards, and that it'll quickly fail. I'm just looking for help on how to make it stand out. How to make it different from other boards. Maybe offer some kind of service?
As an owner, if you actively participate in your forums, it can make a difference. If someone asks a question, go ahead and answer it, even if it takes some research - don't wait for others to reply. Forums with unanswered questions look very sad.
it could be design, content anything. i would say dont worry about this; maintain the quality of your forum and marketing effort.
Ive got a new forum aswell. The main priority for me at the moment is getting the post count up and making the users feel welcome. I suppose it's one of those things that once you find your feet you then decide what routes to take. Maybe because you have a general forum you could have an upload section, where people can upload their holiday shots and videos of themselves. Like a cross between YouTube and facebook ?? This would spark more conversation naturally and give a more personal feel to the forum. Just an idea off the top of my head.
Forums are like other sites. Do something amazing, have a mission statement, and cater to a niche or need that nobody else has tapped into. Forums differ from many sites however because they require maintaining new content. There are a flood of general discussion forums, discussion boards, and social sites. Great if you have a close kit group of friends, but don't expect anyone to find anything worth spending time on. Time is money, entertainment, and knowledge.
Let people read your discussions without registering. This way you upsetting people and you won't be indexed by google. If people start reading your discussions they might get some interest to join. Also, I don't like you theme as well. The color is too bright to be readable and hurts your eyes.