Do you think it is a good idea in general to add a forum to an e-commerce site? I have two clients in mind, one http://www.dollarsurbanwear.co.uk/ which sells USA hip hop clothing to mostly-male 16 to 25 year olds. The other is http://www.microchipcatflaps.co.uk/ that offers a unique electronic gadget to make cat lovers lifes easier. Which forum software is the best to use and is there anything we should watch out for?
For these sites Vbulletin branding free is best option but u need to build a theme to match the site. Like blogs forum is also great enhancement to business. U can come closer to guys who purchase from such stores....same thing -U'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY OF USERS WHO SUE THOSE E-COMMERCE SITE
Are there any negative aspects of having a forum to look out for. What are your thoughts on moderation? Allow people to post freely or moderate first?
Forums can be a great source for traffic and revenue. You will need to monitor it constantly for spam bots and other people who are just there to cause problems. In the end, if you have the time it is a great idea
Unless you have a general stream of traffic it won't add to the value of the site. If people come and see an empty forum they might get discouraged.
The site gets 400 visitors per day so I would imagine the conversation would start flowing don't you?
vBulletin is the best forum software and remember to activate vbseo plugin. http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/seo-for-vbulletin-forums/
One downside of putting a forum on an ecommerce site is that unsatisfied customers (if there ever are any) will use the forum as a mechanism vent their anger/frustration. That won't be good for business, so you'll have to moderate things pretty heavily.
Yes, if you have plenty of traffic like you said you could start a forum. Make sure you have topics to talk about though. Like a reason why they should post in the forum? Vbulletin is the type of forum I have always used, and its great and easy to use!