I want to start a new forum, but am a first-timer so don't know a single thing about how I am supposed to go about it. Thus, I have a lot of questions, which I will keep asking as I go along the process. 1. I have already bought the domain name, and I plan to keep a forum on it as a sub-domain. Would that be the right thing to do? 2. What kind of hosting plan should I get (both initially and later on, when members increase)? Please let me know the specifications which are must-haves? Is it difficult to set up on my own? 3. How can I promote/popularize my forum? 4. Is a forum a good way to make money, compared to other ways like paid blogging (I am not making much that way)? How can I generate revenue from the forum... through Google Adsense? And others? 5. Is it difficult to maintain a forum? What kind of help will I need? Like will I need someone to develop it, and then also have to hire people to maintain it? Will also need moderators and posters? 6. If you don't have your own Adsense account, is it possible to make a deal with someone else to use their Adsense account on your forum? If so, how do u split the money that is earned? Moreover, how do you know for sure how much was earned, as it's someone else's Adsense account)? Do they send u a report? Do u have to make some kind of contract with them? I know these are a lot of questions, but I will be thankful to anyone who answers.
1. Depends on what your doing exactly, want to explain more. 2. Start with a good shared plan, then when and if the forum grows update to a VPS. When it becomes very active then finally get a dedicated server. 3. Do a forum search and a Google saerch on this one. The methods of advertising is almost endless. 4. It's usually harder to get money from a Forum using AdSence and programs like this. A popular way is to have a VIP member status where they can pay to upgrade their privilages like this forum does. 5. It is easy as long as the forum isn't largly active, however the more active you get the more staff members you should add. In my opinion a forum with upton 50 active members can be maintained by one or two staff members. It can require time however. 6. Not sure about this one. Thanks for this, I haven't seen this one before.
keep with it never give up takes a lot of work i'm finding out. i would suggest you do what i do start with phpbb until you get use to it and it becomes active then switch to vB i think they have nicer plug in and features myself. but for free phpbb isnt bad. i think you can earn on adsense. just depends on the amount of traffic your forum gets. Try posting on other blogs and forums related to yours. make sure they are do follow unless they have a rediculas high pr rank. it takes time and keep it up ive only been up 2 months mainly been doing backlinks for more organic traffic.
it is better to plan out before hand rather than purchasing the domain and then starting the search for what you wish to do with that domain. you may take note that you are losing on subsription time for the domain while you are in the process of planning.