Comments on: Building a successful forum http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/ Fixed price, low cost web design and hosting based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:29:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-244 Jim Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:43:27 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-244 @Piggynap : Thanks for the comment. You are spot on with the un-tapped niches out there, there definitely are a lot. The trick is to get it up and running fast and drive it forward with as much enthusiasm as you can muster. I have another forum in mind that will be launched in the next month or two... I will document it along the way and you can see how it goes. This one will be completely from scratch and we will have to build it without an existing community looking for a place to stay. It should be interesting, as well as a challenge. The question about where people come from is an interesting one, and one you covered on your work blog a while ago. Basically people who have a Z4 and want to find a forum will search for "z4 forum" (with or without quotes). In this respect the domain is PERFECT. A little SEO mixed in there and we are number one on Google. That leads to 3 or 4 new signups every day. @Piggynap : Thanks for the comment. You are spot on with the un-tapped niches out there, there definitely are a lot. The trick is to get it up and running fast and drive it forward with as much enthusiasm as you can muster.

I have another forum in mind that will be launched in the next month or two… I will document it along the way and you can see how it goes. This one will be completely from scratch and we will have to build it without an existing community looking for a place to stay. It should be interesting, as well as a challenge.

The question about where people come from is an interesting one, and one you covered on your work blog a while ago. Basically people who have a Z4 and want to find a forum will search for “z4 forum” (with or without quotes). In this respect the domain is PERFECT. A little SEO mixed in there and we are number one on Google. That leads to 3 or 4 new signups every day.

]]> By: Piggynap http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-243 Piggynap Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:29:45 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-243 Good tip about trying to differentiate yourself from all the other forums out there - there are probably lots of untapped niches within markets, like 'for beginners' or 'for women'. Did you find people found your forum by themselves, e.g through search, or did you advertise it at first? It looks like the main thing is to have good admin and create conversations so people come back - it must be a lot of hard work, and that's after all the technical stuff that goes into making it useable, so well done on your Z4 forum! Good tip about trying to differentiate yourself from all the other forums out there – there are probably lots of untapped niches within markets, like ‘for beginners’ or ‘for women’. Did you find people found your forum by themselves, e.g through search, or did you advertise it at first?

It looks like the main thing is to have good admin and create conversations so people come back – it must be a lot of hard work, and that’s after all the technical stuff that goes into making it useable, so well done on your Z4 forum!

]]> By: Investing Forum http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-236 Investing Forum Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:10:26 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-236 You’ve made some very good points here, and I agree that if your intentions are to create income from a forum your barking up the wrong tree. You’ve made some very good points here, and I agree that if your intentions are to create income from a forum your barking up the wrong tree.

]]> By: Jim http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-232 Jim Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:56:08 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-232 @Matt: Sorry, your comment hit the spam filter. I have had a lot on recently and haven't been on top of checking. Thanks for the comment, and for adding the RSS, it's good to know people are reading :D @Matt: Sorry, your comment hit the spam filter. I have had a lot on recently and haven’t been on top of checking. Thanks for the comment, and for adding the RSS, it’s good to know people are reading :D

]]> By: Jim http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-230 Jim Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:59:50 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-230 Interesting that you both homed in on that section, I did think it was an interesting point and could have possibly elaborated a little more. Forum psychology is an interesting thing and takes some thought to manage it well. I know what you mean about cliques, I have seen that happen on a lot of forums too and it is something I keep an eye on. An important thing to keep in mind in that situation is to try and avoid having a member of a "clique" in the team, that tends to make people feel bullied. Like I say, I am learning as I go along. I have come a long way in the past year and a bit, but I by no means have all the answers. If there is interest in this topic I may elaborate on some other areas of "forum life" at a later date. Thanks for the comments! Interesting that you both homed in on that section, I did think it was an interesting point and could have possibly elaborated a little more. Forum psychology is an interesting thing and takes some thought to manage it well.

I know what you mean about cliques, I have seen that happen on a lot of forums too and it is something I keep an eye on. An important thing to keep in mind in that situation is to try and avoid having a member of a “clique” in the team, that tends to make people feel bullied.

Like I say, I am learning as I go along. I have come a long way in the past year and a bit, but I by no means have all the answers.

If there is interest in this topic I may elaborate on some other areas of “forum life” at a later date.

Thanks for the comments!

]]> By: Lyndi http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-228 Lyndi Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:48:56 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-228 'A forum is not a democracy' - this sums it all up for me. Many forums have fallen by the wayside because of the cliques that form on the forums. These cliques then tend to take over everything and sometimes manage to spoil the whole experience for everyone else. In my opinion the owner and the mods should rule with an iron fist. If someone breaks the rules they should be promptly removed. If this does not happen the majority suffers because of the actions of a few. If this type of situation is left unchecked, the forum will eventually die. I wish I had a Z4, it sounds as if you have one of the few worthwhile forums these days. ‘A forum is not a democracy’ – this sums it all up for me. Many forums have fallen by the wayside because of the cliques that form on the forums. These cliques then tend to take over everything and sometimes manage to spoil the whole experience for everyone else.

In my opinion the owner and the mods should rule with an iron fist. If someone breaks the rules they should be promptly removed. If this does not happen the majority suffers because of the actions of a few. If this type of situation is left unchecked, the forum will eventually die.

I wish I had a Z4, it sounds as if you have one of the few worthwhile forums these days.

]]> By: Rarst http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-227 Rarst Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:48:32 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-227 I always found weird how plenty of people consider forums democracy by default. They don't go and teach bloggers how to blog but it's perfectly okay for them to loudly voice their opinion about how forums should work. I was frequenting some very different forums (I usually get bored with forum after a year) and everywhere there is always group of democracy proclaimers who drive everyone nuts with their demands. I always found weird how plenty of people consider forums democracy by default. They don’t go and teach bloggers how to blog but it’s perfectly okay for them to loudly voice their opinion about how forums should work.

I was frequenting some very different forums (I usually get bored with forum after a year) and everywhere there is always group of democracy proclaimers who drive everyone nuts with their demands.

]]> By: Matt Hanson http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/2008/09/28/building-a-successful-forum/comment-page-1/#comment-224 Matt Hanson Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:40:15 +0000 http://www.thinksynergy.co.uk/?p=249#comment-224 Good writing. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed my Google News Reader.. Matt Hanson Good writing. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed my Google News Reader..

Matt Hanson

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