Scott
11-23-2005, 05:15 PM
Starting up an online community can be one of the most rewarding things to do on the web. But it's not easy. It can take a lot of time and patience before you'll get an active discussion forum. What I've tried to do in this post is highlight the main steps in starting a forum from scratch. Hopefully this guide will be of some help to somebody, and if there is something which you disagree with let me know. :)
Choosing your subject/forum name
Obviously, you can't create a forum unless you know what it is going to be about. This crucial stage can make getting members easy later on. You want to try and aim for a niche which isn't covered by umpteen other forums. Say for example, you wanted to start a forum about motoring. I would suggest being a little bit more specific here. However, you can be too specific which is equally problematic. If you start a forum about a Porche 911, you might find it difficult to expand later on. Instead, aim for a medium - Supreme Sport Motoring...for want of a better phrase. This lets you cover details about sports cars, without being limited too much.
There is nothing wrong with starting a very open forum, just be aware that in my experience it is harder to start compared to one slightly more specialised.
At this stage, it is also a good idea to come up with a name for your forum. You can change it if you feel you need to later on, but you shouldn't really have to. For the sake of this guide, we'll stick with Supreme Sport Motoring. Lots of factors go into coming up with a good name, target audience being a big one. If you're aiming to attract teenagers, maybe Teens Sport Motoring would be better suited. If you want a localised forum, Supreme Sport Motoring UK could fit the bill.
Try and spend some time thinking and planning your forum. Spending the time now will save you a lot of hassle later on.
Hosting/Domain
You've got your subject, now you need to find somewhere for your forum to go. This is the only stage in this guide where money is critical. Don't get me wrong - it is possible to start up a free forum. However, if you're serious about making a commitment, a little cash should be used here. Covering hosting is a bit beyond the scope of this guide, but I will suggest that you look wide - don't be captivated by the site which has spent the most on advertising. Look for hosts which include forum installers, these can speed you up later on. Check that the package you choose can support a forum. I would recommend PHP with MySQL (1 database minimum) which is not difficult to find. However there are other options...a little bit of research is helpful here. For those who need a bit of a hand, Webhostingtalk (http://www.webhostingtalk.com) is an excellent resource with the hosting industry.
A domain is a big part of your soon-to-be forum. Try to incorporate your forum name as much as possible, for example, supremesportmotoring.com is available for my fictional forum and so is supremesportmotoring.co.uk had I wanted to make my forum a UK one.
The reason for including your forum name is to help you when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation. Had someone searched for "Sport car motoring", 2 of their words are present in your domain name, which helps a lot. With a domain along the lines of feelthepower.com might not be much use with motoring searches.
Forum Software
Okay, so you're hosted on mr jones' web host with your brand new domain. It's time to get your forum off the ground. Money to spend will aid you at this point, but it is by no means a necessity. There is loads of forum software out there, please please please spend the time to find the one which suits you. Switching forum later on can not only be difficult, but also disruptive to your members. Spend the time now finding on which suits your needs will save you trouble in the long run.
Installation is usually straightforward, and most software has excellent documentation regarding this. If you managed to find a host which has auto installing scripts, such as Fantastico for cPanel, you might find these easier to use. In general, once you've picked the software, it shouldn't be hard to get it up and running.
Configuring the forum software
Once you've got it installed, you'll need to have a play around with it. This can take time, but it's time which you should spend now, rather than when you've got a disruptive member and you don't know how to ban them. Documentation goes a long way at this stage too, and a some popular software has books available to use.
Eventually, you'll need to set the forum up in the way you want it. At this stage, I'm looking mainly at categories, forums and sub-forums. Try not to overcrowd your forum with 20 main forums, each with 15 sub-forums. This a common mistake and can end up putting members off. Limit yourself to the forums which are most important, and IMO no more than 3 sub-forums (if you even need 3). This topic (http://www.forumuniversity.com/campus/showthread.php?t=140) gives a bit more discussion about number of initial forums.
Change the look
This is optional, but I would strongly recommend it. Default forum colours are unlikely to appeal to your type of forum: bright orange isn't the best choice for our motoring forum. Changing the look can be a relatively simple way of personalising your forum and this will help you a lot in the long run.
If you're not too sure about CSS, image creation, etc. then its usually possible to download or purchase skins for your forum software. I'm not sure if this gives the same effect a custom skin does, but it certainly saves you time and hassle.
Lets recap
By this point we've got our forum setup on our web hosting, with all the categories we'll need to let the place expand. Unless you've managed to get the help of a friend, you'll likely be the only member at this point. Before we can really spread the word about our masterpiece, we need to do one more thing...something which we will start but hopefully never stop.
Add Content
At the end of the day, no matter how fabulous the place looks, it is content which members want...and it is content which will keep them coming back. Now is the time to start adding some. Hopefully, you'll feel passionate about your chosen subject and able to make lots of topics about it.
Some off-topic content helps too...a dull, boring forum without the community spirit isn't ideal for attracting members.
Tell friends/advertise
Now you've added a little bit of content, it's time to tell people about it. If you went around spreading the word and all you had was an empty forum, members aren't likely to join. Make a little contribution first, then shout about it. Start with your friends - they'll likely join up even if they aren't interested. A higher member count goes a long way in tempting others to join.
If you can spare some money to advertise your forum, this will obviously help. Where to advertise...how much to spend, is all up to you. Don't be put off if you can't spare the change, it is possible to get a forum started without spending a cent on advertising. Use your signature on other forums, contact owners of similar subjects and ask for shared advertisement. You never know what you might get until you ask.
Building up the member base can be the most frustrating thing when starting a new forum. Persistence is the key. Many members will join and never post. This is going to happen, no matter what you do about it. Think on the positive side - rather they join and never post compared to they read and never join. Occasionally, you'll notice that some members will post more than others - probably someone who likes the subject of your forum. These are the people you want to be on the look out for...you may need their help in moderating when the forum does grow.
Something Unique
Its always good to add something unique to your forum. Failing that, something extra can help to. Things like arcades, galleries, top site lists, etc etc, can be a help in keeping members active on your forum. Occasional competitions are a good boost too. Be creative and see what you can come up with. Members love originality, and it can set your forum apart from others.
Over to you
By this point, your forum should be ready to grow. Don't forget the importance of fresh cont. Be patient and let members join. Each time you reach a milestone number of members, look back at how far you've come hopefully in a pretty reasonable space of time.
I don't know if this guide has been any use to anyone, but I've wrote it in the hope that it will be. Don't hesitate to ask questions and you may find that certain stages outlined here have been discussed in more detail. Remember that I've written this based on my experience with starting a community, if you have points which you think I've missed out, or haven't explained clearly then give me a shout. :)
Choosing your subject/forum name
Obviously, you can't create a forum unless you know what it is going to be about. This crucial stage can make getting members easy later on. You want to try and aim for a niche which isn't covered by umpteen other forums. Say for example, you wanted to start a forum about motoring. I would suggest being a little bit more specific here. However, you can be too specific which is equally problematic. If you start a forum about a Porche 911, you might find it difficult to expand later on. Instead, aim for a medium - Supreme Sport Motoring...for want of a better phrase. This lets you cover details about sports cars, without being limited too much.
There is nothing wrong with starting a very open forum, just be aware that in my experience it is harder to start compared to one slightly more specialised.
At this stage, it is also a good idea to come up with a name for your forum. You can change it if you feel you need to later on, but you shouldn't really have to. For the sake of this guide, we'll stick with Supreme Sport Motoring. Lots of factors go into coming up with a good name, target audience being a big one. If you're aiming to attract teenagers, maybe Teens Sport Motoring would be better suited. If you want a localised forum, Supreme Sport Motoring UK could fit the bill.
Try and spend some time thinking and planning your forum. Spending the time now will save you a lot of hassle later on.
Hosting/Domain
You've got your subject, now you need to find somewhere for your forum to go. This is the only stage in this guide where money is critical. Don't get me wrong - it is possible to start up a free forum. However, if you're serious about making a commitment, a little cash should be used here. Covering hosting is a bit beyond the scope of this guide, but I will suggest that you look wide - don't be captivated by the site which has spent the most on advertising. Look for hosts which include forum installers, these can speed you up later on. Check that the package you choose can support a forum. I would recommend PHP with MySQL (1 database minimum) which is not difficult to find. However there are other options...a little bit of research is helpful here. For those who need a bit of a hand, Webhostingtalk (http://www.webhostingtalk.com) is an excellent resource with the hosting industry.
A domain is a big part of your soon-to-be forum. Try to incorporate your forum name as much as possible, for example, supremesportmotoring.com is available for my fictional forum and so is supremesportmotoring.co.uk had I wanted to make my forum a UK one.
The reason for including your forum name is to help you when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation. Had someone searched for "Sport car motoring", 2 of their words are present in your domain name, which helps a lot. With a domain along the lines of feelthepower.com might not be much use with motoring searches.
Forum Software
Okay, so you're hosted on mr jones' web host with your brand new domain. It's time to get your forum off the ground. Money to spend will aid you at this point, but it is by no means a necessity. There is loads of forum software out there, please please please spend the time to find the one which suits you. Switching forum later on can not only be difficult, but also disruptive to your members. Spend the time now finding on which suits your needs will save you trouble in the long run.
Installation is usually straightforward, and most software has excellent documentation regarding this. If you managed to find a host which has auto installing scripts, such as Fantastico for cPanel, you might find these easier to use. In general, once you've picked the software, it shouldn't be hard to get it up and running.
Configuring the forum software
Once you've got it installed, you'll need to have a play around with it. This can take time, but it's time which you should spend now, rather than when you've got a disruptive member and you don't know how to ban them. Documentation goes a long way at this stage too, and a some popular software has books available to use.
Eventually, you'll need to set the forum up in the way you want it. At this stage, I'm looking mainly at categories, forums and sub-forums. Try not to overcrowd your forum with 20 main forums, each with 15 sub-forums. This a common mistake and can end up putting members off. Limit yourself to the forums which are most important, and IMO no more than 3 sub-forums (if you even need 3). This topic (http://www.forumuniversity.com/campus/showthread.php?t=140) gives a bit more discussion about number of initial forums.
Change the look
This is optional, but I would strongly recommend it. Default forum colours are unlikely to appeal to your type of forum: bright orange isn't the best choice for our motoring forum. Changing the look can be a relatively simple way of personalising your forum and this will help you a lot in the long run.
If you're not too sure about CSS, image creation, etc. then its usually possible to download or purchase skins for your forum software. I'm not sure if this gives the same effect a custom skin does, but it certainly saves you time and hassle.
Lets recap
By this point we've got our forum setup on our web hosting, with all the categories we'll need to let the place expand. Unless you've managed to get the help of a friend, you'll likely be the only member at this point. Before we can really spread the word about our masterpiece, we need to do one more thing...something which we will start but hopefully never stop.
Add Content
At the end of the day, no matter how fabulous the place looks, it is content which members want...and it is content which will keep them coming back. Now is the time to start adding some. Hopefully, you'll feel passionate about your chosen subject and able to make lots of topics about it.
Some off-topic content helps too...a dull, boring forum without the community spirit isn't ideal for attracting members.
Tell friends/advertise
Now you've added a little bit of content, it's time to tell people about it. If you went around spreading the word and all you had was an empty forum, members aren't likely to join. Make a little contribution first, then shout about it. Start with your friends - they'll likely join up even if they aren't interested. A higher member count goes a long way in tempting others to join.
If you can spare some money to advertise your forum, this will obviously help. Where to advertise...how much to spend, is all up to you. Don't be put off if you can't spare the change, it is possible to get a forum started without spending a cent on advertising. Use your signature on other forums, contact owners of similar subjects and ask for shared advertisement. You never know what you might get until you ask.
Building up the member base can be the most frustrating thing when starting a new forum. Persistence is the key. Many members will join and never post. This is going to happen, no matter what you do about it. Think on the positive side - rather they join and never post compared to they read and never join. Occasionally, you'll notice that some members will post more than others - probably someone who likes the subject of your forum. These are the people you want to be on the look out for...you may need their help in moderating when the forum does grow.
Something Unique
Its always good to add something unique to your forum. Failing that, something extra can help to. Things like arcades, galleries, top site lists, etc etc, can be a help in keeping members active on your forum. Occasional competitions are a good boost too. Be creative and see what you can come up with. Members love originality, and it can set your forum apart from others.
Over to you
By this point, your forum should be ready to grow. Don't forget the importance of fresh cont. Be patient and let members join. Each time you reach a milestone number of members, look back at how far you've come hopefully in a pretty reasonable space of time.
I don't know if this guide has been any use to anyone, but I've wrote it in the hope that it will be. Don't hesitate to ask questions and you may find that certain stages outlined here have been discussed in more detail. Remember that I've written this based on my experience with starting a community, if you have points which you think I've missed out, or haven't explained clearly then give me a shout. :)