9 replies
I want to start a local site as we have none where it allows people to add their info or comments regarding local issues events etc.But I would like to get local business to advertise and slip ads in some of my posts as admin.Any suggestions or sample sites welcome as well.
Thanks
#blog #forum
  • Profile picture of the author thebitbotdotcom
    How about a blog with a forum on it or a forum with a blog on it?
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisCree
    There are a lot of ways you could go with this. It just depends on what your goals are with the site.

    The simplest answer is to keep it at just a blog. Publish great content and encourage folks to leave comments. If you want you can ad a form where people can submit info, events, and the like. Gravity Forms (not my affiliate link) is a great choice because it makes managing multiple forms easy.

    Like was said above a blog with a forum is another good option. That way people could interact on the forum and you could attract traffic to it with the blog.

    Another option would be to create a niche social media community. You can do that through Ning. Or you might find BuddyPress a better option because it gives you more control and you can download the software for free.
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  • Profile picture of the author socialbookmark
    Forum is better because it has many more options both for Admin and users. But sarting forum needs that you have enough information about it. Also making your forum popular is very difficult. So my suggestion to you is starting a blog and write your articles on it, then after some months, you have enough information about users of your website and number of visitors, then decide to improve this blog to forum if you have enough visitor and user.
    My other suggestion to you is making a free blog firstly and work on it. Its better that if you don't found it valuable, you leave it without any consumed money.
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  • Profile picture of the author Virtualghost
    All good info thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author magicjg
      You can use WP3 to create a type of 'portal' site that includes both blog and forum. Or use a directory type site (think directorypress) and charge a premium for local business to be listed as a featured business.
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  • Profile picture of the author mclauchlan
    Register a local keyword domain name
    Host with Hostgator & use the free SMF forum software form Hostgator's Fantastico.

    With SMF you can add ads easily, add a portal upload videos and photos and customise the site as you wish

    Here's the main SMF Forum link
    Simple Machines Community Forum - Index

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    Personally, I would use both and throw in a forum to aid the conversing. Blogs are easy to manage. However, I have better results in SEO with HTML with is pref of search engines. Keep flash to a minimum. Please place your selling pages in the HTML section of your site as you want max top rank for those pages. The forum will allow your users to ask questions, and you provide the answers.
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  • Profile picture of the author GregoryLawfirm
    I would suggest a combination as other have... I'd do a blog with a forum, directory and a discussion board as well. I have a friend who has great luck with their discussion board it just took a little while for it to take off but when it did his returning visitors sky rocketed!
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  • Profile picture of the author Highdefinition
    I think it would be better to have both: Blog with Forum
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