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Wise to add a forum to a popular website?

by rawaccess
24 replies
I have a website/blog that receives about 32k visits daily. A FB plugin allows visitors to leave comments and they do but it's just comments like "cool article bro!" No one really talks to each other in the comment feed and the traffic received is mostly social - so the users are here to be fed information then return to their originating social site. Bounce rate is high, engagement is low.

I'm curious if I should install a forum to capture this traffic and build a community around the subject the website is about.


What are the pros and cons to a forum?

Pros: community

Cons: increased admin work, poor monetary return
#add #forum #popular #website #wise
  • Profile picture of the author bizoppmaster
    Number one priority is to build a list. Check out Pop Up Domination.
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  • Profile picture of the author Allan_Gardyne
    I summed up advantages and disadvantages of owning a forum, based on my experience, here http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post7686485
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  • Profile picture of the author rawaccess
    Another 'con' to creating a forum is once I create one, I have to keep it... So there is no turning back.
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    • Profile picture of the author mrgoe
      Originally Posted by rawaccess View Post

      Another 'con' to creating a forum is once I create one, I have to keep it... So there is no turning back.
      The main issue with the forum is that you need people to take care of it. You need to be able to keep your website going, not worrying about spam on forum, links to porn and other issues.
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      • Profile picture of the author dalegolden
        Originally Posted by mrgoe View Post

        The main issue with the forum is that you need people to take care of it. You need to be able to keep your website going, not worrying about spam on forum, links to porn and other issues.
        Is it really wise not to worry about spamming? Don't you think it can lower the quality of a site?
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  • Profile picture of the author datingworld
    32K visitors per day is a really good traffic.
    If I was you, i would certainly go ahead with forum. I believe you should go ahead with forum.
    Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author Rebeccha Haase
    If you add a forum, you must moderate it regularly or the spammers will blast your site with their links. May be your forum will appear in some kind of list of building links.
    With such a massive visitors, you will easily get a populated forum. I will vote to go for a forum.
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  • Profile picture of the author rawaccess
    Thanks for the replies. Seems like adding a forum will be a large undertaking where four people will be required to administer and police it on a full-time basis.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bluestarace
    I know this is not what you asked, but why not create a poll asking your visitors if they would like to see a forum added to the website? If yes, they would they join it?
    The poll should give you some idea as to how much demand there is.
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  • Profile picture of the author Social App Zone
    I use the Facebook comments plugin as a forum for sections on my site. It can be moderated and customized.

    Nice and clean and no need to deal with all the automated spamming issues from those pesky IM tools.
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  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    You should also have in mind that you may need to pay people to post something in your forum and start conversations.

    The fact that you will have a forum doesn’t mean that people will start using it. There are many forum owners who pay forum posters because otherwise, their forums are always empty.

    The amount of traffic doesn't matter if your visitors don't have the intention to write or discuss anything.
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  • Profile picture of the author Igor Fridrihs
    Start forum, but not to monetize immediately. Build your list and then monetize.
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  • Profile picture of the author curationsoft
    that is great traffic! be careful the way you handle your list, always interact with them and give updates as much as possible.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marketgirl
    Are you collecting any type of contact information from all your readers? That was my first thought, building your email list would be my first goal. This way no matter which way you want to go in the future, you have a list to market to. Just a thought...
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  • Profile picture of the author ogreman
    Starting a forum is not easy to start and even tougher to maintain. I started one for a game site with major traffic, but before long it took all my focus from the main site. Moderating spam is just part of it. Members have to have a reason to come back no matter what the subject of the forum is. Sometimes your time is what they want unless you can hire admins to do the same.
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  • Profile picture of the author koreancowboy
    I run a watch forum as my day job...it is a full-time job to be an Admin, or even a Mod. We have six Mods and three Admins running the forum (my boss is the main Admin, even though I run the day-to-day operations).

    Unless you have the people, time, and most importantly, the money to bankroll this endeavor, I wouldn't recommend it...the same goes for anyone thinking about starting a forum. If you don't know what you're doing, re: you're not a forum-type person, then I would recommend starting a list with your traffic instead. Far more manageable, leaving you more time to focus on other things.
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  • Profile picture of the author TristanEric
    Keep in mind that forums do require more work.. but if you are willing, then go for it! It will keep your traffic on the site longer!
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  • Profile picture of the author joaquin112
    It depends on your situation. What kind of site do you have? Do people want a forum? Are there other large forums in your niche? How are they doing?

    Also what is your site's objective? If you simply want to generate ad income, a forum might not be a good idea as they have a notoriously low CPM. On the other hand, if you want to build a list and a good relationship with your subscribers, a forum might be an excellent way to do it. Also remember that forums are usually good at targeting long-tail keywords, which means more visitors and income in the long run.
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  • Profile picture of the author cpt
    I have a small forum and it is extremely time consuming. Please really listen to the advice of the warriors who run larger forums. You will have to constantly fight off spam, members will get into spats, people will PM you asking questions, people will email you saying they cannot register or login... the list goes on. If you've got a good thing going you may want to think twice or at the very least be prepared to assemble a team to help you run it. Best of luck in whatever you decide!
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  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    Forums that become popular have a group of members who always post something and usually participate of all the discussions. Without this group, you have no chances to keep the forum alive.
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