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Is building a community website to make money a good idea?

by AngieChamb
11 replies
I have came up with what I think would be a very good idea. I suffer from Social Phobia and Agoraphobia, therefore I have no friends and never leave my house. My idea is to create a website for people like me to get together. Maybe have a forum so people can sign up. Also let them make their own profile. kind of like a community where people can make friends and share their opinions with like minded people.
My question is this a good idea, and how would I start something like this and monetize it? Would I start it off as an info site, and have an opt-in so I can build a list, and go from there?
#building #community #good #idea #make #money #website
  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin T
    Basically you're describing setting up a forum at the base of this project. In hindsight, forums are extremely lucrative types of websites because they run themselves. Members bring original content to the site, and they more or less police themselves with little intervention.

    The tough part: getting a forum up and running. I'd consider the mortality rate of forum-startups to be among the highest in the industry simply because it is hard to do. The WarriorForum didn't just start with hundreds of thousands of members now did it?

    I think starting a forum is super ambitious, but the return could be fantastic if you get it up and running (by itself essentially). Just note that it'll take a lot of time, and probably a good amount of money to get it moving before you ever start to make a penny from any form of monetization.

    Hope this helps,
    Ben
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    • Profile picture of the author AngieChamb
      What if I made it an info site to start off with and have subscribers, and build a list. Then after I get a good list. introduce a forum?
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by AngieChamb View Post

        What if I made it an info site to start off with and have subscribers, and build a list. Then after I get a good list. introduce a forum?
        This would be a good course of action. Instead of starting with a forum for 4 people, that would look cliquey quick, develop the community through information and experience ( A Blog ) and then introduce the Forum.
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        • Profile picture of the author AngieChamb
          Thank you! I am new to this. I really want to come up with some good ideas that may not be overdone. This is just one of them mulling around in my head lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kate Smith
    It might be difficult to target that particular market, although I do not know.

    I hope it works out for you it is an interesting idea.

    Kate
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  • Profile picture of the author Kate Smith
    One more thing, you have a friend now Angie, if you need any help along the way hit me up.

    Kate
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  • Profile picture of the author yoangov
    Search Google, and see if there are such forums already. Nowadays we have forums for everything. So, if there isn't a forum for people like you to gather together, it's a good idea to start such.

    Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFranks
    Cool idea.

    Considered writing a Blog? Then maybe an eBook on it?




    Mike.
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    basiczen.net

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    • Profile picture of the author AngieChamb
      Yeah I would probably start off with a blog. Writing an ebook is an idea I thought of too, but I'm a little hesitant. I'm afraid I don't really have any answers to fix this problem, or I would certainly put them into action myself lol.
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      • Profile picture of the author savidge4
        Originally Posted by AngieChamb View Post

        Yeah I would probably start off with a blog. Writing an ebook is an idea I thought of too, but I'm a little hesitant. I'm afraid I don't really have any answers to fix this problem, or I would certainly put them into action myself lol.
        You might find that sometimes the "answers" are the "subject". I would suggest in your situation that the question "what is the cure?" is common... but more importantly, understanding The condition itself is the question being asked.
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  • Profile picture of the author Danny Cutts
    lol forums run themselves...pmsl...

    Forums are hard work and if it takes off and gets busy you are in for a treat... Yes they are lucrative and I know this first hand.

    But they take a lot of work to get moving and i have had mine for 7 years now and it took 4 years to make money...

    I am driving up and down the country in meetings and wheeling and dealing do advertising deals....

    Its exciting and fun but bloody hell it definitely doesnt run itself...
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