Are forums obsolete now?

I'd been planning on that

Put this way, i have a niche site. The site since launching 2 months ago, even though i a have small amount of trafic that is until my hard work in link building over the past week shows up, still has no members. I currently have a user forum on the site and have struggled with how to market this. I originally thought if people where not persuaded to like the site or even read the articles that they maybe wanting to use the forum. The problem is if hide the forum to none registered users, then people may not want to sign up to the site through lack of features. On the other hand if a leave the forum on the site then it pasuade people not to sign up to the forum as their is no posts and people may see it as a sign that my website is dead.

Clearly the problem is that website have improved other the last few years and people are always demanding more and more from websites. Starting a social networking site really depends on your subject and features. Like clearly you will struggle to start a social networking site anyway. Unless you have a revolutionary idea you will never be able to compete with the major competetors. So in conclusion i dont think forums are dead, they just happen to take such a longer period of time to start whether you are doing just a forum site or a site with a forum. Plus they also have to serve a individual purpose that most social networking site do not provide. .

This. But forums are still very useful, and a new one (set up correctly) can definitely succeed if you take care of everything that others in this thread have mentioned. Something else to consider that your friends didn't. Why not leverage those people talking about your subject on social networks into regular users ? It's probably one of the few scenarios where social networking actually can work towards your business goals.

That's because most people go about it backwards. The trick is to build the community first and the forum simply becomes the logical progression.

I agree. To me, the title of this thread sounds just like the sorts of questions I get about backlinks/SEO. Hysteria seems to abound when things online change and people tend to listen to and then repeat what others say, regardless of whether it's substantiated or not. And often the information being repeated has NOT been substantiated, or someone says "X happened to me" (without providing evidence) and then everyone takes it and runs with it. This goes on ALL the time.

Forums provide a different type of service than Social Networking sites do. I don't think forums are going away anytime soon.

See that part I bolded and underlined ^^^ up there?

I'm sure your friends are great people, otherwise you wouldn't be friends with them, but ask yourself this: Do you want what your friends have? If your friends are millionaire Internet marketers, then take their opinions like gold. If they're just friends trying to make a dime, why would you want to emulate what they're doing?

-- j

That's the catch -- there's absolutely nothing wrong with talking with them. The problem is taking financial or business advice from people who aren't financially-wise or business-smart. (Again, nothing against your friends. I don't know them so I could be way off here.)

Let's flip this around a little. Let's say you're considering getting a new toilet, the Flush-O-Matic 10000. Would you go and ask a banker if he thinks the pressure in your water pipes as well as the diameter of the outflow pipes is good enough to handle what the FOM10000 can do? Or would you consult with a plumber since that's what plumbers do?

-- j

Humans are social beings, so as long as you can attract members with like interests and provide compelling information along with some of the good advice given thus far, it is indeed feasible.

Just be prepared to put in a lot of work, you know, like with a newborn baby.

Terra

Sometimes you look long and hard through thread after thread for anything unique and clever, and then suddenly a forum about TRACTORS! and he's taking it to the bank.

This might be a good time for someone who hasn't had the success they would like to step back and see how this model could fit with something from their world.

Or, the OP can go to a site like Postloop where quality is pretty much guaranteed (your rating decides if you get paid), and pay the same prices .

buying on penny prices is not worth it, unless you do not mind crap, quality at an affordable rate is much better, people who quote rock bottom prices usually just peddle crap that costs you more in time to clean the junk up and more in money, as you just flushed your last lot down the loo.

I don't think forums will ever be obsolete. But, not all forums will be a success. A lot depends on what you put into it and the niche that the forum caters to. I have been in a couple of forums and they both did great because they provided what the people coming to the forum wanted. It people find what they are looking for and can associate with people of similar interest a forum can be very successful.

Much success if you decide to go forward with your plan.