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To Forum or not To Forum ? That is the question...

by LilBlackDress
15 replies
I am making a new website in a beauty niche. And advantages or disadvantages to adding a forum?
#forum #question
  • Profile picture of the author Dana Forsythe
    Clarify your question.. do you mean you want to create a forum for your website?
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetMarketingIQ
    Empty Forums are like Empty Stores... people want to belong and join groups where there is an established presence. It's tough to get enough traffic to keep them sustainable.

    And no matter what you do... there are always going to be spammers trying to drop links.

    If you have a great idea and can pull in the traffic then perhaps. But you might be better investing yourself into a very good FAQ page and focusing on Blog Participation via commenting.
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    I think you are right internetmarketingiq...it would probably be quite a bit of work.

    Thanks for the tips!
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  • Profile picture of the author Brian W. Wang
    A forum takes a lot of time and effort to manage. However, it can make customers/visitors become more loyal to you, and think of you as an expert in your niche.

    If you do decide to have a forum, I suggest outsourcing some of the management so that you won't have to deal with it that much.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Killian
    I was going o say the same as Brian, it can take a ton of time, so think hard before you do it. I'm a mod on a couple forums and just that can take some time, can't imagine running the whole thing.
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  • Profile picture of the author charlesburke
    Forums need regular posters. That usually falls to the site owner in the beginning. On the other hand, if you have good relations with other semi-experts in the field, you might be able to work out an arrangement where they do a good part of the posting and receive more exposure and visibility from participating.

    As a general rule of thumb, I've heard suggestions that you wait till you've got at least 500 people on your list before starting a forum. I think that figure is way low. At least a thousand or two would probably be a more realistic starting point.

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    Charles
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeff Henshaw
      An alternative is to use a bulletin board, or notice board.

      There are many free scripts and software available, just do a search on Google.

      I tested some of these scripts a couple of years ago and they do the job, but they are not pretty.

      If you MUST have an interactive medium on your site, then I would suggest that you find and test such a script. The moderation of such a site, appears nothing to what I assume that it would be on a full blown forum. You will obviously have to take this into consideration though.

      There is also the advantage that a bulletin board is 'more laid back', so if your clients don't take to it, no worries. On the other hand, if your clients love it, then you can upgrade to a full blown forum script - don't forget to find some good Mods though!

      Just my thoughts,
      Jeff.
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  • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
    Like the other's said, a fully public forum is a lot of work if it gets traffic and a ghost town if it doesn't. It isn't an effective money maker either with a few exceptions, this forum probably being one of the exceptions.

    However, a private forum can be a great to for interacting with people who've bought your products and for offering them surprise bonuses and building relationships.
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    • Profile picture of the author sig556
      I generally have found that if you have a significant amount of quality content on the site, traffic will follow which will allow you to start a forum.

      Offering your users valuable free info is the way to go. Trouble is you also have to pick a niche which isn't dominated or offer something better.
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  • Profile picture of the author Solidsnake
    Banned
    Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

    I am making a new website in a beauty niche. And advantages or disadvantages to adding a forum?
    Forums are the hardest type of sites to promote.. better concentrate on your store..
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  • Profile picture of the author Ron Killian
    And it's not just taking care of the forum, it's also keeping your posters and getting new ones. Making sure every one gets along ect.

    I have been working with a guy that started one not long ago, he's put a ton of time in it.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeGriffith
    I'm not sure what you mean, but if you're considering starting a new forum, you've got a big job ahead of you. It's not impossible, but it will take some commitment...and persistence...and some time. Think about it.
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  • Profile picture of the author hawkG102
    If you're willing to make sure that the forum is active then create one, otherwise it's best not to as an empty forum will look bad once traffic starts rolling in.

    You might want to try a blog instead and try to update it at least every 2 days or so.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr McDonald
    I would grow your website first then you could implament the forum at a later date once you have the traffic .
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  • Profile picture of the author FlashDriveDT
    The first thing that came to my mind was "Do you want people to buy or to babble?". I know that sounds harsh. I guess it comes down to the uniqueness of the niche and how much there is a demand for exchanging views/tips/experiences in that niche. And if that helps sales (if that's your priority but I assume it is). If its a fairly common product or falls under a broader category I would check if there aren't already good forums out there. I think a forums that are standalone are always more sought after than ones that are integrated in a website let alone a store site.
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