Is there a need for my forum?

If you have a website that already has a decent following, adding a forum for fans of your site will likely be successful. Other good reasons to start a forum are having a unique or 'niche' topic, or having a new approach to something. Check first to see if there are already forums out there that address your topic, and in the same way you would. If there are, consider joining an established forum instead of starting your own, to avoid fragmenting your community into dividing its time between too many similar forums.

Where will I host my forum?

While there are free hosts available, it is advisable to choose a professional web host for your forum. Most web hosts offer hosting packages for your entire website, including the forum. Having a real hosting account allows you to have your forum under your own domain name and control. If you choose to begin your forum using a free service, it is unlikely that you will be able to later 'move' it to private hosting without losing all the previous posts. This could be upsetting to your long-time members if they have to start over again on a new forum. It is better to host the forum on your own from the outset.

The organization of your forum boards (topics) is key to managing your forum effectively. Below are some basic guidelines to follow.

FAQ

Every forum should have a general FAQ, that lists what your forum's purpose is, what the general rules of conduct are, and what actions, if any, will be taken for violation of the rules. You may also want to include a brief description of how the board works, or a link to a tutorial that shows how to use the features of the forum.

Main Topics (or boards)

At the minimum, you will need two main topic areas, or 'boards', as they are called. You will want one board for your main subject; the purpose of your site and forum. For instance, if the forum is for your favorite band, the band's name would be your main board. You will also want a second board for...everything else! It is a well-known phenomenon that visitors to a particular forum establish a kinship with each other, and spend time chatting about something other than your main forum topic. This is desirable, and helps build community, but it can be tedious to plow through twenty off-topic posts in the middle of a topical thread. By providing a separate section for people to post on other topics, you help develop your community and encourage your visitors to stay and chat.

Sub-Topics (or sub-boards)

You can create as many sub-topics as necessary, but remember ? too many choices can lead to confusion. New visitors want to join a community that is popular and authoritative. If you make suboards for fifty topics and each have only one or two posts in them, vistors may think your site is not popular, and they may not choose to join. Better to choose a few well-thought-out sub-boards to start, and let the site grow from there. Our band board might include a General Band Chat sub-board, an Upcoming Shows sub, and a Past Show Reviews sub. The 'everything else' board might include sub-boards for other bands, for movies or tv, and a lounge for general discussion topics and chit-chat.

Specialty Sub-Boards

With the advent of video and music sharing on the web, a special section devoted to such media is a must. Here people can post links to their favorite music and video downloads, and administrators should insist that all media links go in this section. Forum users often unknowingly or unthinkingly post private or copyrighted material on forums. This will happen to you ? it happens to everyone at some time. If this sort of material is 'contained' in its own section of the forum, it is much easier for you, the administrator, to remove the material if you are asked to. Instead of deleting entire sections of conversation within a thread, or searching frantically for all links to the illegal post, you can go to one section, and remove one topic. End of story.

Once your board is organized and operational, visit it often and keep an eye on what is happening. There is no need to be a heavy-handed board dictator, but you do want to watch for the occasional forum troll. Trolls are people who visit forums for no reason other than to start arguments. In general, these people don't have a legitimate reason for being at your forum, they simply want to post negative and insulting remarks and fight with regular members. Trolls should be ejected from the board as soon as you see one, but be careful not to eject someone who truly has an interest in your topic and simply has a different or unpopular opinion. The more open and free-exchange your board is, the more lively the discussion. It is a good idea to specify in your FAQ rules how members should approach each other when there is a difference of opinion. If you limit expressions of disagreement to the topics, and do not allow personal attacks on members, you will have a much more 'well-adjusted' forum environment. Your forum may not always be a harmonious place, but when people can particpate without personal attacks they feel more comfortable expressing their opinions. If you want to build a lasting, authoritative community, it is essential that your members are comfortable enough to stay.

Forums take on a life of their own, and a personality that sometimes no one expects. Forums are often the most visited part of a website, because they are the most dynamic ? there is always something new to be found. A high-traffic forum can be a great source of revenue, as they are prime candidates for programs such as Google AdSense. A good hosting plan, some common-sense rules, an effective organization and board structure, and an open attitude on the part of administrator and members alike is what allows a community to grow. Whether you are trying to attract visitors to increase your traffic, to promote your ideas, or to drive sales, a well-run forum is one of the most effective tools you can employ. And besides, they are just plain fun!