Article
About the Author
Federico Carnales
Federico is a moderator in the Sitepoint Forums, in addition to running Web-Reviews.com -- a newsletter that reviews resources for Webmasters.
Building a Community with Discussion Forums
So you've tried every tool out there to promote your site and achieved decent results. You're probably thinking, "Now what?" I have one word for you -- "Community."
Yes, creating a community on your site is the next big step to making your site successful; but, before I tell you how to go about this, let me tell you that building a community is not going to be an easy task. It requires time and patience. But don't worry, it will pay off.
What I'm going to teach you is how to use discussion forums (also known as 'message boards' or 'bulletin boards') to get repeat visitors to your site and to build your reputation.
1) How do I install a discussion forum on my site?
First, you will have to choose which program you are going to use. Don't underestimate the importance of the software being used, as it can turn off many potential 'netizens' of your community. Below I've listed some of the most popular programs available, and the pros and cons of each.
Ultimate Bulletin Board:
+ Plenty of features.
+ Clean and intuitive user interface.
+ Static pages, meaning less server load.
+ Easy to install and maintain.
- Free upgrades are available only for one year.
- Many people won't be able to afford it.
My rating (from 1 to 10): 9 Available at http://www.ultimatebb.com
BigTalker:
+ Speed improvements.
+ Compact layout.
+ Clean code, easy to modify.
+ Built-in ICQ feature.
- Dynamically generated pages
- extra server load.
- Less features when compared to UBB.
My rating (from 1 to 10): 8 Available at http://www.bigtalker.com
UltraBoard:
+ Many features (including stats).
+ Price tag (free).
+ Very customizable without having to edit the code.
- Dynamically generated pages.
- Layout may confuse 'newbies.'
- Grammar errors throughout the program.
My rating (from 1 to 10): 8 Available at http://www.ultrascripts.com