Explanation : Forums

What Forums Can Do

A web forum, sometimes called a bulletin board, is a place where people can discuss topics with each other. An example can be seen here. This can be useful to you in a variety of ways.

Forums can become their own community

While a forum is rarely a reason to visit a site for the first time, it may be a reason for people to continue to visit the site.

Forums can provide services

Certain communities have members are happy to provide support, free of charge. Others give tips on things like modification, or simply provide positive or negative feedback. Depending on how you manage these communities, they can add free value to your site.

Forums can strengthen a community

Sometimes, a forum can add to an existing community. A church forum may more easily allow people to share recipes, offer things for sale, or plan events. A club forum would allow members to stay in touch when they aren't near, allow for a more meticulous discussion or allow outsiders to get an idea of the club's style and values.

What Forums Can't Do

Forums can't guarantee anything

Because online behavior is hard to predict, there is no guarantee that anyone will use or even visit your forum. Promotion can help, but the best way to get people to join and contribute to your forum is to have an exciting or interesting community basis. You need a topic which people have strong opinions, or at least a lot to say. You need an identity that sets you apart from other forums. Finally, you'll probably want a small group, or friends, to get things started. An empty forum can frustrate visitors.

Forums can't be ignored

While there are concerns about security, there is a far more pressing reason forums can't simply be set and forgotten. Forums allow people to say what they want. Unless you highly regulate who joins your forum, you will need to moderate your board to make sure no one is doing anything illegal, presenting any behavior you find insufferable, or advertising products you didn't approve. You should either appoint someone as moderator over your forum, or consider a moderation service.

Forums (rarely) create content

With a few exceptions, forums should be seen as additional content, rather than a source of traffic or content. The main website should be used to attract people to the forum, not the other way around.

Forum Information

In a forum you can:

Assign people to be moderators

Optionally restrict or allow how joins

Send announcements and mails to everyone who has joined your forum

Place Ads (restrictions apply)

Post pictures (restrictions typically apply

Share any kind of link or textual information

And more...