The Simpleton 2 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 I'm thinking of starting a forum on my website, and it's all about computers. My question is, are there any general methods of making a forum successful and active? It's not gonna be a huge forum like ours, but a small one entirely dedicated to computer issues. Can someone help me on this one please? Thanks a lot! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheDisturbedOne 1 Report post Posted July 7, 2009 You will need a good theme to get people to join. I would steer clear away from default themes, and even themes on the software's theme site can look boring. Make it look like a computer forum.Get friends and family to join, to build up activity in the beginning. You may even want to make up fake members in the beginning, and basically talk to yourself. It works, but make sure you know who is who.I'll also suggest making tutorials and posting those around. There's tons of computer forums out there, and you need to make your site different than all the others.Finally if you choose to use Simple Machines Forum as the software, PM me here or on the SMF forums (same username) and I can help you out. I have 3 SMFs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Simpleton 2 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 thank you for the advice :angel: I'm using MyBB as it seems to be a little convenient for me. The fake members idea seems to be sly and convenient but it's a lot of work and I prefer to put that time into making tutorials and stuff.this is a tough time for all new forums coz there are already many old and established forums and new forums aren't really offering anything new. That said, I don't have any new ideas as of now. Still have to think of something! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rvalkass 5 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 One of the keys to drawing visitors to your site is to offer unique content - something they can't get anywhere else, and will therefore cause you to appear highly in search engine rankings. Any computer issue you search for and don't find a satisfactory answer to (or do, but it could do with rewriting) then write your own answer to the problem. Writing reviews is also a possibility. To start with you are unlikely to get companies to send you review samples to keep, but you can always ask, especially if you can't find a review for the product online anyway. If not, review any computer products you buy or use - hardware, software, games, peripherals, anything. Well written, in-depth reviews often appear highly in search pages and add a sense of trustworthiness to your site. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Simpleton 2 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 thank you rvalkass that's a pretty good idea! I will work on it pretty soon. I just have a small doubt, actually it's a little cause of worry as well - tutorials or reviews cannot be complete about images, can they? And while screenshots can be arranged from one's own computer, what about other images? I can write about some new hardware but I can't get a (legal) picture of it, can I? Is there any source which provides free images? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rvalkass 5 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 tutorials or reviews cannot be complete about images, can they?Generally tutorials and reviews are best with images, especially reviews - lots of high quality images of the product being reviewed are incredibly useful.I can write about some new hardware but I can't get a (legal) picture of it, can I? Is there any source which provides free images?There are two options. Firstly, you can take the pictures yourself with a digital camera. This is generally the best option because you can offer very high quality, detailed shots of the product which aren't available anywhere else. These images would be copyright to you, and therefore perfectly legal. Your photos will be unique to your site and (hopefully) better than the ones available from the manufacturer of the product. Good photos are something I always look for in a review - they are incredibly useful and show effort has gone into the review rather than just copying from somewhere.The second option is to use the publicity material provided by the manufacturer. Most manufacturers will have a set of photos and related material they can provide to you for any product you are reviewing - just get in contact with the press department of the manufacturer. The downside to doing this is that you will have exactly the same photos as everyone else, and they will only show what the manufacturer wants people to see.Of course, don't limit your site just to reviews and tutorials! There is plenty more you can offer, but these are often good at drawing people to your site from search engines and making your site appear trustworthy and helpful. Just remember to make review titles include the official title and model of the product, such as "Review: Creative SBS Vivid 80 Speakers" rather than just "Review of Creative Speakers". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Simpleton 2 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 well as I said before, I know something about the latest gadgets but I can't afford to get them and take their pictures myself! That's why I was looking for an alternative source. Your idea is pretty good....I'll try that one soon. I don't think I will be putting my digicam to work any soon now! I hope to reach that road someday! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rvalkass 5 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 well as I said before, I know something about the latest gadgets but I can't afford to get them and take their pictures myself! :angel:You'd be surprised how willing some companies are, and how serious their online presence and reviews are to them. For example, I complained about Vodafone on my blog, and that prompted two comments from staff at Vodafone A good online review can have a big impact on their sales. You're unlikely to get to keep the products until your site is much bigger, but there is no harm in asking for review samples from companies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheDisturbedOne 1 Report post Posted July 8, 2009 And once you do ask for samples, start with small companies who you've already used their products before. Tell them that you are happy about their product, and would like to test a new product so that you can spread the word around about how great they are. You could also talk the friends/family about the product if they own it, and base the review as if you owned it. I would suggest doing away with http://pcdynasty.com/forums/images/bg.png, as it doesn't make your site look professional. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Simpleton 2 Report post Posted July 9, 2009 Thanks a lot rvalkass and TheDisturbedOne. I really hope I reach the reviewing stage soon enough. I will remember your words when I do @TheDisturbedOne: I was playing around with a lot of themes yesterday and somehow got stuck with the present one. I'm not really impressed with it but it stays temporarily. I got rid of the background image but its replacement is rather lame, but its temporary! Thanks a lot for your feedback! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VishBoy 0 Report post Posted July 20, 2009 Well first, you should make some advertising to make members comming on your site Than you should put some active members - moderators, to ceep activating their forums Ceep posting, and advertising, 'cos when you have a lot of members and a lot of disscusions/warez your community will ceep growing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
