how much time it takes to build a forum?

[olddocks]

how much time it takes to build a forum with decent registered members? i own a webmaster forum.

Need some advice!

[Dani]

It an take months ... just don't give up and you'll succeed. The trick is to always respond ASAP anytime someone does come to the site ... even if it's just one person, chat with them on the site every single day. They won't care that the rest of the site is empty as long as they're getting what THEY came for - someone to talk to and help them out and answer their questions. That's what turns lurkers into members who are willing to stick around until the site starts to pick up ... and the type of people who will tell their friends.

[BroKeN]

HI ,
It can take from 1-3 months accourding on what do you already have in you forums and what you can provied to the members and also an important thing you should think about i "what special thing do you give for you members" and don't rush your self first look around into others froums with the same idea of yours and see what they got then spend more effort on what you can give and how to stay updated to your stuff and make a realy good adversiting plan to your forum and try to be freindly with competents and it is not a bad idea to co-work with them on something for both forums .
plus to what miss cscgal just said be more freindly with users and help them ASAP cuz when i get that kind of attention i stick in that place :d,
hope i helped
and GOOD lUCK

[olddocks]

how about hiring paid forum posters?

[BroKeN]

how about hiring paid forum posters?

You can
But what is the real benifit do you get from it ?
then it might be without meaning specialy this will give you just stuff copied into your forums
and you kan find it in other forums so where is your own stuff?

[gdi]

its accourding how you work on your forum, and how much other active members works.
If the visitor came in your forum and find what he/she was looking for or ask any quesiton and get the answer quickly he/she will be glad and enjoy your forum anytime its possible

[kronikmedia]

It can take a very long time to build traffic. It will more time to build than a normal website. getting the forum as a website to rank high on search engines and drive traffic in itself be a tough task although it can be achieved with patience and hard work. Generating traffic will not mean that all will become members ad begin to contribute in the forum so you will need a lot of extra traffic than making a website succeed.

[Dani]

I've heard very mixed opinions about hiring paid posters. Often times, the posts are very low quality and spammy, so you have to be careful if you go that route and choose a company from a personal recommendation.

[mexabet]

Hiring paid forum posters seems to be a bad idea. You risk turning your new forum into a garbage dump. Quality posts in a forum and how the threads are solved are what differentiate a good forums from bad ones. What you need is to get real people to interact, exchange ideas and benefit one another, thereby growing a happy online family.

[einfoway]

Firstly it depends on what forum you are coming up with. Is that related to your knowledge? can you answer basic questions in the forum? Setting up a forum takes not more then 1hrs time but to make it success like Dani takes lots of time. I am really very impressed by dani's forum.

[kceleb9]

as usual great advice! I think hiring paid posters can be ok later down the road - once you get a site somewhat established. But in the early going - nobody is going to care the same way as the person trying to launch the site.

There is really no substitute for passion and caring about each and every user as you say. It is gradual but can certainly still be done.

[einfoway]

Where can we get good posters who can write for us at very low price.

[mexabet]

Without self-aggrandizement, I can tell you I'm a good writer. But it depends on the topics to be written about. Let me know the topics and I will know if I fit in or not.

Where can we get good posters who can write for us at very low price.

[einfoway]

All related to SEo

[mexabet]

I can handle that. What can you afford? And how many articles will I have to write in a week? Generally, your terms.

All related to SEo

[einfoway]

can i have sample content you have written so far. and also let me know how much you expect from me

[mexabet]

A sample article of mine can be found at: http://www.mexabet.com/news/categories/web_directories/reciprocal_links.php
However, I can adapt the rhythm to suit your taste and the style you like. It's really hard for me to tell you my pricing, since I haven't written articles for money before. It was literally passion! Just tell me how much you can afford, and if it's okay, it would be a deal. Can you post a link to the site where the articles would be hosted?

can i have sample content you have written so far. and also let me know how much you expect from me

[mitz]

I have started a forum and it is slow going, however make sure you do what Dani said and answer and chat to people asap.

Another idea I had was to work with other new forum builders by becoming a member on oposite forums and posting 5-10 quality posts...or answers.

[Vilice]

I think it depends on what design you want .For a simple design it doesn't take long .

[einfoway]

I think it depends on what design you want .For a simple design it doesn't take long .

Dear from where does design come into picture?

[mitz]

Yes I am not counting design... Its getting people to go there and post questions.
I would love some more ideas !!!! I have now even made a business card that I am going to give to people in the real world.. Yes actually hand it to them... Just for the forum!!!

[theAdviserMe]

how much time it takes to build a forum with decent registered members? i own a webmaster forum.

Need some advice!

Creating a forum is not that very difficult and time-consuming. What is time-consuming is getting members for your forum and getting traffic directed into it.

[einfoway]

You need lots of Patience to get it work.

[x3mario]

Promote your forum as you are promoting a normal site (i.e. ecommerce site)

[mackone]

It depends, some things you can do to make it -
1) Link exchange
2) Buy Banners/Links
3) Increase your backlinks

Those 3 alone can help you also your niche must not be cramped. And please don't buy posts. Personally any activity should be encouraged and nourished even if it wasn't the sites original intent. Go where the traffic takes you and don't fight it.

[SingleMinds]

It an take months ... just don't give up and you'll succeed. The trick is to always respond ASAP anytime someone does come to the site ... even if it's just one person, chat with them on the site every single day. They won't care that the rest of the site is empty as long as they're getting what THEY came for - someone to talk to and help them out and answer their questions. That's what turns lurkers into members who are willing to stick around until the site starts to pick up ... and the type of people who will tell their friends.

Ahhh...the voice of experience. Let me add my thoughts on the subject to those wise words.

1) It will help if you build up some "forum cred" in other forums. That's like "street cred" , only you don't risk jail time trying to achieve it - you just wear out your keyboard every six months. ;) Find a community that seems interesting, sign up, and try to contribute something positive towards it's goals. While you are there enjoying it, start seeing what works and what doesn't work, and see how you can learn from that experience.

If you do that properly, that can help both you and your forum grow. If you are smart, and choose the right sites, you may learn things along the way too. You'll slowly build connections, and those "lurkers" that appreciate your words may just decide to "tune in" to your forum.

2) In real estate, it's "location, location, location", and in the forum game it's "content, content, content". I guess it depends on one's philosophy on forums, and I see them (to use an analogy) as "active virtual magazines". People subscribe (register) , they write "articles" (posts) , and readers are attracted (lurkers).

3) As cscgal mentioned, it's that personal touch that will make a lot of the difference. Put yourself in the member's place, and think about how YOU would feel arriving as a new member. Is the site attractive to the eye (especially in regards to the demographic you are seeking), is it easy to use, do people feel "appreciated" as members ?

4) Recognize the talent that's there, and promote it. Good posters, or people that want to help you out are gold, so don't be afraid to occasionally send them a PM when they've done something to help you out.

5) Link an off site chat to your forum, and allow people to interact there. Get a program like Chatzy, and/or Skype, and create a place to talk. Your post count will suffer, and that's almost a given. What you may accomplish, of the forum gods are kind, is perhaps the most essential part of what makes ANY forum a success over the long term - it's sense of community. People bond, and that (if you are lucky) will keep them coming back, and referring others. Chat will be reduced in threads, and ideas may even spring up out of those chat conversations for future threads.

6) Make sure you have clear cut rules, and that they are enforced. People want to come to a forum, and not feel that they are going to be ridiculed, and/or attacked by other members. Those types of personalities exist online, and anyone that's a forum junkie can spot them a mile away. Allowed to run amok, they will kill your forum over time as they take it over.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice the one, for the greater good of the group. As long as you do that logically, clearly, and fairly - it tends to make for a far better forum experience for all. Set limits (without stifling the forum) that all are aware of, and then apply the rules you set down in a proper manner.

7) Again, as mentioned, that personal touch will help you grow. Be online on your site as much as you can, and participate in it often. Don't be afraid to ask for suggestions, and try to be creative in your responses.

8) I'm also a strong believer that good forums are most typically built by "people people". If you don't like interacting with people, then running a forum is a terrible choice for a career path.

9) Above all, one should not expect to make a cent off of your forum for a long time, unless you are exceptionally lucky. You have to like what you are doing, and be driven by it. You will be spending a lot of time running it, and you better like doing what you are doing. If you enjoy work, then it's not really work at all. Do it for your own entertainment and as a learning experience.

Down the road, it may pay off with a financial reward - but don't count on it, or focus on that as a short term goal.

10) In summary, it's perhaps like the analogy of running a small coffee shop or a bar. Know your product, create an enjoyable environment for others, and then just enjoy it as much as they do - that's infectious, if genuine.

[wickedsunny]

wow thx buddy. the forum thing is wht im missing i guess !!!