Build Your Online Community With Vbulletin
The number one reason people surf the Internet is to find information and other people to socialize with. What better way to meet both needs than to create an online community using Vbulletin?
vBulletin is a powerful, secure and flexible message board solution that runs fast with minimal server strain out-of-the-box. With vBulletin, you’ll have all the tools you need to create a dynamic and active forum.
How To Start An Online Community
The first thing you need when starting an online community is a problem. Say what? Yes, you read that right. You need to see a problem in existing online communities — or a lack thereof — in order to create a successful forum.
One of the common mistakes I’ve seen is people setting up forums that serve the same purpose as several other forums, and provide the same function. Right there, you have instant competition — and the competition has a leg up on you. People tend not to like change, and they aren’t going to leave their existing site and go to yours without a good reason.
This is where the problem comes in. If the existing forums have a problem — or if the problem is simply that there are no existing forums — then you have a hole to fill. A forum that I worked with for many years took advantage of a problem to build a forum with tens of thousands of users and millions of posts.
- The problem: Existing message boards were heavily moderated by mods with rather large egos.
- The solution: Create an unmoderated forum and fill it with vocal, opinionated and creative people with a strong interest in the subject matter.
- The result: Steady forum growth over several years, and a forum that paid for itself.
Monetization Ideas
- Google Adsense Sidebar
- Adbrite Sidebar
- Affiliate Programs
- Information Products
- Private Forum Membership
- Fundraisers, such as auctions