Should I Create A Forum (Does It Make Sense)

A forum is an online discussion board that people can ask questions and add comments about a specific subject.

While forums can be very useful for consumers, does it still make sense to run one in 2021?

If you are on the fence about creating a forum, you have come to the right place.

This guide will answer the main question on your mind: do people still use forums?

We will also cover the benefits of using a forum and what platform to use to build one.

Lastly, we will share a few useful tips for running a successful forum.

Let’s get started.

Do People Still Use Forums?

Lots of people still use forums.

Many website developers still offer forum services, and hundreds of new forums are developed every week.

Forums are one of the only places on the internet to have long discussions on certain topics.

No matter how much websites change, people will always need/want an opportunity to discuss things at length online.

Forums are one of the only ways to do this.

Furthermore, there are still forum websites that are still incredibly popular today.

For instance, Quora is a question-and-answer type forum that millions of people visit every week looking for answers.

Reddit is also another popular online forum.

Reasons To Still Use Forums in 2021

If you aren’t sure whether you want to create a forum or not, here are a few reasons why you should still use forums in 2021.

It Will Build Brand Authenticity and Trust

Forums, a lot of the time, act as opportunities for product reviews.

Many customers will post criticism of a brand’s product on a forum, both good and bad.

As a brand, you can respond to the criticism in the forum and show your customers that you are open to their feedback.

This, in turn, will both build trust and authenticity between you and the customers.

Forums Improve Customer Support

One of the main benefits of running a forum is that it improves customer support.

Not only can customer service representatives respond to questions on the forum, but other customers can as well.

Customers who have faced the same problem as others can answer basic questions that people have.

This will lighten the load for customer service representatives.

If your forum answers all of the basic questions regarding your products, people will be less likely to contact customer service for light issues.

It Improves Customer Engagement

Countless businesses rely on social media to drive customer engagement.

However, simply liking a photo on Facebook does not do much for the business.

Likes do not engage customers as much as discussion could.

When you use a forum, it allows customers to respond to and ask questions.

People can share their thoughts and opinions regarding a brand and talk to other like-minded customers.

Instead of being just another number, customers will feel heard and valued.

Forums Are Good for SEO

Forums produce user-generated content.

This type of content is great for boosting the search rankings of a company and increasing visibility.

Furthermore, forums are open to the public.

This will make it easier for search engines to find them.

In general, the more discussions you have, the more visibility your brand will have.

It Will Provide Data

Another great benefit of forums is that they provide data.

Unlike basic social media posts, forums will provide data that is useful to the brand.

For instance, companies can analyze the comments and questions on forums and figure out where they can improve.

Best Forum Building Platforms

Now that you know some of the main benefits of using a forum, you may be wondering how to create a forum.

Let’s look at some of the best forum-building platforms.

vBulletin

This software has been around for over twenty years.

VBulletin is mostly geared towards big communities and is considered a premium software.

Not only can this platform help you run a forum, but it will also provide SEO tools, web security, and AI-powered engagement tools.

With vBulletin, users can create private forums and groups.

You can also run a blog from this platform which will increase your search engine ranking.

Vanilla

Vanilla has two types of software; one is an open-source platform, while the other is a premium version of the software.

The open-source software is a self-hosting platform that offers a variety of extra features such as community-built plugins.

On the other hand, the premium version of Vanilla offers a cloud-based system that can support enterprise-level communities.

Vanilla has a few helpful features such as automatic content curation, marketing integration, and gamification tools.

phpBB

This software was first developed in 2000.

People know it for its constant updates; the company stays on top of the latest technology to provide users with the best experience.

PhpBB offers a few features such as anti-spam tools and mobile-first indexing.

This platform has a user-friendly interface and is also simple to run. So even those who aren’t tech-savvy will be able to run the software.

Simple Machines Forum

If you have a large online community, this will be one of the best forum software.

The platform has a very clean and simple interface that looks professional.

In addition, you can customize the forum with plugins.

It also has structured code documentation, which makes the platform very flexible.

Simple Machines Forum supports over 40 languages and has SEO tools.

Lastly, there are a few advanced security features that you can take advantage of.

XenForo

This platform has a simple interface that you can customize to represent your company.

You will easily be able to edit the colors, fonts, and layout of your forum.

Another great feature of XenForo is that there are over 2000 plugins to choose from.

So it won’t be hard to create the perfect forum for your business.

The platform has built-in SEO and content tools as well as user engagement rewards.

This software will work great for any size of a community.

Tips for Running a Successful Forum

Before you create a forum, you may want to learn a few tips on running one successfully.

Like any other type of content, there are some things to keep in mind.

• Make sure the design of your forum is unique. There are thousands of forums out there, and most of them look pretty plain. If you want to catch a reader’s eye, spend some time designing your forum and make sure it has an attractive and unique look. Consider throwing in your company colors as well.
• Set up an easy registration for users. Make sure that it is easy for users to sign up for your forum. Try to require the least amount of information possible – simply ask them to create a username and enter an email.
• Make sure your content is interesting. This may be obvious, but it is worth mentioning. Try to pick a niche category for your forum, and upload compelling content to attract new people.
• Create rules for members. Your forum will run smoothly if you communicate your intentions for the board from the beginning. Create a set of rules for members to follow. These rules should include what content users can post (questions, comments, ideas, etc.). Furthermore, mention if you are okay with swearing or not, if there is an age restriction on the forum, etc.
• Optimize for SEO. Try to utilize all of the SEO tools that your software provides. Furthermore, make sure to have engine-friendly URLs and try to promote authoritative and high-quality content.
• Add moderators to your forum. If your forum has rules, then someone will inevitably break them. You can add moderators to keep track of the posts and intervene when anyone breaks the rules. Typically you can ask trusted friends or fans to be moderators for your forum. While you can be a moderator yourself, you will normally want two or three extra mods when your community grows.
• Only moderate when it is necessary. Even though moderators are necessary, it is also important to never over moderate. If you intervene every time someone breaks a small rule, people will not want to post anymore. Try to use your discretion and only intervene when necessary. At the same time, it is okay if there are certain rules that you and your moderators never ignore (harassment, for example).

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has helped you decide if you want to create a forum or not.

Contrary to what you may think, forums are still popular in 2021, and it makes sense for a business to have one.

Forums can build brand authenticity and trust, improve customers support, and increase the amount of customer engagement your business has.

Forums are also good for SEO.

There are a few platforms that you can use to create a forum.

If you have a big community, check out vBulletin and Simple Machines Forum.

XenForo will be good if you want to customize it.

Finally, check out phpBB and Vanilla if you want easy-to-use software.

To run a successful forum, make sure to have a unique design and interesting content.

In addition, ensure that it is easy for new users to sign up and that you have forum rules for existing users.

Finally, optimize your forum with SEO and only moderate when it is necessary.