How to build a successful forum

[jamesandersonicb]

This is a nice idea try to get the member which are interested in your forum. Try to make your forum customizable. Keep try add up new ideas in your forum.

[leylasanai]

Hi there,
Apologies in advance if this is a really stupid question. I have absolutely no experience in setting up forums (fora?) But recently, I had the idea for one. I am thinking of setting it up with a view to making it a small business to make a living for myself. Please excuse my ignorance, but is it possible to use a free provider(or system, or whatever it's called) like Simple Machines Forum, for a forum that is intended to eventually generate income for myself via advertising? Or would I need to 'rent out' a forum template (or operating system, or provider, or whatever it's called) if I have commercial interests? And if I wish to own the rights to my forum, and perhaps even sell it on one day?

I'm sorry to seem so green, but my own personal work experience is in the NHS in the UK, where if you even so much as *thought* of an invention while you were on NHS time, they immediately owned the rights to that invention. It just seems counterintuitive somehow to get something for nothing - ie the SMF template for a forum, free of charge, and yet own the rights to that forum.

Also, with regard to advertising, is it yourselves that rents out space for ads to generate income, or could I theoretically do so myself if I opened a forum using your template (or system, or whatever)? And if it is the former, does that mean that my only option for making my forum into a business would be to charge users? Personally, I wouldn't want to charge users because I think there are so many free forums out there that no one would choose to pay to join an unknown new forum.

Thank you in advance for any advice

[Biology Forums]

Rent out server space -- as little as $3.
Install SMF
Ad your ads to the templates, namely where topics are displayed.
I'll PM you

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

Please excuse my ignorance, but is it possible to use a free provider(or system, or whatever it's called) like Simple Machines Forum, for a forum that is intended to eventually generate income for myself via advertising?

In short, SMF as a software is free always, but as far as server providers go, no - you usually have to choose to either pay for the service or give the possible ad income to the server provider.

Or would I need to 'rent out' a forum template (or operating system, or provider, or whatever it's called) if I have commercial interests? And if I wish to own the rights to my forum, and perhaps even sell it on one day?

You can customize SMF as much as you want, and use it commercially, and hold all the rights to the contents of it - if you don't go for a free provider, and pay for a service that allows you to make working offsite backups of the forum files and database. ( Most paid hosts will, no problem. )

I'm sorry to seem so green, but my own personal work experience is in the NHS in the UK, where if you even so much as *thought* of an invention while you were on NHS time, they immediately owned the rights to that invention. It just seems counterintuitive somehow to get something for nothing - ie the SMF template for a forum, free of charge, and yet own the rights to that forum.

SMF is developed and supported by volunteers, for free, and the software is free to use for any purpose you wish. All we ask is that you support the project by keeping our copyright notices and credits visible, even though you are legally allowed to remove them as well. ( We reserve the right to deny support for forums that remove them however. )

Also, with regard to advertising, is it yourselves that rents out space for ads to generate income, or could I theoretically do so myself if I opened a forum using your template (or system, or whatever)? And if it is the former, does that mean that my only option for making my forum into a business would be to charge users? Personally, I wouldn't want to charge users because I think there are so many free forums out there that no one would choose to pay to join an unknown new forum.

You can get ads from an advertising network such as Google Adsense, and insert the ads in the forum - or you can rent space directly to advertisers. That is up to you, and there are mods to make this easier.
You can also keep the forum free, and still offer paid memberships that allow access to closed areas of the forum, so it's not necessarily one or the other - you can do both.

Thank you in advance for any advice

You're welcome.

https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Installing

If you come up with other questions, please feel free to ask.

[Kindred]

I think the biggest confusion that you have is the difference between our software and the hosting.

SMF is free software (as stated and explained above)
In order to USE the free software, you will need a hosting package on some server.
There are hundreds of hosts out there, ranging from "free" (which we never recommend) to managed, private servers (which can cost hundred each month)

Simple Machines itself does not provide hosting. We only make the software.

We have a board where hosts are listed and reviewed:
https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=4.0


then, to reiterate what has been said above:   SMF is free software.  If you like it, you can donate to the project.
Many modification packages (mods) are free - and can be used to add to or extend the functionality available in your forum.
Many Themes (templates) are free - and can be used to change the look and layout of your forum.
Some themes or modification packages are "premium" and require payment to use...  that is between you and the author of the theme or mod. We don't sell mods or themes on this site.

[Creole Barbie]

Hello, I am a newbie. I am so lost on this site. I joined for curiosity's sake. So far either by my ignorance or because I just don't want to read "newbie directions", I was hoping to troll the dark web so to speak. Bottom line, am I on the right platform, or did I just spend good money for nothing?  I am not a computer geek but have a doctorate degree and sure I could contribute meaningful insight to almost any subject regarding psychology and social sciences. I joined to have joined to have a dark web experience and seek out interesting information. Am I lost or just on the wrong platform (website)? To go to some interesting sites...how do I get there? Creole Barbie

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

I was hoping to troll the dark web so to speak.  Bottom line, am I on the right platform,

No.

or did I just spend good money for nothing?

Registration here is free, so if someone sold you something it wasn't us.

To go to some interesting sites...how do I get there? Creole Barbie

Google is your friend.

[bluevoodu]

The question template does wonders . I even dropped the cpatcha, haven't had a bot register for 2 weeks now .

@GigaWatt --> it's been awhile, but following up again.  I've had spam bots break thru about 7 times in about 5 years.  However, the last changes have kept them at bay. Very happy with this... 7 times is way less than the hundreds or thousands I had to deal with in the past over TONS of incidents.

Still trying to figure out how to get more users and retain.  40-ish of our old forum members joined the new forum I created in 2018. They were excited at first, but About 6 stayed active overtime.  Seems to be the trend these days... but we have a good 6-7 members still active. Several just lurk while many others went the route of creating their own platforms - twitch and spending time on their own content.  Nothing wrong with that, but it's a noticed change.

[rudraksh08]

A successful forum involves meticulous preparation and execution. Here are some crucial actions to think about:

Establish your goal: Choose the specialty or particular subject that your forum will address. This will support attracting a certain audience and fostering a robust community.

Select the appropriate platform: Choose a forum software or platform that is dependable and easy to use. Make sure it offers necessary functions like user registration, moderating tools, categories, and search capability.

Design and usability: Make your forum's layout appealing and clear. Improve its responsiveness, mobile compatibility, and ease of navigation. By allowing features like likes, private chat, and notifications, you can increase user engagement.

Content creation and moderation: Create high-quality content for your forum and moderate it to get discussions going. Encourage engagement by publishing interesting topics, promoting user-generated content, and offering insightful commentary. To keep a welcoming and courteous atmosphere, use effective moderation.

Engagement with the community: Create a friendly and inclusive environment by interacting frequently with your users. Answer their questions, lead discussions, and thank them for their efforts. Create competitions, gatherings, or Q&A sessions to keep the neighborhood engaged and enthused.

Promotion and marketing: Use numerous avenues to let people know about your forum. To draw new members, make use of SEO techniques, social media, guest blogging, email newsletters, and email marketing. To increase your reach, work with influencers or relevant communities.

User input and experience: Consistently evaluate and enhance your forum's user experience. Actively seek community feedback and make the necessary improvements. Maintain a constant eye on and make improvements to your forum's performance, security, and speed.

Community norms and regulations: Establish unambiguous community norms and standards to promote respectful discourse. Consistently enforce these rules and take fast action to correct any violations. Encourage constructive discussions while discouraging spam or harmful conduct.

Networking and alliances: Work with other discussion boards or pertinent websites to cross-promote and grow your user base. Engage in relevant forums, blogs, or social media groups to build the authority of your forum and engage with prospective members.

Adapt and evolve: Stay current on the newest trends, technology, and user preferences by evolving and adapting. Your forum should be updated frequently with new features, improved functionality, and user needs. Analyze user metrics and data on a regular basis to make wise selections.

Keep in mind that creating a successful forum requires effort and time. The secret to its expansion and sustainability will be patience, active community management, and giving value to your users.