In this post, I will explain exactly what I did to establish a successful forum. If you are lazy, have little or no motivation, and/or have no time, you are not fit for a forum. Out of all type of sites you can start, forums are widely accepted by many web masters as ‘the hardest’ type of site to start. It’s not that people dislike forums, but people are intimidated by ‘empty’ forums. Even the largest forums in the world had to start somewhere with 1 or 2 posts… but how in the world did they get people to start posting? Here are a few tips that can get you started.

1. Niche - One major reason many new forums fail is because there are too many forums on the same topic! Don’t even bother starting a forum on iPods, Programming, Video Games, etc.. There are simply too many forums (some that are very well established) competing with you. Unless you have something unique to offer, it will not work. Instead, focus on other things that you are passionate about! Whether it be gardening, dancing, or the new promising product that came out, it has a much better chance of being successful.
2. Forum Design - When users come to your forum and see the default design, they’ll assume that the forum hasn’t been updated in ages, or the admin simply doesn’t care. If you’re going to leave the default design, at least include your own logo. Other than that, I highly encourage a unique, professional looking design that makes people say “wow.”
3. Dedicated Staff - Starting a forum by yourself can be a lot of work, and very lonesome. Try to get close friends that you know will help you and is interested in your forum niche.
4. Content - There’s a saying in the Web Development world that “Content is King.” It’s true. High quality content will bring new members. That doesn’t mean that you should add high quality content and your site will flourish. You need to keep on adding new content on a regular basis to keep those visitors to keep on coming back. Content that is related to your forum niche will interest guests, which will eventually lead to registration. Posting a tutorial on how to gaining a six-pack in 3 months will not do well in a gardening forum.
5. Link Building - Content is King, then Link Building is Queen. Not only will it increase the chances that people will click the link and visit your site, but it also improves Search Engine rankings. Search Engine rankings are crucial in a successful forum. The more links you build to your site, the higher ranking you will get.

Part 2 coming soon! Part 2 is here! Part 2 will give you tips on how to get that first few posts– the hardest part in starting a forum.