So, you’re thinking about establishing a new online community, are you?
Well, that won’t just come at a snap of a finger. Contrary to popular belief, launching an online community for your website does not just entail a click of a button and a swarm of visitors will come your way. No, it is a series of pre-designed, premeditated, predetermined steps before you get your hands to the actual weight of the deal.
Okay, I know it sounds intimidating, but, if you read on, you will know everything you need to know to start your first forum and build your online community.
First, we have to understand what an online forum is and how it builds an online community. A forum, also known as a discussion board, is a space in your website that allows visitors to leave messages for each other or for the business in the form of a posted message. There are many look-alikes of it like knowledge bases but remember the main goal of a forum is for interaction between the company and the users and among the users themselves. This is how a forum creates an online community — groups of like-minded people come together to inquire, criticize, and converse with each other about your website or company.
Okay, so now we’ve got that out of the bag. What are the steps in building a forum?
Before you even get to the laptop, you have to get to the pen and paper. You are expected to have a community concept. This involves layout of the page, the central themes, the goal. You have to make sure that it is aligned to the vision and mission of the company but don’t make it too company-centered. You also have to anticipate what your visitors will want. Remember: As much as this forum is for your company’s benefit, it is also for your member’s convenience. This is to make sure your forum will have long-term success.
After you’ve got the core of your forum out of the way, it’s time to strategize. It’s time to plan. You have to conceptualize what your community will look like and how it will function. Focus on the content, that’s what the people will be looking for. Who will respond to which query, what vocabulary will cater to your audience, how do you keep your visitors coming back. You have to set guidelines for the people in your company and the people interested in your company. Act like you’ve already established the community: how do you maintain it? How do you make sure it succeeds?
Now, you actually get on the dirty work. This involves coding, processing, customizing. You have to make your forum as presentable as possible and always, always make sure your visitor will know it’s from your company.
Though relatively new, Typesy already has one of the strongest online communities among touch typing websites. Checking out their Typesy Community feature, it is evident that the makers knew all about forums and communities before making it. Typesy Community creates for a solid group of people that you can be a part of if you visit http://community.typesy.com/.
So, let’s stop thinking about it and actually get it started. Take a leap and build your online community forum now!
