Developing A Business Forum: Focus And Function
Author: Scott Lindsay

"Communication--the human connection--is the key to personal
and career success." - Paul J. Meyer

It doesn't take long to discover the incredible diversity in
online forums. Some forums are saturated in Google Adsense and
other advertising banners. Some are virtually ad-free.

Many private forums are visited because they are very welcoming
and you gain a positive sense of community when you visit.
Another style of forum that is routinely visited is ones that
seem to follow the model of several well-known radio talk show
hosts – they are abrasive and somewhat offensive. However, it
is this very trait that seems to bring are certain type of
visitors back time after time.

For a business website it is important to foster a sense of
community. Some of that sense comes by laying the framework of
forum netiquette. You can further accentuate the positive by
providing categories that result in an understanding that the
forum was created for something more than an online playground.


The Look

Determining the overall look of the forum is important because
the use of certain colors and patterns are more inviting to
visitors than others. The overall layout of the forum may be
out of your control, but there may be ways to customize the
forum or even allow your visitor to choose a forum skin that
best suits their individual tastes.

Category Design

By conducting a bit of research ahead of time you may find
certain broad topics may work well for your forum.

Some possibilities include…

1) Welcome
2) News
3) Press Release
4) New Products
5) General Discussion
6) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
7) Introductions
8) Tips
9) Suggestions

The primary purpose of your forum is to provide a common ground
for your customers to learn and share their knowledge and
experience regarding your products and services.

Purpose Driven Discussion

By keeping your focus narrow you will find the job of managing
the forum much easier. It's possible your categories will
expand as your forum grows, but keep categories and their
explanations simple.

Examples

Welcome – Check in here first to find out how to use this forum
and where to find what you need.

News – The latest news that affects the industry.

Press Releases – Information directly from our company about
products and services we offer.

You probably get the idea that the description just needs to
essentially let your visitors know what to expect as they
voluntarily assist you in future marketing plans.


About The Author: Scott Lindsay is a web developer and
entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many
other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5
minutes with http://HighPowerSites.com at:
http://www.highpowersites.com