How to set up a successful internet forum ?

[Patrick1964]

I'm thinking of setting up a dedicated forum for a reasonably popular sport. Can anyone advise the best way to go about this ? I've bought a domain name, but need to know the best way of hosting / achieving good search engine positions / attracting advertisers etc. Is there an idiot's guide anywhere ?

Thanks in advance.

[J_S_G]

Hey... why did my reply get deleted??? It was genuinely constructive!

[Mr POD]

A sport ?

I know how the guy who set up www.mk2cav.com started.

He went around car shows and anyone that had a mk2 cavalier was given a flyer and he stopped to chat to them about their car.

And then he made sure that people got directed to his site if they googled for mk2 cavalier

[Glassman]

J_S_G said:

Hey... why did my reply get deleted??? It was genuinely constructive!

Not just your post... most of this thread has been 'exterminated'.

[Patrick1964]

Isn't this where your link was supposed to go ?

[Glassman]

Patrick1964 said:

Isn't this where your link was supposed to go ?

have you made contact with your soh yet?

[Scraggles]

guess the mods not like forum discussion even when it is probably not for cars

try www.proboards.com, I am a member of a hobby site and run another hobby site, it is fairly easy to do

phbb is another thing to check out as well ?

[Patrick1964]

My SOH is perfectly intact, thank you. If you'd given me any clue that it was a joke I'd have laughed with you. I just assumed you were a helpful drunk who'd made a mistake.

[mically]

naked, or semi naked women.
works all the time.

it's what the internet is for....
without nudity, do you think we'd have had:

Drawings.
Books.
Paintings.
Photography.
Magazines.
Televisions.
Video's.
Internet.
Phones that play videos, and can stream from the internet.

Although I'm amazed at how well the radio has done!

[thepeoplespal]

don't have signups if people just want to read the forum. By all means have a log in to post, but signups kill your traffic, if the forum is good enough people will sign in to get the bells and whistles. Saw the forums for a popular car related magazine, pistonheads has more posts in about 2 hours than they have had in about 9 months.

[uriel]

Mr POD said:

A sport ?

I know how the guy who set up www.mk2cav.com started.

He went around car shows and anyone that had a mk2 cavalier was given a flyer and he stopped to chat to them about their car.

And then he made sure that people got directed to his site if they googled for mk2 cavalier

Funnily enough, just tonight I pulled up behind a mint Cavalier with a mk2cav.com banner across the rear window.

[The Moose]

if you would like some "real" advice, drop me a PM

Cheers

The Moose

[Mr POD]

uriel said:

Mr POD said:

A sport ?

I know how the guy who set up www.mk2cav.com started.

He went around car shows and anyone that had a mk2 cavalier was given a flyer and he stopped to chat to them about their car.

And then he made sure that people got directed to his site if they googled for mk2 cavalier

Funnily enough, just tonight I pulled up behind a mint Cavalier with a mk2cav.com banner across the rear window.

I bet you it was not an estate. New years Resolution is to make my mk2 cavalier search harder, by looking for a mint estate.

[trooperiziz]

Mr POD said:

uriel said:

Mr POD said:

A sport ?

I know how the guy who set up www.mk2cav.com started.

He went around car shows and anyone that had a mk2 cavalier was given a flyer and he stopped to chat to them about their car.

And then he made sure that people got directed to his site if they googled for mk2 cavalier

Funnily enough, just tonight I pulled up behind a mint Cavalier with a mk2cav.com banner across the rear window.

I bet you it was not an estate. New years Resolution is to make my mk2 cavalier search harder, by looking for a mint estate.

Isn't it already sufficiently hard, due to the fact you are not allowed to buy one?

[Mr POD]

trooperiziz said:

Mr POD said:

uriel said:

Mr POD said:

A sport ?

I know how the guy who set up www.mk2cav.com started.

He went around car shows and anyone that had a mk2 cavalier was given a flyer and he stopped to chat to them about their car.

And then he made sure that people got directed to his site if they googled for mk2 cavalier

Funnily enough, just tonight I pulled up behind a mint Cavalier with a mk2cav.com banner across the rear window.

I bet you it was not an estate. New years Resolution is to make my mk2 cavalier search harder, by looking for a mint estate.

Isn't it already sufficiently hard, due to the fact you are not allowed to buy one?

Plan is : Buy it, then tell the wife, suffer the short term pain.


and move out into estate.

[PetrolTed]

Patrick1964 said:

I'm thinking of setting up a dedicated forum for a reasonably popular sport. Can anyone advise the best way to go about this ? I've bought a domain name, but need to know the best way of hosting / achieving good search engine positions / attracting advertisers etc. Is there an idiot's guide anywhere ?

Thanks in advance.

Happy to advise. Drop me a line.