The Benefits Of Creating A Forum Website For Your Business

Do you want to know how to create a forum? Online communities have become increasingly important in today's digital age. Forums provide a space for like-minded individuals to connect, share ideas, and engage with one another. Creating a forum website has numerous benefits for businesses, from increased customer engagement to establishing authority in your industry. This article will unveil how to create a forum and explore the advantages of using Strikingly, a forum website builder. But before going to the technical part, let us understand the basics.

What Is A Forum Website?

A forum website is an online platform where users can post messages or start discussions on various topics. It is an interactive space where people can exchange ideas and opinions with one another. Forums are typically organized by categories and topics, making it easy for users to find relevant information.

Importance Of Online Communities

Online communities have assimilated into our day-to-day existence. They provide people with a feeling of community and enable them to interact with people who share their interests or life experiences. For businesses, online communities can be a potent tool for fostering consumer relationships and brand loyalty. Here is a list of reasons you may want to create a forum website:

Forums can be especially beneficial for businesses and brands. Some of the key benefits include

• Direct customer insights. Forums provide a direct line of communication with your customers and target audience. You can get insights into what they really think about your products, services, industry, etc. It helps with product development, marketing, and more.
• Feedback and ideas. People will freely share reviews, suggestions, and ideas for improving your business in a forum. Crowdsourced feedback can be very valuable for innovation.
• Word-of-mouth marketing. Loyal forum members become brand advocates who help promote your business through word-of-mouth. They talk about your brand, share stories, and spread viral buzz.
• SEO and traffic. An active forum, especially if it ranks well in search, will drive significant traffic to your website. It boosts visibility and helps with search engine optimization.
• Loyalty and retention. Well-maintained forums keep people engaged with your brand and coming back to your site. Over time, this builds strong loyalty, retention, and a sense of community. Loyal customers can be very profitable.
• Reduced customer service costs. Forums take some of the burdens off your customer support team. Community members will answer many common questions and help solve issues for each other. It cuts down on tickets and demands on your resources.
• Trust and authority. Being visible and helpful in your own community forum establishes you as an authority in your industry or niche. It builds trust in your brand by showing your expertise and ability to support customers.
• Promotion opportunities. Announce sales, new products, events, and news directly to your devoted fans and customers on the forum. Offer exclusive forum-member-only promotions and deals with increasing engagement.
• Recruitment. An active forum in a niche industry area makes it possible to scout for new talent. Engage with and recruit customers or users who are especially helpful and influential on your forum.
• Partnerships. You may find and develop new strategic partnerships through connections and discussions on your own community forum. Look for win-win opportunities with complementary businesses.
  

For many businesses, hosting a community forum is well worth the effort. A forum can drive real business results and bottom-line benefits when used to its full potential. The key is properly maintaining, engaging with, and leveraging your forum community.

Which Type Of Businesses Should Think Of Creating Online Forums?

Online forums tend to work well for businesses in the following categories:

• Niche communities. Any business focused on a particular niche, hobby, or specialized industry topic. For example, forums are great for brands centered around things like photography, gaming, DIY crafts, beauty, parenting, etc.
• Technology companies. Software companies, tech startups, and tech-focused brands can benefit from forums. They provide a space for customers to discuss products, get help, report issues, and share their experiences.
• Consumer goods. Makers of consumer products, especially higher-end or complex products, should consider a community forum. It gives customers a way to connect over their shared experience with the products.
• Membership-based. If your business relies on paid memberships, a members-only forum can add value and appeal. It builds community and loyalty among members.
• eCommerce. eCommerce retailers and online stores can use a forum for promoting products, building community, gaining insights, providing support, and driving return traffic to their websites.
• Service-based. Businesses like marketing agencies, design firms, schools, gyms, and more can benefit from promoting a helpful community forum. It shows expertise and builds trust, loyalty, and word-of-mouth marketing.
• Thought leaders. Industry leaders, experts, authors, speakers, and thought leaders should maintain an active forum. It gives followers a way to engage and helps establish authority and credibility.
• Spreading ideologies. Nonprofits, activists, and purpose-driven brands often use forums to spread ideas, build a movement, and connect like-minded supporters. But be careful not to come across as too preachy.
• Gaming and entertainment. Video game developers, production companies, sports teams, and other entertainment brands have huge opportunities around community building with forums. Fans love to discuss and speculate with fellow fans.
  

A forum works well for most business niches and industries. The brands that tend to benefit the most are those built around a sense of community, shared interests or values, memberships, or complex products that people like to talk about. But with the right strategy, almost any business can leverage a community forum to achieve its goals.

Now that we've covered the basics let’s understand how to make a forum easily using a forum builder and dive into the benefits of creating a forum website using Strikingly.

How To Make A Forum Using Strikingly?

Here are the basic steps to make a forum using Strikingly:

1. Create a Strikingly site. It will be your forum website. Choose a template to start with.

2. Add a page. It will be your homepage for the forum that lists all the categories and discussion topics. You can rename this page to whatever you like, such as "Community Forum."

3. Design your forum homepage. Add text to describe your forum. Create eye-catching categories or sections for the different areas of discussion. You can add images, change the layout, and make this page visually appealing.

4. Create forum categories as separate pages. For example, make pages named "General Discussion," "Feedback," "Troubleshooting Help," "Introductions," etc. These will be the main categories in your forum.

5. Add a comment section. You can add the comment section for your forum in three ways.

• Add Blog- Add a blog under the category page you want to create a discussion. Give a title to the blog and add the rules or description of the discussion in the blog section. After publishing the blog, navigate to the blog settings and check to enable comments to make it a discussion space.
  

Image taken from Strikingly

• Embed Disqus- Add a discussion board easily in a category page by embedding the Disqus app.

Image taken from Strikingly

• Embed Facebook Comments- Add a comment section using the Facebook comments app to your page.
  

Image taken from Strikingly

6. Design your website. A forum website is just not a discussion platform. Besides the comments section, the design plays an equally important role. It is what keeps the users on the site and makes them return to it. Use features and design elements available on the Strikingly drag-and-drop website builder to make a stunning forum website that is fun and updated.

7. Launch your forum website. Once you are satisfied with the design, don’t forget to use the preview button to see the final result and publish the website. You will need to add a domain to your website to make it go LIVE on the internet.

9. Promote your forum and build your community. Launch your forum, spread the word to your target members, post announcements, email current customers/followers and invite them to join the discussion. Engage frequently in conversations and keep the momentum going.

10. Continue improving and updating. Check on your forum discussions, look for ways to improve the user experience, post news/updates, open new category topics based on demand, and keep the community active and thriving long term.

Using these steps, you have the basics you need to build an online community forum with Strikingly. Start simple and add complexity over time as your needs and members grow. But besides making building a forum website easy, Strikingly is a good forum builder for many reasons. Follow the article to know how a forum website or a section can be good for your business and why you should consider implementing a forum website strategy using Strikingly.

1. Increased Customer Engagement

Creating a forum website is an effective way to increase customer engagement with your brand. You can foster a sense of community among your customers by providing a platform for communication and interaction.

Facilitating Communication

Forums allow customers to communicate directly with each other and your brand. It can help to build relationships, resolve issues, and generate valuable customer feedback. You can create different discussion boards for specific topics or products with a forum website. It makes it easier for customers to find the necessary information and engage in relevant conversations.

Promotion Of User-Generated Content

Forums is also great for promoting user-generated content. Customers can share their experiences, ideas, and opinions about your products or services, which can be valuable for other customers and your brand. User-generated content can also help to improve search engine rankings by providing fresh and relevant content on your website.

Personalized User Experience

Creating a forum website can help you personalize the user experience for each customer. You can allow users to customize their profiles, notifications, and preferences based on interests and needs. The personalized experience can increase engagement and loyalty among customers who feel valued by your brand.

Building Customer Loyalty

A forum website is a powerful tool for building customer loyalty. You can create a loyal following that will continue to support your brand over time by fostering a sense of community among your customers. You can also use forums to reward loyal customers with exclusive offers or discounts, further strengthening their relationship with your brand.

Image taken from Strikingly

2. Boosting Website Traffic

A forum website is an excellent tool for boosting website traffic. Making a forum allows users to engage with your brand and share their thoughts and opinions. The engagement can increase traffic as users share your content with others.

Higher Search Engine Rankings

Search engines love fresh content, and a forum website is an excellent way to provide it. Creating a forum allows you to constantly generate new content that search engines will crawl and index. It can increase search engine rankings as your site becomes more visible to potential customers.

Increased Backlinks

Backlinks are essential for improving your website's search engine ranking. A forum website provides an opportunity for other websites to link back to your site through user-generated content. It can lead to increased backlinks, improving your overall visibility on search engines.

Encouraging Social Sharing

Social sharing is another way to boost website traffic; a forum website can help facilitate this process. You can increase your reach and attract new visitors by encouraging users to share their thoughts and opinions on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter.

Some ways you can encourage social sharing include:

• Adding social media buttons to your forum.
• Creating shareable graphics or videos.
• Hosting contests or giveaways that require social sharing.
  

Image taken from Strikingly

Potential For Viral Marketing

Viral marketing is the holy grail of online marketing, and a forum website provides an excellent opportunity for it to happen organically. When users engage with each other on your site, they are more likely to share their experiences with others outside the platform. Word-of-mouth marketing can lead to increased visibility and potentially even viral success if the right conditions are met.

3. Establishing Authority

Creating a forum website can be an incredibly effective strategy for businesses looking to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Providing a platform for industry experts and enthusiasts to share their insights and opinions, you can demonstrate your expertise and establish yourself as a go-to resource for information.

Demonstrating Industry Expertise

One of the key benefits of creating a forum website is the opportunity to showcase your industry expertise. You can demonstrate your knowledge and establish yourself as an authority in your field by actively participating in discussions and sharing your insights.

Expert Content Creation

In addition to participating in discussions, creating expert content is another way to establish authority on your forum website. Publishing articles, blog posts, or other types of content that provide valuable information to your audience can help you position yourself as a go-to resource for information in your industry.

Showcase Of Unique Insights

Another benefit of creating a forum website is the opportunity to showcase unique insights not available elsewhere. Fostering a community of like-minded individuals who share similar interests or passions can let you tap into the collective knowledge of your audience and provide valuable insights not available on other websites.

Invaluable Market Research

Finally, creating a forum website provides invaluable market research opportunities. Monitoring discussions and analyzing user-generated content can help you gain valuable insights into consumer preferences, pain points, and other factors that can inform product development or marketing strategies.

4. Cost-Effective Marketing

For businesses of any size, cost-effective marketing strategies are essential to maximize profits and stay competitive in the market. A forum website is an excellent platform for affordable marketing that can help businesses generate leads, build brand awareness, and provide cost-effective customer service.

Affordable Advertising Space

One of the significant advantages of a forum website is the ability to offer affordable advertising space to businesses. Compared to traditional advertising methods such as print or TV commercials, advertising on a forum website is much more cost-effective. Forum websites typically have many visitors interested in specific topics, making them an ideal platform for targeted advertising.

Efficient Lead Generation

A forum website can be an excellent tool for generating leads and promoting sales. Creating engaging content and interacting with customers on the forum can help businesses attract potential customers interested in their products or services. The ability to communicate directly with potential customers through a forum website can be an effective way to convert leads into sales.

Generating Brand Awareness

Building brand awareness is essential for any business looking to establish itself in the market. A forum website provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to increase their visibility and promote their brand through user-generated content such as reviews, comments, and discussions about products or services related to their industry.

Cost-Effective Customer Service

Providing quality customer service is critical for any business looking to build customer loyalty and maintain a positive reputation in the market. A forum website can provide cost-effective customer service by allowing businesses to interact directly with customers and promptly address their concerns or questions.

5. Competitive Edge

In today's highly competitive business landscape, providing unique value to consumers and standing out from the crowd is essential. Creating a forum website can help you achieve this goal by providing a platform for your customers to engage with each other and your brand. Here are some ways a forum website can give you a competitive edge:

Providing Unique Value To Consumers

A forum website allows you to offer your customers something that traditional websites don't: a space where they can connect with like-minded individuals and share their experiences. It creates a sense of community around your brand, increasing customer loyalty and advocacy.

Stand Out From Competitors

A forum website is an excellent way to differentiate yourself from competitors who may not have this online community. Providing a space for your customers to interact with each other and your brand can help you demonstrate that you care about their needs beyond just selling products or services.

Image taken from Strikingly

Differentiation From Traditional Websites

Most websites are static, one-way communication channels without much interaction between the business and its customers. A forum website changes this dynamic by creating a two-way conversation where both parties can share information and ideas.

Improved Brand Recognition

Creating an online community around your brand increases its visibility and recognition among potential customers. Seeing others talking positively about your brand on the forum builds trust and credibility in your business.

Conclusion

Creating a forum website can be a valuable strategy for businesses looking to increase customer engagement, boost website traffic, establish authority, and gain a competitive edge in their industry. Utilizing a forum website builder like Strikingly can make the process of creating and managing a forum much easier.

Strikingly is an excellent option for businesses looking to create a forum website quickly and easily. With its intuitive interface and powerful features such as customizable templates and drag-and-drop design tools, creating a professional-looking online community has never been easier.

If you're looking for ways to increase customer engagement or establish your business as an industry leader in your niche market, creating a forum website may be just what you need! With Strikingly's easy-to-use platform at your fingertips, there's no reason not to get started today!