All businesses should upload fresh content on their website. One way to generate content is by maintaining a blog, but that isn’t the only way. Businesses can also have forums on their website. A forum is an online discussion or bulletin board where your readers and visitors can interact with one another.
Learn the benefits to creating a user community forum on your website, and what you can do to acquire one.
Forums are constantly being updated with user-generated content often with rich keywords, which search engines love. You’ll save time from having to upload your own content. A forum gives your website the opportunity to be at the top of the search engine results page. Since a forum is always updating it gives users a reason to come back to your website. If there was a discussion on the forum that a user was interested in, there’s a good chance he or she will return to your website to read anything new.
A forum can allow you to conduct market research as well. This is the perfect setting where you will learn about your target audience by gathering information on what they’re discussing. You will be able to dig deep into understanding their needs and preferences making it easy for you to know whom you’re selling to.
Although it’s often user-generated content, it is a place you can share business news and information as well. What’s even better is that you’re sharing this news to a community of people who are already passionate about your business.
Forums are a great place where users discuss any issues. Other forum members can answer these inquiries, which can actually lower support cost. If one question is often being asked, and there has been a great response, instead of repeating the answer, it can be saved for future reference.
Contact Castlenet for a quote to add a forum application to your website.
A forum plugin must be user friendly. This means something that’s easy to use, secure, and fast. It should also be something that moderates spam because a forum houses many spambots.
This is a plugin that was built by the people who built WordPress. It can easily be installed on any site powered by WordPress. Users can create and reply to topics in a forum. Its simple, lightweight system guarantees a fast forum that users will continue to come back to.
Highlighted features:
• Receive notifications of any follow-up responses
• Customise it to complement your website
• Akismet integration reduces spambots
The second recommended plugin is PHPBB. It’s an open-source plugin allowing you to modify the script. The responsive design ensures it supports on different platforms, no matter how limited the screen size is.
Highlighted features:
• Users have their own control panel
• Private messaging between forum members
• Allows users to share files with one another by attaching to posts
• Get notifications of any follow-up comments
• Search system makes it easy for people to find particular topics
Muut is a plugin that is a re-imagination of what a forum application should be. It has a modern, clean user interface that can be embedded on any WordPress site. The forum blends well without having to add extra styling.
Muut puts an emphasis on text and high quality content. It does this by making a user’s content permanent. Muut believes not allowing content to be edited after it’s 2.7 minute old, has any replies or likes will ensure quality content because users will have to put thought into each comment. Muut also likes to have a clean, uncluttered forum so users won’t be able to post images. It will be displayed as a link instead.
Highlighted features:
• Real-time results means more people engaged and remain on your website longer
• Spam filtering means less time for you to moderate comments
• Over 20 different language versions
• “Trending topics” widget lets users stay on top of what discussions are most popular
• Designed with mobile screens in mind
An online forum software plugin is your solution to market research, optimising SEO, and share business content to an already interested market. If you want to add a forum application to your WordPress website, contact us today.