Samurai Jack
Joined: 24 Aug 2008
Posts: 16
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 Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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Well, start up costs don't have to be significant. Hosting can be had for $10/month or less. Domain registration is only a few bucks. Phpbb is a free, open source application that is great for building forums. The most significant cost might fall into the labor category. Unless you have a pretty good understanding of web design, php and database managment, you might have to get someone to help you with the technical stuff. If you have to pay someone, it can be expensive.
There are websites out there that can provide a free hosted forum that are great for beginners. I can't post any specific ones, but if you send me a pm, I can point you in the right direction. If you've never operated a forum before, it's a good place to start.
A busy forum can be quite a bit of work. Be prepared to put in up to several hours a day on moderating, fixing problems, assisting members, etc. Advertising and recruiting new members can be costly and time consuming as well. A solid understanding of internet marketing will help you in promoting your site.
I would first ask you why you want to start a forum and how many interested people you have that are interested in joining. Operating a forum can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, but it takes work and dedication. |
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