Forum or social networks - why do you need a forum on the site and how to create it

20.11.18 IT / Misc 11905

The forum allows an unlimited number of participants to discuss various topics. Forums can be made as separate sites or installed as standalone modules. Forums compare favorably with other types of communication on the site, as they allow large discussions on several pages.

Forum or social networks

The question may arise, which is better - a forum or discussions on social networks ? Today forums are not as popular as they used to be - discussions on social networks have begun to replace forums. One of the reasons for the loss of popularity of forums is the growing popularity of social networks, as well as the non-uniqueness of forums - outdated design, limited functionality, interface inconveniences, etc.

However, with the right approach, forum on your site is still better than using third-party solutions. Simple discussions on social networks have quite a few drawbacks:

• not all users can have social media accounts,
• the same type of functionality of social networks,
• lack of new content that could generate a forum for the site, etc.

Therefore, organizing a forum on the site is a better solution than simple discussions on social networks. This is true only in the case of organizing a high-quality and unique forum. The forum can be built in different forms - for example, a forum with questions and answers.

Why do you need a forum on the site

Another important question - why do we need a forum on the site ? You can find a lot of applications:

• for any site is a great way to increase its traffic, as on the forum some people can ask different questions and others answer. As a result, free content is generated on the site, which is indexed by search engines and attracts additional visitors;
• the forum is useful for solving various problems in a specific subject area;
• the forum can be organized for a specific group of participants and only allow entry by invitation;
• a forum is essential for professionals in their field.

In short, the forum can be useful on any site and for any needs.

How to make a forum on the site

When it is decided that a forum is needed, the last question remains - how to make a forum on the site ? There are several options, for example, you can install a ready-made one or develop your own. For ready-made forums, special engines are used: IPB, Phpbb, vBulletin, etc. But in any case, you will have to make improvements, while the forum will not look unique. Therefore, the best option is to develop your own forum.

How to make your own forum ? The development of your forum is usually based on CMS or CMF , but you can do it from scratch. Own developments are beneficial in that, with the correct organization of the project, the output will be a unique product that can be successfully implemented in any systems. At the same time, there will be no restrictions on functionality, design and other characteristics, and you can distribute your developments under your own license.

So, we found out why needs a forum on the site . Your own forum is much better than simple discussions in social networks - third-party resources that are not directly related to the site. The best option is to develop and implement your own forum.