Online Forums For Local Businesses

One of the most overlooked aspects of any business website is that of an online forum. I even scoffed at the idea of ever embracing an online community (silly me!), until I realized the true value of incorporating an online forum into one's website. (Of course, as of January 31, 2011...I still don't have an online forum on my site. I know, I know!)

Online forums serve as an outstanding "feedback loop" from one's clients, customers, and occasional webpage browsers. Most companies are afraid of EVER communicating with their customers, particularly those that are entrenched in internet-only businesses. But, imagine the power of being able to immediately gain feedback from your clients/customers--positive and negative!

The online forums also help deliver a much more personal experience to users. A traditional website just cannot help foster a sense of community, the way an online forum can.

And, think of many customers' questions you may have to answer...over and over and over and over again. This alone will save you plenty of hours of frustration. If for no other reason, an online forum would be help save you COUNTLESS hours just helping troubleshoot problems, concerns, and questions.

Forum marketing is a great way to make your online business stand out from the crowd. Forum users are generally net savvy and open to making online purchases. Many forum users are also respected experts and bloggers in the specific topics covered by the forum.

Forum marketing is a high ROI strategy because making a good impression in front of this savvy and influential audience can help your marketing message spread far and wide.

One word of advice, though. Choose your online forum carefully.

Not all forums are worth your time. Successful forum marketing means finding the right community for your business.

Look for popular forums that cover your niche topic. Start by asking your employees, suppliers, and customers which online communities they hang out in. Also try searching forum hub sites such as Board Reader, Big Boards, and Board Tracker using niche-specific keywords.

Narrow your list to 5-10 forums that will be worth your time using the following criteria:

* Look for forums that have at least 1,000 members and 10,000 posts.
* Make sure the forum gets at least ten to fifteen new posts on a daily basis.
* Ignore forums that are overrun by spam.
* Avoid forums hosted by your direct competitors.

So give it a try! Heck, I may even jump on board on myself. And for those that have already launched online forums for their business websites, leave a comment with your experiences. I would love to hear about your positive and negative experiences utilizing online forums for your business. Your feedback will help many other small business owners take the leap toward integrating an online forum into their business plan.