11 Reasons you won't succeed

[TaylorCTU GM]

Saw this on another forum. Thought I would share. Any opinions on this?

1) You're using a ripped theme.
If you want your forum to get anywhere, using a orange tier paki rip from a ripping community is not the way to go.

2) You have no money.
Seriously, don't even try to start a forum if you're so broke that you can't even afford $5 a month to host your forum on a $5 a month digitalocean VPS. Nobody takes a forum seriously if the owner has no money.

3) You don't know basic web development.
The key to keeping your community happy is to keep providing them with what they want, you can't do this if you don't know basic stuff like html or css.

4) You use an overused niche.
You made a gaming forum? Wow, cool! So what makes yours better than the thousands that already exist?

5) You know nothing about your niche.
Not knowing a lot about your niche is like giving a seminar on a topic you don't know, it just isn't going to work.

6) Your site is literally just a copy of a bigger board.
Why would anyone want to join your forum, when they can get the "bigger and better" experience from elsewhere.

7) You have no content.
Don't even try to get people to start using your forum if you have no content.

8) Your forum engages in illegal activities, and you have no idea how to host it.
Have fun getting your site suspended :noh:

9) You don't post.
You can't expect the members of your community to post if you don't post yourself.

10) The only places you advertise are "website showcase" categories on other forums.
If your userbase is literally just a small fragment of another forums members, they're going to slowly forget about you and return to the forum they came from.

11) You start the forum with the intent of making money.
Why the eggplant would you create a brand new community, and ask for donations/sell paid upgrades from the get go? Are you really that desperate for money? That you need your five members to empty their wallets into a community that likely won't be around long?
(courtesy of idkwhatimdoing)

If any of these eleven reasons sounds like you and/or your forum, you should probably delete or hand over to someone more competent.

 

[Yarik]

That can be useful to the people who are starting a new forum for the first time. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Corzhens]

That point #5 is worth remembering because I have seen how some people failed because they ventured in something that they didn't know fully well. In the internet particularly blogging or having your own website, the best rule is to have your passion as your niche. For sure, you know almost everything about a subject matter that is your passion. That is easy work for you and your content will be of high quality too.

 

[MasterA]

I agree with most of the post but I have to disagree with point 11. There is nothing wrong with starting a forum with the intent of making money. Of course its not a good thing to focus too much on making money when you are starting off but there is nothing wrong with making money being your overall goal. Yes, indeed you don't want to ask for money when you only have like 5 members or fill your website with ads just so you can earn a few bucks. When you start off, its more important to focus on building a foundation and growing your community and the revenue aspect can come at a later point when the community grows. Creating a community on a topic you care about and making money has no conflict.