New General Forum - What to do ??

[Yoda]

Hey Guys,

I'm thinking of creating a new General Chat forum, what I'm wondering is 1) What to call it

2)How much is it likely to cost me to set up?? (e.g getting a domain, a vb license and hosting and probably a custom template)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nebulous]

Domain, vb license and custom template might cost you over $300

 

[Yoda]

i know a vb license is around $195 is it not??, i wouldn't pay over $40 for a template , so is hosting anda domain gonna cost me $60 ??

 

[Nebulous]

Sounds about right. http://hawkhost.com is a good host. You could buy a year's worth for $40 or $50. Ask on their support forum if they have any discount coupons to make it cheaper.

 

[Yoda]

have you ever heard of godaddy ?? if you have, are they reliable?? Also do you have any suggestions as for what to name it?

 

[Nebulous]

I use godaddy to register my domains but Ive never used their hosting.

 

[AnAccount]

I use godaddy to register my domains but Ive never used their hosting.

I've heard some bad reviews about their hosting. They're good for domain hosting but it doesn't sound like something you wouldn't want to use as a forum host from my understanding.

 

[Yoda]

Thanks for your help 🙂

 

[Fergal]

You could significantly reduce your start up costs by using free forum software such as phpBB or MyBB.

 

[kavin]

Sorry for being offtopic. But i think you should choose some particular niche, rather than being General.
The General chat forum niche is almost saturated, so there is less hope for improvement.

 

[Yoda]

@Fergal, I have used free forum software before but I don't like the ads, or the rubbish templates available etc so i'm just playing around with options for now.

@Kavin, I think I will pick a niche, i'll probably go down the promotion route I think.

 

[juststeven]

@Fergal, I have used free forum software before but I don't like the ads, or the rubbish templates available etc so i'm just playing around with options for now.

@Kavin, I think I will pick a niche, i'll probably go down the promotion route I think.

If your thinking of a promotion forum you might as well make a general forum, more chance of success.

 

[Yoda]

In which case, what niche do you think i'd have more success in ?.

 

[kavin]

May i know which are the fields you are good at. Like Gaming, Coding, Design, etc?

Also, Fergal meant Free Forum scripts like MyBB, phpBB, etc, which you can run on your own server. Unlike the multiforums like Forumotion which have ads on your forum.

 

[juststeven]

In which case, what niche do you think i'd have more success in ?.

Think of something unique. Gaming forums that specialize in one game seem to be popular at the moment.

 

[Mik.]

I've used GoDaddy's Hosting and its real bad. I wouldn't recommend vBulletin either. I'd stick with maybe IPB or phpBB. If you use phpBB now you can convert to IPB later on.

 

[Yoda]

Why wouldn't you recommend vBulletin ?<br /><br />-- 30 May 2011, 16:51 --<br /><br />@kavin: I can't code or design, so I'm steering clear of that. I don't have a big enough interest in games to make one on gaming. Technology is ok, music is ok. How do you think I would get on with music?

 

[kavin]

Music isn't bad. I don't have much experience in that niche. But if you maintain good update about current music scenarios, it can be a good one.

 

[Fergal]

...Fergal meant Free Forum scripts like MyBB, phpBB, etc, which you can run on your own server. Unlike the multiforums like Forumotion which have ads on your forum.

Exactly, thanks for clarifying that Kavin.

 

[juststeven]

Why wouldn't you recommend vBulletin ?

-- 30 May 2011, 16:51 --

@kavin: I can't code or design, so I'm steering clear of that. I don't have a big enough interest in games to make one on gaming. Technology is ok, music is ok. How do you think I would get on with music?

Because vBulletin has more security loop holes than you've had hot meals. And the designs are horrible.

Music would be okay, maybe focusing on 1 genre or band.