Post by Zimm on Feb 6, 2015 1:45:30 GMT -5
Have you ever wondered why every forum looks different? Forums look different based on the creator’s preferences of how they want their forum to look. Custom forum design is also based upon the forums niche, or genre. Custom designs are better for your forum because they attract members; they stand out from other forums and show guests and members that you are committed to your forum, as an administrator.
A good forum design and theme will attract a variety of members. If your forum design and layout is easy to navigate, guests will feel more welcome and they may even join. Your forum’s guests and members will notice the effort you put into your custom design and they will know that you are committed to your forum. Commitment is a very important quality that guests and members want to see in a forum owner/administrator.
If your forum has a custom design, it will stand out apart from other forums in the same and different niches. If your forum stands out amongst other forums, it will grab the attention of other forum owners. Make sure when you create custom designs; that you make sure it flows well with your forums topic. This means if your forum is about graphic design, you will want your custom design to represent that theme.
A custom design will attract potential members. Some members join a forum simply because they like the design of the forum. Other members join because they are familiar, or knowledgeable, with the forums topic, or niche. A good custom design is the starting base of a successful forum apart from the content that it features.
When you create a custom design, try to create something new; something that hasn’t been done before. Give your design something unique: Something that other forums in your genre do not contain. Experiment with options that you are not accustom to and continue to do so until you master it for your custom design. When I created ProBoards Admin Center, I had no idea how to complete a template modification of the thread list. I experimented with different options until I came up with a layout that I like.
In the custom design here on PBAC, I’ve added a sidebar with the current users stats, navigation links, forum staff, and I include newest member and the users online now part of the info center. I removed the users online now section and members section from the info center all together. I changed the thread layout inside boards to include the avatar of the threads creator just before the thread title, description and created by information. I also changed the username option for last post to a miniature avatar.
A few other custom designs I included are the blog page, a drop down menu for the blog, and several databases. All of these custom options are not generally used on other forums. Some of the options will be considered, by others, as nifty and original. You want your forum to be original and not mimic other forum designs.
Custom designs are better for your forum because, as stated previously, they make your forum stand out apart from other forums and they attract members. The most important reason that custom designs are better is because a custom design shows prospective members that you, as a forum owner/administrator, are committed to your forum. Why would you go through all that work and frustration to just give up on your own forum?
Custom designs equals committed staff while committed staff equals committed members. When your members and staff are committed to your forum, the activity of your forum will increase and so will your member base.
A good forum design and theme will attract a variety of members. If your forum design and layout is easy to navigate, guests will feel more welcome and they may even join. Your forum’s guests and members will notice the effort you put into your custom design and they will know that you are committed to your forum. Commitment is a very important quality that guests and members want to see in a forum owner/administrator.
If your forum has a custom design, it will stand out apart from other forums in the same and different niches. If your forum stands out amongst other forums, it will grab the attention of other forum owners. Make sure when you create custom designs; that you make sure it flows well with your forums topic. This means if your forum is about graphic design, you will want your custom design to represent that theme.
A custom design will attract potential members. Some members join a forum simply because they like the design of the forum. Other members join because they are familiar, or knowledgeable, with the forums topic, or niche. A good custom design is the starting base of a successful forum apart from the content that it features.
When you create a custom design, try to create something new; something that hasn’t been done before. Give your design something unique: Something that other forums in your genre do not contain. Experiment with options that you are not accustom to and continue to do so until you master it for your custom design. When I created ProBoards Admin Center, I had no idea how to complete a template modification of the thread list. I experimented with different options until I came up with a layout that I like.
In the custom design here on PBAC, I’ve added a sidebar with the current users stats, navigation links, forum staff, and I include newest member and the users online now part of the info center. I removed the users online now section and members section from the info center all together. I changed the thread layout inside boards to include the avatar of the threads creator just before the thread title, description and created by information. I also changed the username option for last post to a miniature avatar.
A few other custom designs I included are the blog page, a drop down menu for the blog, and several databases. All of these custom options are not generally used on other forums. Some of the options will be considered, by others, as nifty and original. You want your forum to be original and not mimic other forum designs.
Custom designs are better for your forum because, as stated previously, they make your forum stand out apart from other forums and they attract members. The most important reason that custom designs are better is because a custom design shows prospective members that you, as a forum owner/administrator, are committed to your forum. Why would you go through all that work and frustration to just give up on your own forum?
Custom designs equals committed staff while committed staff equals committed members. When your members and staff are committed to your forum, the activity of your forum will increase and so will your member base.