So I bought a host and domain today and I just got it all working. From localhost to the new webhost.
I would like to hear some tips from you guys when you were in the same situation. What was your next step?
I have yet to do some SEO, so that would be my next step I think. And I will work on more content of course.
Cheers.
While you're configuring your site, create a robots.txt and place this in it:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /
When you think your site is ready, then remove those lines, or add a # before each line. Reason for doing this, is because it takes months for google and other SEs to recrawl a site and reorganise their indices, if you decide to make changes.
Stops your site from being crawled. I wouldn't recommend it. If you do change something, Webmaster tools will help getting things re-indexed.
Yeah, not going to do that then.
Any other tips for SEO and starting out?
Content. Lots of it. Google loves crawling new stuff (as do people).
I just started a new Forum, two months top. Welcome aboard.
My experience in forums is 10 years administrating one (not mine).
Now i have some skills and little knowledge, studying what the original owners did wrong.
My advice before the game:
- Use a nice theme;
- Use proper plugins for what you need or what your public need, compensating some leak features of MyBB;
- Configure, configure and configure. Make the Forum configured like you NEED.
- And configure again!
Important for starting:
- Content. Post a lot of content. Everyday. 1, 2, 3 threads everyday.
- You can create some fake users for showing the forum is not empty. Fake some discussions. Although, this is not very recommended by moral or ethics, but, it wont hurt anyone.
- Offer a proper feedback for your users. Do a lot of admin stuff. Read the feedback from users and hear then!!
- Be polite, the staff is the forum first image. Be polite and professional.
- Wait for MyBB 2.0. Its a new mark for the Forum.
- Wait for your critical masse to grow (when the forum comes alive, like 500 active users).
- Be patience. Mostly forums close because the owners don't have patience.
- In 2 to 4 years the Forum should have life just by himself.
Good lucky...
The only thing you need is a properly configured forum and a bunch of active members who can post new threads and share something new.
The theme is not that important. It's the subject matter and the forum leadership that will make a forum successful IMO.
Unique content and making your forum stand out from the rest is the most important to run a successful forum in my opinion.