So, you have an idea for a forum....

So, you have an idea for a forum.....what are the steps you take in setting it up? Not the actual uploading and installing piece...but, the planning and mapping out piece of the site.

Do you sit and map out on paper (or flowcharts) all of the pages and how/why they would be linked and the monetization piece of the site?

What is the process that everyone follows in the development stages of your websites? I'm curious because I have a couple of ideas that I want to take from 'idea' stage to 'planning' stage and wanted to get some suggestions from other experts out there!

 

First thing is to make sure you can run a community based on your idea.

Second is to take a deep look at your target niche. If there are other sites similar, scour them for ideas (check out the suggestions area if they've got one and you'll see what many of your targets are looking for). After looking at this for a while you can decide if you want to go through with this site. At this time you'll want to continue researching your competitors. I like SEO so I do a full keyword analysis of all of what will be my main competition and then decide if I can get in with big terms or start out with smaller terms to begin with and build up a member base.

After that I use a mindmapping program (Freemind is free to use) and begin looking at how I'll structure the site. Whether I am using just a forum, or a forum and blog. From there look at some categories.

I also keep a quick notepad file out with possible discussion ideas while doing all of this, it is especially helpful with the SEO research because you can see where a specific term is searched for often in your niche, but there isn't very much valuable content in the results. You can leverage yourself to become that value.

 

I don't hesitate to login to my 'testboard' and start playing around with my new idea, whether it be the forum structure, skin design, template edits, or just plain notes that I don't want to forget about for the future.

It is constantly changing in there.

 

How did you know? :lol:

This is the first thing that I do - but I do so on the computer (rather than writing it out by hand). Immediately after creating a mock-up of the forum index page (meaning the order of the categories and sections), I then create a spreadsheet in Excel regarding the financial aspect of the project - or in other words, how much money I'm willing to put into the project and how I'm planning on doing so (i.e. one big lump sum, monthly installments, etc).

Rather than just putting all of the money into a project directly, I'd rather "spread it out". It seems more logical and organized this way.

 

I only take out a paper and map out when I am designing, but that is part of planning out, no?

 

If there are other forums out there in the niche I want already, I think about how my site could be different. I wouldn't try competing unless I felt I could blow them out of the water.

 

Great stuff so far guys and gals, can't wait for the next 'shift' of folks responding to this will reply with.

 

How do you plan it out on the computer? Prior to Excel of course, I've always wanted to do it on the computer but I've been stuck with Paint just to get it down, the general idea I mean.

 

I create a Word document that contains the following:

• An "outline" of the forum index page structure that includes the categories, the various sections, and the descriptions.
• A page dedicated to brainstorming the visual appearance (i.e. the design).
• A page dedicated to brainstorming possible topics that could be discussed within each of the categories listed in the outline above.

Seeing as I'm absolutely horrible when it comes to graphic design, I will not even attempt to create a visual mockup in Photoshop - I like sticking with the text!

 

Ah okay. I was wondering what I was doing wrong.

 

You're not the only one who has used Paint to "map things out", so to speak. I tried a few years back and it was an absolute disaster.

 

Yeah, I can't do thing neatly. So pen and paper for me.

 

That's most definitely the better route to take. With Paint, all you can do is draw awkwardly shaped lines and scribble random shapes.

 

Pfft, that's more than what I can do.

 

It's alright - we know that you're a bit "slow" when it comes to these things. :spin:

I may give your pen and paper method a try. While I love organizing all of my initial ideas and thoughts in a structured manner on a "virtual" document, I think physically writing all of it down could help tremendously.

 

...

I meant drawing it out. I'm not the type to write things down. Why? Well my ideas change rapidly over a small period of time.

 

Ah ha! Mine don't - I tend to think of them and then stick with them.

 

Has anyone used Visio (I have it at work) to do some flowcharts or anything like that? I'm going to download Freemind (suggested earlier), but I'm interested in all techniques used out there.

 

Wait till you get married. :lol:

No, I have considered using Power Point. I got the idea last week when it was mentioned on a YouTube video, I guess you could use it somehow.

Is Visio something by Disney?

 

I believe Visio is a Microsoft product, but I could be wrong.