General Discussions

**imported_khalid** · 07-02-2006, 02:20 PM

I’ve recently started taking my internet ventures a little more seriously and monetized a few small websites to make money from google adsense and private ads. However, my real heart lies in talking about success and making money online and I’d like to open my own forum (with vbulletin, custom skin etc).

I do understand there is a lot of competition, and in order for me to open this forum I’d need to sell my other sites, meaning if it failed I’d need to start at square one again (would only take one month).

I’ve purchased a few good, catchy domain names and found a few nice clean vbulletin templates, I just need a little advice on whether opening a forum for netpreneurs to chat about their success and share tips etc is a good idea in your opinion?

I am really not sure what else to say, I suppose I am just looking for a little guidance. Being honest I am scared other more successful sites, such as sitepoint, this forum, youngentreprneur, etc etc would just wipe it out before it even began.

All advice appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Khalid.

**Hoang** · 07-02-2006, 02:40 PM

At this point, I don't think it'd be a good idea. If you don't have an original idea, then just stick to what you're doing and expand on that. Right now, I can name a few forums off the top of my head with the same subject matter (EF being one) and it'd just be the same members on the forums posting the same topics. It'd be pretty boring in my opinion.

**ForgottenCreature** · 07-02-2006, 02:51 PM

I would network with other webmasters for a while before starting a site about it. The more friends you have in the field the easier it will be for you.

**Masters** · 07-02-2006, 02:55 PM

HINT: I have yet to see a video forum.

**Hoang** · 07-02-2006, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masters

HINT: I have yet to see a video forum.

How would that work? Care to elaborate?

**Fredto** · 07-02-2006, 03:07 PM

I'm curious too, I don't know what you mean, Masters.

**imported_khalid** · 07-02-2006, 04:12 PM

I do have a different idea that is completely original, however I am not sure if there is enough market for it, what is the best way to check?

I am looking to monetize the forum at a later date, and with this market, although I may get enough forum members, I do not know about private ads.

What could I do to research it apart from type the keyword term in google and see what comes up?

**Fredto** · 07-02-2006, 04:15 PM

Well, except for that method, you can ask some friends. That's probably the only way to see if there's something relevant to what you're looking for.

**imported_khalid** · 07-02-2006, 04:57 PM

i think i am just scared of failing as i'd be ploughing in a lot of money into the forum.

the topic is brazilian ju jitsu and i have a really good domain name (.com)

what do you think?

**Lpspider** · 07-02-2006, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masters

HINT: I have yet to see a video forum.

Hmm... interesting. Could you elaborate?

**Fredto** · 07-02-2006, 05:08 PM

Well, if you don't invest time, money and efforts, you'll never know.

I know it's easy to say that, I also have doubts about what I will do if I pump money into that and it dosen't work but I also know that I have to try.

I don't know about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (I've done a bit of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu in my time) but it may be a good niche. Sites I've researched about martial arts in general tends to be most those of some unknown dojo who just want a website or some general information site on martial arts.

I know of only one martial arts community and it's in French.

**imported_khalid** · 07-02-2006, 05:16 PM

So in your opinion, knowing there is only one site in french, would you go for it personally?

p.s. Movie Forum - www.movieforums.org - Tyler Cruz beat you all to it lol.

**Masters** · 07-02-2006, 05:16 PM

As you all probably know Videos are being used quite frequently nowadays and its about to change the way we do email as well. Since there's no forum that I or you all know of then guess what, why not be the first to start one. How? Well if they could think of using email as our way of communicating like they have created the social network buzz then I'm sure someone will come up with the idea of using videos as part of their forum.

I use videos as a way to get people to stay there for a minute or two while my ads lingers around it at ClickVideo

**Fredto** · 07-02-2006, 05:21 PM

Well, I know of only one in French, I'm sure there's martial arts community in English, Croatian, Spanish and any other language I can think of. The point is: What can you do differently? Do you have something more to offer?

If you can answer positively to that kind of question, you should consider it seriously.

I know that my idea for my new community is not really original, there must be at least some others like me, but I know I can give something more to the people, that's why I'm gonna invest in that (and I already did buy the domain name).

I'm not rich and I make very little money from the internet, but what I have I built it because I thought it would add something to all the useful / useless stuff out there