I am creating a website and have a few questions.

Login System

What are the advantages of having a login system? My site allows people to leave information and post reviews etc. If I have a login system will people just not bother registering, and therefore I will lose people who otherwise might have been willing to submit information?

Is there any commercial value to the site in terms of how many people are registered/subscribed using a login system?

Message Boards

Are message boards a good way of getting people to come back to your site or should I look to add these at a later point when the site has more visitors. I assume if I have message boards I would need the login system anyway.

Any advice welcome.

code1999: the answers to both your questions are the same.

"Try them."

Each site is different and has a different audience. Your audience may react positively. They may not.

I've also never heard of a Login System before. However, I have made people register for things and, as long as your form is easy enough to operate, it isn't a problem. Just keep in mind two things:

1) Have as few fields as absolutely necessary. If there's no benefit in you knowing about something, don't ask for it.

2) Have as few required fields as absolutely necessary.

Login System is where your visitor register to your site do do something. It's not good for you to have it if your site still new because you may lose many potential visitors. People nowadays don't want to just give you their info especially their email because they are afraid of being spam or anything like that.

Message Boards only good if you have a discussion type website where people share the same interests or subjects.

Its always good to include logins systems. For later use

Yes, just include it for later use. For starting limit the use to the minimum so that visitors can do many tasks on your site without login. Only use it when you want them to go to member area, special download, ect where you need that part of your site to have more security kind of access.