[Ed the Roofer]

I previously had a post regarding adding a forum or bulletin board for topic discussions added to your own web site, but I had this idea the other day.

If you want to have a site FULL of many many jobs from before and after and also some very detailed aspects of how you provide SOLUTIONS that do not get handled properly by most contractors, then a free forum board could be created.

In my case for roofing, I could have a section for Historic or Victorian Homes. A section for plain and simple ranch homes. A section for elaborate high profile estates or extremely distinguished shingle applications. A section on proper sheet metal flashing installations. including gutter apron flashings, gable edge ODE drip edge flashings, chimney base, step, and counter-flashings. And, another section for proper plywood deck sheathing over spaced board skip sheathing and also how terribly delaminated some old unventilated roof decks become. Also, daily job site cleanliness and nightly securement of roofing tarps.

This forum could also include the current job in progress with detailed step by step procedures and photos for the current customer to review and for the next potential customer to review as well.

I think this would allow you to profile many more details, without encumbering your web-site and directing them towards the photo and/or video forum specifically.

On this site, you could also have many learned articles about your trade and contractore selection criteria, which anyone could click on for further information.

Being the administrator of your own company profile forum, you would be able to edit out any BS someone else posts, or do not allow postings, or limit access to posters by requiring administrator pre-approval first.

Just a thought. Does this conflict with the main purpose of your actual web-site you may already have though? I don't know.

Ed

[Mike Finley]

Ed, what's the reason for separating your website into 2 websites? Doesn't see any benefits to that, all I see are the downsides.

[Nathan]

I'm not trying to sound like I have a big head here but honestly it is not easy to start a forum. It takes a lot of work and if it's not active its not worth much.

Forums are great for creating community but to have community you need a lot of people.
I think you an get your point across with static content pages.

Maybe I'm missing something.

[slickshift]

Forums can work well for interacting with others, but not so much as a static "display"
One either has to monitor it, or not allow people to post things (which defeats the purpose of a Forum as it becomes static)

Some companies have forums, and even suggest customers use them for customer service, bugs, complaints, suggestions, and socializing

But it's the interaction that's the key




I'm not sure you're not describing more of a Blog
People can make comments (which can be edited), and projects can be updated
It's a little interactive, but not relying on input from others
You can even set it so comments don't get posted until they are approved by you (or someone)
Interested persons can subscribe to an RRS feed of project blogs they are interested in and be notified when they are updated

Maybe look into Blogs and see if that fits what you are trying to do more

[GregS]

If you are looking at creating a bunch of informational pages suplimented with pictures, maybe use a Wiki format. Easy to create and edit pages, and users can also make changes and edits.

[Baron]

I know the post is old but the information is forever......

Here I have a link to my web site that has a helpful rendition of a Chimney flashing technique. http://www.ronhoehn.com/chimney-flas...llPosition=136

I do have a forum on my web site seldom used as of yet but I haven't spent much time directing customers to it.