If you’ve purchased a WordPress theme from a premium theme developer such as StudioPress, iThemes, Woo Themes, or ElegantThemes (to name a few of many), then you know that they serve their customers and generate sales using forum software.
StudioPress, for example, uses vBulletin which is considered one of the best forum software applications you can buy.
Before I purchased my first theme, I didn’t pay much attention to the hype about the fact the theme providers buy and use forum software providing “forum support”.
However, a couple of years later and having dozens of questions answered in support forums, I’m a convert about any business owner buying and setting up forum software for customer support and for generating sales.
The fact is, almost any business can buy forum software and use it to increase sales and improve customer support!
Setting up a forum can make your business stand out in your industry.
A. Tips and benefits of buying and setting up a forum for your customers and prospective customers
1. Forum support saves time
In time, you’ll establish a huge bank of threads that answer questions. Your customers can be asked to search the forum before contacting you. In many instances, a customer will have their question(s) answered without your involvement.
2. It’s Inexpensive to buy forum software
There are several forum software options available (see below for a list). However, if you want to use the forum software that many big forums use, then check out vBulletin.
3. Easy for you and your customers
Once you set up your forum, moderating and serving your customers is a breeze.
For your customers, navigating a forum is really easy to use. In my view, forum software is extremely intuitive.
4. Build a community
Your customers will get a chance to know each other. In time, a community will develop. Every business should be so lucky to develop a community among its customers. Communities foster loyalty, which results in repeat customers.
5. Buying forum software and using it can generate revenues
Depending on your business, a forum can earn money by selling ad space to related businesses (not your competitors of course) and/or it’s an opportunity for you to sell more of your products and services.
If your forum becomes a dominant player in your market, you could create private or member-only portals and charge a monthly subscription for access. This can be a nice source of recurring revenue. Don’t expect this to happen overnight.
6. Generate direct sales
A popular and dynamic forum can generate sales like crazy and exposure for your business. People will join to get informed and meet like-minded people. Before you know it, they also become your customer.
7. Terrific SEO
A dynamic forum generates unique content like nobody’s business. Every thread is a new page of unique content. There’s a reason many forums get high PageRank – and it’s all that content that’s created every day.
A forum that creates new content daily will rank well in the search engines in time – which only increases your business’ exposure.
8. Increase conversion rates
If any of your prospective customers are like me, they’ll view the presence of forum support as a real selling feature. A forum tells a prospective customer that this business has a big online precence, cares about customer service, and actively serves customers.
9. Fosters trust
When prospective customers become members and sees that your forum is active and that you moderate it, those prospective customers will start trusting your business. Trust results in sales.
10. Free testimonials
If you have a great product or service, it’s likely customers will will say so in your forum. What could be a better selling tool than that. On the flip side, problems and issues will also be posted. However, you can neutralize these by quickly responding and solving the problems.
11. Customer feedback
You’ll be able to improve your offerings simply by reading the feedback and comments generated on the forum.
12. Not much to lose
Because it doesn’t cost much to start a forum, there’s not much downside. If it doesn’t work, then simply shut it down.
13. Look like a huge corporation
A small business can appear as a huge business that runs smoothly when you buy and set up forum software for forum support. The fact you use this technology will impress prospective customers.
B. Forum cautions
1. Be sure to have a clear Terms and Conditions that new members must accept.
2. Some customers may not like the lack of privacy. They can join under a pseudonym, but their question may reveal more than they wish to. Respect this and also offer customer service via other channels such as a contact form and/or telephone.
3. You must moderate it. If you or knowledgeable staff don’t moderate it, then your forum isn’t very helpful. Be preapared to respond to questions quickly. I expect moderated forums to respond to my questions within 24 hours.
4. Don’t get greedy. If you put too many ads and sell too aggressively, you could alienate and anger your members and customers. Be very mindful of this. The primary purpose of your forum is to serve your customers and prospective customers.
5. Don’t buy forum software and start a forum prematurely.
If your product and/or service isn’t tried and true and that you have problems, you might want to wait until you work out the kinks. The last thing you want are people posting problems that you can’t readily solve. This will hurt sales. That said, your forum is where customers post questions and problems – as long as you can resolve most issues, you’re forum will be effective.
C. What types of businesses can benefit from using forum software for customer service?
Frankly any business can use a forum to serve customers. However, professionals such as lawyers and accountants must be very careful. Professionals must avoid establishing a client relationship with advice given.
That said, if you operate a gym, a yoga studio, sell products, offer software services, a salon, sell cars, are a realtor … the list goes on, a forum could be a very useful customer service AND selling tool.
D. What about Facebook and Twitter?
Some businesses are using Facebook and Twitter for customer service. I haven’t done this, but I suspect it could work.
However, the real advantage to forum software is the organized and searchable bank of questions and answers you generate over time. Facebook and Twitter won’t do this nearly as well as forum software.
E. What about comments in your blog?
Again, you can serve customers and prospective customers by responding to questions in your blog comments, but in my view simply don’t create the same environment and ease-of-use that forum software does.
F. What’s the best forum software?
I like forums that use vBulletin – but it costs money (well worth the cost in my view). However, some of the best free forum software options include:
IMPORTANT: choose the forum software you buy or use for free carefully. Migrating to different software is doable, but it takes time and may cost you money by having to pay for support and/or consultants.
Moreover, look closely at the features and be sure you get the the best forum software to serve your customers and prospective customers.
When I’m contemplating buying a product or service, the presence of forum support makes my buying decision easier. Make your prospective customers’ buying decision easier when you buy one of the best forum software applications set out above to generate sales and provoide top-notch support.
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