Question

Topic: Strategy

Messgeboard Marketing

Posted by Anonymous on 3/27/2006 at 3:20 PM ET 250 Points
Ok, help me to settle a strategy question:

I am of the belief that e-Commerce sites that ALSO employ a MessageBoard/Forum are at an advantage, because they can not only build a 'community'...but they have a 'captured audience' so to speak. How easy, at any time, to post a 'sticky note' about your latest sale, or use the boards to get feedback from people who ALREADY frequent your site!

My colleagues say that the MOST poopular e-Commerce sites do NOT currently use a Forum, nor do they use this method of marketing, and therefore I am off base since they are succeeding very well without it.

Of course, we all have our opinions...so I'd like to hear from those of you who either:

1) has data to form an educated opinion OR
2) had an opinion one way or the other, and then implemented it...and has results to share.

Bottom LIne of the question is: wouldn't using a MessageBoard on your e-Commerce site give you an advantage to increasing sales revenue?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 3/27/2006 at 4:31 PM Accepted
    I have seen sites with such a forum. Amazon uses Book Reviews to their advantange. Ebay uses the seller evaluation comments again as a value to their site.

    In the early days, many people had such a community as part of their site. Here are a couple of issues that have come up:
    1) How are negative comments handled? What about the "crackpot" customer who decides to use it as a tool to "poison the well"?
    2) If the comments are all positive, most people believe this is insincere self review.
    3) If the community has too much ad content people will quit reading it.
    What many reputable companies have done is establish an independant community run by others then provided a link to it from their own site.
    Hope this helps..
    Frank Hurtte
  • Posted by darcy.moen on 3/27/2006 at 7:54 PM Member
    I have been involved in more than a few communities that have forums along with their websites. One that comes to mind was a portal site around one of my favorite content management systems. In the portal area, arthur would write a review of the component, module or template of the day, kind of like a news cast or news site. His reviews were invaluable. He added a forum where others could discuss the news of the day. The forum was broken up along areas of interest. Traffic became immense, as well as the value to the community increased as discussions evolved. I think Arthur was earning a few bucks a month just off the google ads alone. Anyhow, his site became a focal point for independant news and discussion, and a vital part of the community to rally around, in addition to the central...'official' site of the CMS. When the project forked....well, more site sprang up.

    I say, do it. Every voice counts.

    Darcy Moen
    Customer Loyalty Network.
  • Posted by wnelson on 3/27/2006 at 9:43 PM Member
    Jeffe,

    What you say is the "new wave" thinking for blogs. Last summer, the American Marketing Association held a web caste to discuss the value of blogging to your marketing efforts and this is available to watch on demand free of charge at:

    https://www.marketingpower.com/webcast196.php

    The thoughts you bring up are right on target. However, like any marketing tool, you have to manage a blog for maximum effectiveness, not just let it go free-wheeling.

    I hope this helps.

    Wayde
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