What is bbPress?

Wordpress forum software is called bbPress. The reason I use bbPress with my forum is it is light, fast, simple and easy to use, as well as free.  At this juncture there is no way I would use any other forum software other than bbPress the official Wordpress forum software.

I know there is VBulletin, phpBB, and other platforms. but why not keep all the engines for your website the same, that is Wordpress.  Further, I know a lot of people like Simple:Press which I think is quite good also. However, again why not just go with an Automattic platform for your Wordpress forum.

Why have a Wordpress forum?

What is web 2.0?  It is an interactive, conversational web.  Where in web 1.0 people would make a website and read it and go away.  People in web 2.o participate in your website.  This is a very basic but radical concept. I also believe Google ranks website on observed user behavior on your website.

Therefore, why would you not have a bbPress Wordpress forum. Forums are very interactive and search engines like them because of fresh new content being posted daily.  Some forums have ten thousand posts a year.  Think, how long would it take for you to post ten thousand posts on your blog. Think how much it would cost you to pay someone to write ten thousand posts.

Of course forum posts are not as focused, nevertheless they have significant value.

Do not take the above comments in the wrong way.  Having a Wordpress forum is not about getting people to write for you, it is about creating a fun community on something that interests you.  I have a forum about and I love it.  It is fun to interact with people there.

Wordpress forum bbPress

My Wordpress forum wth bbPress

The hard part about a Wordpress forum

Everyone I know has an idea about some web 2.0 community.  Since Facebook and Twitter, everyone has an idea, even me. However, the hardest part about these types of sites is to get them going. People think just because you have a forum set up people will go rushing to it.

Setting up a forum or social networking site ( see Buddypress, that is Wordpress MU) is easy, getting people to come is the real trick.

How to get your bbPress forum to rock

The way you get traffic to your forum is invite everyone you know to your forum.  Post actively and reply to every post.  Once you have about one thousand relevant, interesting useful posts, search engines will start to give it some respect with time. Does this sound like hard work? Well each form post is easier than a blog post, you will see.  Further, few things in life come easy if you want it to be good.

Therefore, organic search will start to pick up. Organic search is the way you start it and direct traffic is the way you keep your Wordpress forum going.

Value of a bbPress as the Wordpress forum

  • Can be integrated with your WP blog
  • If you know Wordpress then to work bbPress is very easy.
  • bbPress is not bad with Search engine optimization right out of the box.
  • Many nice bbPress plugins
  • Many nice bbPress  themes
  • Active community.
  • Matt Mullenweg from Wordpress has said bbPress is here to stay.
  • It is simple and fast and tested.

If you have any questions about bbPress I can help.  Just drop a comment. However, I think if you are serious about your website,  every WP blog or site owner should use bbPress the Wordpress forum platform.

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