WordPress Forums Plugins To Build Community
TheSpotter on October 9th, 2008 ![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.howtospoter.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this-small.png)
Tweet ThisGrowing your blog beyond publishing can be done quite easily by using WordPress Forums Plugins. Community growth greatly depends on ongoing communication and forums integrated into your WordPress blog through plugin or as an add on should be an option to consider.
Good news is - you have several choices, as with anything related to WordPress plugins but you have to make evaluation and decide which forum model fits better for you. And I simply want to assist you in this post to make that decision or at least explain your options..
While one of the simplest ways to do it is by adding a third party Forums script, such as phpBB, SMF or any other and than merging it somehow with your WordPress blog is an option - I’m not here to discuss it. It requires work with scripts unrelated to WordPress and comes with its own unique set of challenges.
I want to talk about plugins that integrate seamlessly into your WordPress blog and provide the bulletin board or forums integrated into your blog and as such simplifying your administrative functions.
bbPress - WordPress Forums Plugin
This is one of the more known and developed plugins that provide bulletin board for WordPress and as name implies it was developed to be directly integrated into your blog. This plugin is also one of the more extendable and supported and provides you with an excellent opportunity to grow your community without too much overhead.
Click image above to see more details and download the plugin. Here is the list of features of the plugin besides the integrations into your blog:
We can’t list everything that bbPress can do, but here’s a few of our our favorite features.
- Fast and light - We keep our code lean so that you get the best experience possible.
- Simple interface - One of our biggest goals is to keep things simple and make things intuitive. Our dream is that you forget you’re even using the software.
- Customizable templates - Not everybody likes the same pair of pants, so we allow you to dress up your forums however you like.
- Highly extensible - bbPress can’t toast your bagels, but a plugin for it sure could!
- Spam protection - A bundled Akismet plugin offers you an amazing weapon against spam.
- RSS Feeds - You want feeds? We get ‘em; they’re everywhere
bbPress should be most definitely on your list if you are looking for a well supported and extendable plugin that integrates into your WordPress blog.
WP-Forum Plugin
This is the one I have personally used before on this blog and it worked great! I have removed it due to lack of participation at the time but installation and configuration was extremely simple and it also provides your blog with a community bulletin board that looks much like phpBB while completely integrated into your blog.
As far as I know latest version works with no issues with current WordPress core and should be painless ot install.
Features
- Optional registration for posting and searching.
- Mark threads as solved
- Administrated through WP-admin.
- Uses WordPress database for registration and users.
- Spam words filter option. (Optional). The spam filter option gets the spam words from WordPress’s own spam filter and words can be added in the WordPress admin -> option -> discussion.
- PHP 4 compatibility.
- Moderator can be set individually for every forum.
- Supports BBCode. (Optional)
If you are looking for a more traditional forums look and feel - WP-Forums is a great choice. One thing to consider when using it - create a Page Template that has no sidebar. In most cases it will be quite simple if you know how to do small changes to your existing template and css file but if not - it will work great with your existing theme.
Two WordPress Forums plugins are my personal choices and something I can recommend you consider if community bulletin board is part of your blog growth plan.
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Mieke Janssens (6 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Hi Alex
Thanks for the tips.
I have been looking for a good forum plugin for some time now, ‘cos I want to set up a forum at http://newjvgiveaways.com.
At this time, it is set up using ‘Simple: Press forum’. Of all the plugins I tried out, this was the easiest to set up.
I don’t know how I did it, but during my searched I apparently missed the WP-Forum Plugin you mention. I’ll definitely give it a try before I launch the forum
Greetz!
Mieke
Mieke Janssenss last blog post..This Is NOT A Giveaway Event (but comes with all the benefits)
TheSpotter (88 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Thanks Mieke,
And that plugin worked quite nicely for me about a year ago - highly recommend using No Sidebar page template.
Mike Paetzold (1 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Good thing to know for forums but like you found out most people will not get enough activity to make the forum worthwhile.
It is mich harder I have found to get consistent actib=vity in a forum and have tried more than once and seen others not have any success either.
Just because you can is not always a reason to do soemthing.
Just MHO.
Mike Paetzolds last blog post..New bonus for Evergreen Traffic
TheSpotter (88 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Agreed, but I also think it depends on your own readership. Niche blogs with growing readership can do quite well using Forums in my opinion but yes, each one of us need to evaluate the value of the option.
Simon (1 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Thanks for a great post, I had been looking for a Wordpress forum for sometime to implement on my SEO training website http://www.howmakemoney.co.uk
Not only will I be installing this forum, but I will be writing a post recommending my readers do the same thing and referencing your great article!
Simons last blog post..The 10 worst SEO techniques
Philip Denman (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Early days for me to be thinking about a forum for my blog. However, I have bookmarked the 2 plug-ins you have mentioned as it will save me time when I do need to consider it. Thanks for the post Alex.
Philip Denmans last blog post..3 Easy Steps To Becoming A Wordpress Expert
Vince (2 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
This is a good post. However, my only question is that, will the speed of load up of your site will be affected if you activate this plugin??? I have read one of your post that says, plugins can definitely slows down the load up of your site. Currently, I am now using 12 plugins… And I am really thinking about this because there are really great plugins, but then again, it has its negative side in using too many.
Thanks!!!
Max@Viliat-Blog (24 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
I have been thinking about adding forum, but quite frankly don’t have time. Do you suggest to hire moderator or admin for forum? I am amazed how you can run great blog, and meantime have a time to support very good forum for Web 2.0 product.
Max@Viliat-Blogs last blog post..Not Tracking CPA Network Offers Can Hurt Your Profits
DeDe Neill (1 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Thanks for all the great post.
I am a newbie to blogging, http://www.goinbridal.com.au/blog and am slooowly finding my way around.
I have also made note of the 2 plugins you have mentioned. Hoping that one day I will have the readership that will benefit from a forum.
Cheers
DeDe
Ye James (3 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
hi, great forum plugin for wordpress, with some cms style theme and this kinda of forum plugin, wordpress might be really do some cms work. I’m considering try this plugin later
Ye Jamess last blog post..Discover Unlimited Creativity - Creativity Hypnosis Mp3 Download
TheSpotter (88 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
@Vince - I currently have about 40 plugins on this blog - did it load fast for you? There are many ways to optimize your blog and giving up on plugins that offer functionality you need is not one of them.
@Max - this would be a decision up to you. If you decide to go with forum, try moderating it yourself for a while. As my friend Mike Paetzold mentioned above - you might discover that participation will not be great enough for moderator.
Alex
vince (2 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Alex - Really??? Wow, that’s great.. you have 40 plugins… Well, I tried this site, the hyperwenable.com and applied for their free blog, with free domain. I used 14 plugins during that time. But everytime I check my site, it is really slow. Then I tried asking hyperwanable. They told me that I have too many plugins that is why. Plus I have read your post concerning the “loading of website”.
Just a request, can you make a post (or if you already did, please give me a link), on how to make our blog load faster (a more detailed instructions please) like yours having so many plugins.
BTW, I really like your ebook. I did followed some of it, yet I am still starting. Thanks for such a book.. How I wish that you will issue another ebook, all about optimizing wordpress (for FREE hopefully).
I am really enjoying your blog… I bookmarked this.
Vince
TheSpotter (88 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Vince,
My posts on optimizing the site for load speed are already available. Nothing has changed, really. I do tweak now and than and use same methods I have described.
One thing of note: don’t expect super fast performance on shared or even worse - free, hosting. Free is just that - crap in disguise and I will not recommend anyone using it, shared hosting you have a bit more room to play but once you start getting traffic - you will hit limits. this blog is actually right now on VPS and while not dedicated to the blog (my VPS server runs several of my sites) - it gets more dedicated resources than you would get with shared hosting.
Alex
vince (2 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Alex - What you said is definitely true.. This is why I took my chances of getting a paid hosting. It provides all I need and I also enjoy a little freedom in editing ads etc.
What do you mean by tweaking? Sorry, Im a little novice in blogging. I’ve been hearing about it but never understand what it means. I’ve read it in Ken Evoy’s book “Affiliate Masters Course”. How do you do it?
Thanks again…
vinces last blog post..Benefits of Being A Blessing
Louise (5 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
I also have used Simple:Press, as one of the other commenters noted. It was a pretty easy setup.
Dennis Edell (75 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Ironic, i just finished reading post on how to integrste a PHPBB forum with a WP blog.
Dennis Edells last blog post..Do Advertisers Judge You By Design? What Do You Think…
Andrew Green (1 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Its fine ..but i have one more question can we integrate the PHPLD into word press?
Can u provide me tips please
TheSpotter (88 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Andrew - this post has nothing to do with phpLD and it is a totally separate script. If you want integration - you will have to hire programmer as it is not something that can be simply merged. I think your better options is visual integration of the script, meaning creating a template that provides a look consistent with your blog - but once again, expect to acquire costs.
Since I don’t personally use the script - I have no intentions on covering its usage or integration at this point.
Sam Bauers (1 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
bbPress is actually a stand-alone forum software, not a plugin. It uses database and cookie sharing techniques to integrate with WordPress.
TheSpotter (88 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Thanks Sam,
I haven’t used that one and your tip is greatly appreciated!
Dennis Edell (75 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
What’s phpLD?
Dennis Edells last blog post..Do Advertisers Judge You By Design? What Do You Think…
Roger (1 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
I have also been using this BBpress, but I dont think its the best forum software out there. Im also running Wordpress with Vb on another site that integrates pretty well
ThatsBlog (6 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
Thanks for your submission to the Twenty-Third edition of the Blog Carnival: Blogging. Your post has been accepted and its live: http://thatsblog.com/?p=140
-ThatsBlog.com
Kevin W. (1 comments.) (Who Am I?)
1 month ago
good article, very useful.
Missy (3 comments.) (Who Am I?)
4 weeks ago
I have been thinking of adding a forum to my veg blog or to my net biz blog, something small to create more community, good to know about these two choices. Although BBPress is newer, i like the 2nd option better.
Would love it if there was a plugin similar to WP-Forum, that creates a design that looks like V-bulletin, instead of Phpbb. This is my all time fave forum interface.
Will bookmark this page for follow up. Thx!
Missys last blog post..Joe The Plumber: Logo For The iPhone
Nick (2 comments.) (Who Am I?)
5 days ago
Tried using a forum plugin on a recycling site of mine a while back but had difficulty with the layout. Like you mentioned I needed to change the page template to remove the sidebar but was relatively new to wordpress at the time so got frustrated and gave up. Would definately consider trying again as a forum can be a great benefit for the right type of site.
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