Customer Forum....right on your website?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Templeton on January 19, 2010 at 4:50pm

While Google Sidewiki gives all web users essentially unedited access to graffiti your website behind the scenes, I don't see it catching on for most mainstream users. Sidewiki just doesn't have the right support or framework around it to make it part of the average web-browsing experience.

However, when talking about a forum provided by your business that gives customers the chance to chat with you about your company, products, and staff - I still believe that is a great idea. That approach is what's leading a lot of companies to set up shop on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. They are going out there into the social web because that's where their customers are, and where they are talking.

If you were to provide this space (an area where customers could communicate with you) on your own website, that gives you more control over the content, but it may be harder to recruit customers to use it since they must go out of their normal path to access the discussions on your website.

From my perspective, the question of which companies could do this is not as important as which types of customers would participate. If you can provide the right tools and your audience is eager and willing to use them, then I'd say it is a safe bet.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Templeton on March 4, 2010 at 2:18pm

Any more development on this, Katie? I think it could be a great idea!

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Permalink Reply by Katie Ketelsen on March 8, 2010 at 6:19pm

Mike~ I got nothing. I'm going back and forth with the idea. If someone is savvy enough...would they just send an email? Would they just comment on the blog? Facebook? I suspect that for a "good" forum, the conversation might have to be coached...? Hate to see a blank chalkboard when it's to be used to learn.



very open to other suggestions
tks

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Permalink Reply by Mike Templeton on March 8, 2010 at 10:39pm

You could be right. If they are savvy enough, they may just ping you with an email. I think the real objective here is understanding what customers would be comfortable with, and how they might benefit from seeing that information exposed. For example, I love the idea of Q&A sites in place of traditional lists of FAQs, as the community and the users get to determine the content, not the company that is tired of answering questions.

Also, I think it would be important to understand how something like this fits in with everything else. If you have a blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook Page, etc., what would you be looking for in a customer forum? Is it just another feedback/commenting mechanism, or is there something else at work? Can customers learn from each other by reading what goes into that forum? Can you benefit from less time responding individually when the situation is covered by someone else in the forum? Or could it be a place for customers to showcase what THEY are doing with the products/plants/materials they purchase from Timber Pine?

I think there are a lot of possibilities. You just have to determine how everything fits together and when it all becomes too much (for you or the customer).

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Permalink Reply by Katie Ketelsen on March 9, 2010 at 8:01am

I would love love love for my customers to brag on the website..."free advertising". That might be a good idea...probably have to choose a few customers to help get the idea started. I just would hate to start something for it to then not continue. But it's like a testimonial, yet bragging rights for the customer. I'll have to think of how to ensure content flow.

thanks for the banter...this is good stuff

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Permalink Reply by Mike Sansone on March 15, 2010 at 10:23am

I would be hesitant to launch a "message board" directly on the site (like http://www.phpbb.com/) before knowing that you will probably need to seed the boards and, like most community building activities online, be patient while users begin to flock towards it. No one likes to be first on the dance floor, and you don't want your message board to look like a ghost town.

I'd suggest the Facebook Fan's page area (and again, be prepared to seed). Another alternative is to put an "ask the team" button, with a form driven email. Put a checkbox so the user can opt-in to have their question/your answer posted publicly on the blog (either anony or not)

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