When you create an on-line community, big or small, you give your readers something to belong to. The internet is a very impersonal, and anything you can do to make your site more personal for your readers will make them want to stay.

What is community?
You can add community in many ways:
• Web Based Chat
• Web Based Forum
• Guestbooks
• Newsletters and Mailing Lists

Chat Rooms
Chat rooms allow your readers the chance to talk, in real-time, with other people with similar interests. Businesses use chat to help with technical support and sales support.
Forums
Forums are less immediate than chat rooms. Questions can be asked and answered by many people, giving a wider perspective. Businesses use forums for support and to build user group communities.
Guestbooks
Guestbooks allow your readers to post their comments about your site, or other topics. Businesses use guestbooks to solicit feedback about products.
Newsletters
Mailing lists and newsletters are an excellent way to create community and generate hits to your site. They give your readers information they might not have known about, and if you include links to your site, more site visits.

Next week….Creating Content