Sure, they weighed the pros and cons of building online communities, but the more important question was whether implementing such communities is lucrative. Vendors boasted that online communities have evolved as an interactive way for businesses to create a sense of intimacy with customers, drive up site visitation, build a company's brand, increase revenue and lower the cost of customer support. According to Glenn, such services affect noncommunity pages as much and in some case more than the community pages. Using the insights they gather from online communities, companies can form better marketing and sales plans and engage in more effective product planning, Glenn adds. As long as information is exchanged and a sense of trust is established, a community exists.
Online communities are Internet refuges where people feel welcomed and comfortable.