We've always had our qualms about community sites. Back in 1997, the hype generated by GeoCities, Angelfire, Tripod and the like was deafening. Recently, Forrester Research shed some light on why that noise has suddenly died down. According to this research, communities are good for one thing only, and that's driving repeat traffic. Nineteen out of 20 content sites surveyed listed return visitors as their goal, making it by far the top reason to have a community.
Online marketers are hesitant to court communities.
Forrester Research Inc. For marketers that do go after communities online, Forrester has some common-sense advice. And go for the soft sell by ditching banners and using sponsorships instead. Marketing popular and fun products in a community space is always a safe bet. These users love tech toys such as Palm Pilots and entertaining items such as videos and CDs. While that's a small return, Tripod's intent is clear.