The site lures more than 1 million unique visitors per month who each spend close to ten minutes reading or posting complaints. Once one problem has been resolved, people will complain about something else. It wasn't so long ago that Web communities were associated with teenagers chatting online about the cutest Backstreet Boy. Now there are hundreds. Meaning, you can have a viable community without commerce, or can incorporate any of the three C's through partners and associations.
Members receive information needed to buy or sell a product.
In commerce sites with communities, studies show that many people come to the communities specifically for help in making a purchase. Community members tend to spread the word about products and companies they love. By joining, visiting, or participating in an online community, members signal their interest, making it easier for vendors to send relevant offers their way. Studies show that people are seven times more likely to respond to advertisements in e-mail newsletters that they have volunteered to receive. Four out of five visitors never revisit the average Web site.