The key to reaping benefits like cost savings and new business is to attract participation. Ace has been able to get 30 percent of its 300 dealers to log on at least once a week, and virtually all of them visit once a month. Check out our Web File. Here's what you need to know. Define your goals.
Online communities falter when they are poorly defined.
Decide what you want from your community before you put it together. Don't sabotage yourself by splitting your online community into too many different chat groups early on. If you don't have a critical mass of participants, your forums will quickly turn into virtual ghost towns. Don't put marketing in charge. While the marketing department may be great at promoting your site and products, your users need substantive dialogue, not marketing pitches.