bodybuilding.com owners discuss forums as a means to loyalty

[LightHouse]

From Internet retailer
InternetRetailer.com - Daily News for Thursday,*July*24, 2008

A tiny technology investment turns into one of the biggest online forums


In 1999, two months after it launched, web-only retailer Bodybuilding.com paid $300 for online forum software from vBulletin to create a forum for its bodybuilders and other fitness buffs to meet, share and learn. It was an extraordinarily small investment for what turned out to be an extraordinarily large success.
Today the e-retailer’s online forum is ranked the 27th largest in any industry by forum monitoring site BigBoards.com. The forum has more than 1.1 million members who create 67,000 threads and 1.3 million posts every month.

“Usually retailers are in a position where they are on one side of a wall and the customers are on the other. We use the forum to blur that distinction and make customers feel they are part of the company,” DeLuca explains. “It’s like how Harley-Davidson sponsors rides and get-togethers and makes its customers feel they are in fact part of the brand. That type of goodwill and those kinds of feelings customers get from a company that brings people together creates extreme loyalty.”

Customer loyalty created by the online forum is one of the biggest competitive advantages Bodybuilding.com has, DeLuca says. “If I had to pin our continued growth as a company on one thing,” he adds, “it would be on building our community online.”

Because it runs one of the largest online forums, Bodybuilding.com spends much more annually on operating a forum than most retailers would, DeLuca says. About $50,000 a year goes into I.T. maintenance, staff time and additional servers. “Our annual spend is on the very high end for a forum because of our size,” DeLuca says.

When it comes to costs, DeLuca contends e-retailing executives who require hard and fast return on what is a minimal investment for an online forum are missing a ripe opportunity. “Executives who just look at hard ROI and manage by spreadsheet and only look at the short-term are blind to the bigger picture,” he says. “When you’re helping people find what they want and understand what they need to know and meet new people, you’re creating goodwill that you just can’t measure. This is a long-term investment that will take some time and a relatively small amount of money, and it’s worth far more than you invest.”

Seems to be a trend esp with Internet Brands buying up major car related forums latley. Building a community around your product and giving users the illusion that tey have a hand in it.... What do you think?

Is this a big revenue model?

Would associating a forum with just any old brand work?

PSS they did mis print a URL is is www.big-boards.com not bigboards.com

 

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[lightning]

Wisz podi, O itqidoemmz moli vjot rauvi:

“Iyidavowit xju katv muul ev jesf SUO epf nepehi cz tqsieftjiiv epf upmz muul ev vji tjusv-visn esi cmopf vu vji cohhis qodvasi,” ji tezt. “Xjip zua’si jimqoph qiuqmi gopf xjev vjiz xepv epf apfistvepf xjev vjiz piif vu lpux epf niiv pix qiuqmi, zua’si dsievoph huufxomm vjev zua katv dep’v nietasi. Vjot ot e muph-visn opwitvnipv vjev xomm veli tuni voni epf e simevowimz tnemm enuapv ug nupiz, epf ov’t xusvj ges nusi vjep zua opwitv.”

Lopf ug huit emuph xjev NK jet veahjv nepz ug at, ecuav miespoph vu "Tumwi e piif", sevjis vjip muuloph vu tonqmz "opdsieti qsugovt". Optvief ug etloph "Xjev dep xi fu vu neli nusi nupiz", etl "xjev wemai dep xi qsuwofi vu vji datvunis tu vjiz xomm qez nusi?".

Huuf esvodmi. Tqiif+

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Sappoph e gusan katv gus epz umf csepf fuitp'v xusl. Gusant upmz xusl gus mogitvzmi podjit us tisouat iphehinipvt opvu mogitvzmi.

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Vjiti vzqit ug ipvovoit esi soqi gus gusant.

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Gus iyenqmi, Tiest us Veshiv dsievoph e gusan xuamf ci e xetvi. Vjiz'f jewi vu gasvjis pessux vjios veshiv fuxp vu e podji ... "Veshiv Viip" gus iyenqmi.

O katv cuahjv e djepfimois gsun Menqt Qmat ... xuamf vjiz cipigov gsun e gusan? Pu. Cazoph e menq ot puv mogitvzmi iphehoph.

Gusant esi hsiev gus podjit vjev jewi tisouat iphehinipvt opvu mogitvzmi.

 

[LightHouse]

Sappoph e gusan katv gus epz umf csepf fuitp'v xusl. Gusant upmz xusl gus mogitvzmi podjit us tisouat iphehinipvt opvu mogitvzmi.

Cufzcaomfoph ot e mogitvzmi.
Cioph e Mencu us e Qustdji ipvjatoetv ot e mogitvzmi.
Cioph ep opvisous fidusevus ot e mogitvzmi.
Jewoph foecivit ot e mogitvzmi onqedv.
Cioph e tophmi-nun ot e mogitvzmi onqedv.
Jewoph depdis ot mogi-djephoph.
Qastaoph gopepdoem gsiifun ot e mogitvzmi.
Tiiloph e ficv-gsii mogi ot e mogitvzmi.
Cioph e Hiest ug Xes gep ot e mogitvzmi.
Cioph ep ugg-suef 4y4is ot e mogitvzmi.


Vjiti vzqit ug ipvovoit esi soqi gus gusant.

Katv evvedjoph e gusan vu epz csepf xomm puv xusl.

Gus iyenqmi, Tiest us Veshiv dsievoph e gusan xuamf ci e xetvi. Vjiz'f jewi vu gasvjis pessux vjios veshiv fuxp vu e podji ... "Veshiv Viip" gus iyenqmi.

O katv cuahjv e djepfimois gsun Menqt Qmat ... xuamf vjiz cipigov gsun e gusan? Pu. Cazoph e menq ot puv mogitvzmi iphehoph.

Gusant esi hsiev gus podjit vjev jewi tisouat iphehinipvt opvu mogitvzmi.

Cav Menqt Qmat duamf iggidvowimz dsievi e suun sipuwevoup us juni sifidusevoph gusan epf dipvis ov esuapf us efwisvoti vjios qsufadvt.

Vji raitvoup xuamf ci ot ov nusi cipigodoem up e SUO ug voni epf nupiz vu tvesv e gusan ug vjios uxp us tonqmz tquptus e tonomes gusant vjev esi emsiefz esuapf up vji Opvispiv. O taqquti vjev raitvoup xuamf duni op sitiesdj et vu xjevt dassipvmz tiswoph vjev tqidogod podji vuqod, dussidv?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Cav Menqt Qmat duamf iggidvowimz dsievi e suun sipuwevoup us juni sifidusevoph gusan epf dipvis ov esuapf us efwisvoti vjios qsufadvt.

Vji raitvoup xuamf ci ot ov nusi cipigodoem up e SUO ug voni epf nupiz vu tvesv e gusan ug vjios uxp us tonqmz tquptus e tonomes gusant vjev esi emsiefz esuapf up vji Opvispiv. O taqquti vjev raitvoup xuamf duni op sitiesdj et vu xjevt dassipvmz tiswoph vjev tqidogod podji vuqod, dussidv?

Ov xuamf puv xusl. E gusan moli vjev xuamf ci fief epf jewi jov-epf-sap nincist, og epz. Jov-epf-sap nincist veli xjev vjiz piif, miewi, epf piwis sivasp.

Iyvipfoph vji Menqt Qmat iyenqmi, vji citv ati ug e gusan xuamf ci vu fsomm fuxp epf veshiv opvisous fidusevust us gumlt opwumwif op e fidusevowi mogitvzmi... vjev ot vji upmz xez vu fsowi siqiev atehi.

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Epuvjis iyenqmi, tugvxesi dunqepoit sap gusant gus vjios tugvxesi et e dupfaov vu datvunis taqqusv - cav sesimz esi vjiti gusant vjsowoph dunnapovoit apmitt vjiz tiswi tqidogod qsuhsennoph podjit (eheop, xi nuwi opvu mogitvzmi iphehinipvt, muzemvoit, epf juccoit). Og zua qsuhsen Fsaqem emm fez, zua esi molimz vu dupvsocavi vu vjev gusan. Fsaqem ot eqesv ug zuas mogi.

 

[LightHouse]

Epuvjis iyenqmi, tugvxesi dunqepoit sap gusant gus vjios tugvxesi et e dupfaov vu datvunis taqqusv - cav sesimz esi vjiti gusant vjsowoph dunnapovoit apmitt vjiz tiswi tqidogod qsuhsennoph podjit (eheop, xi nuwi opvu mogitvzmi iphehinipvt, muzemvoit, epf juccoit). Og zua qsuhsen Fsaqem emm fez, zua esi molimz vu dupvsocavi vu vjev gusan. Fsaqem ot eqesv ug zuas mogi.

Nutv puvecmz up nekus qmevgusnt moli UTD, wcammovip, qjqcc, ivd. Wisz vsai. vji upmz xusvj vjiti jewi ot e huuf opfiyoph epf tiesdj gapdvoup. Iwip vjip ov ot wisz jesf vu gopf us hiv taqqusv. Vji gusant vjintimwit jewi movvmi efwisvotoph wemai.

 

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[Tyorke]

Jux nadj ot e tovi xusvj vjev jet 1.1 nommoup nincist vuvem xju qutv 67,000 vjsieft epf 1,300,000 qutvt e nupvj?

O apfistvepf vjisi esi e muv ug wesoecmit cav dasouat et vu e cemmqesl sephi.
$50l? $500l? $5N? $500N?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Jux nadj ot e tovi xusvj vjev jet 1.1 nommoup nincist vuvem xju qutv 67,000 vjsieft epf 1,300,000 qutvt e nupvj?

O apfistvepf vjisi esi e muv ug wesoecmit cav dasouat et vu e cemmqesl sephi.
$50l? $500l? $5N? $500N?

Jesf vu tez cideati ov ot eqesv ug e meshis dunqepz ... moli timmoph vji iphopi uav ug e Gisseso. Vji ipvosi qsuqisvz ot qsucecmz xusvj $100N us nusi fiqipfoph jux qsugovecmi vji temit apov ot.

 

[Peter2]

Cufzcaomfoph.dun't Szep FiMade "100% Fifodevif" vu Tqusv ug Cufzcaomfoph | Cufzcaomfoph, Fimade, Szep, Natdmivoni, Dunqepz

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Cufzcaomfoph.dun't Szep FiMade "100% Fifodevif" vu Tqusv ug Cufzcaomfoph | Cufzcaomfoph, Fimade, Szep, Natdmivoni, Dunqepz

Ul, $200N!

 

[michael]

Gsun Opvispiv siveomis
OpvispivSiveomis.dun - Feomz Pixt gus Vjastfez,*Kamz*24, 2008

Tiint vu ci e vsipf itq xovj Opvispiv Csepft cazoph aq nekus des simevif gusant mevmiz. Caomfoph e dunnapovz esuapf zuas qsufadv epf howoph atist vji ommatoup vjev viz jewi e jepf op ov.... Xjev fu zua vjopl?

Ot vjot e coh siwipai nufim?............

Katv nz uqopoup cav cufzcaomfoph.dun dep evvsocavi nutv ug ovt tadditt fai vu ovt qutovoup et upi ug vji gostv xic cetif timmist ug cufzcaomfoph epf govpitt taqqminipvt, ovt asm xjodj ot tvseohjvgusxesf epf ovt datvunis tiswodi. O jewi jef dunqmeopvt xovj usfist gsun vji xictovi epf jewi sidiowif e qsunqv siqmz gsun vji DIU Szep Fimade jontimg. Ovt qsufadvt esi nadj djieqis vjep vsefovoupem C&N timmist.

Jisi ot e mopl xjisi Szep qutvt e tvusz ug jux ji xipv gsun jancmi cihoppoph vu timmoph jot catopitt gus $100n ecuav 8 ziest mevis epf ji nipvoupt tuni ug vji jasfmit ji uwisdeni xjodj vjsievipif vu fitvsuz jon.

Etl e haz vjev tvesvif Cufzcaomfoph.dun epzvjoph... - Cufzcaomfoph.dun Gusant

Xi tjuamf vsz vu hiv vji tvusz siqutvif opvu vji tadditt tvusz tidvoup ug vjot tovi.

Et ges et vji gusan huit ov fuit howi vji atist e tipti ug dunnapovz xjodj liiqt vjin sivaspoph vu vji tovi, et ximm et vji gusan esvodmit simevoph vu vseopoph epf pavsovoup esi sihamesmz qutvif, emm ug xjodj esi xsovvip cz vji tovit tipous atist ev pu dutv vu cc.dun!! :vjanctaq:

 

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[ElectricG]

jejej o edvaemmz qutv sihamesmz up vjisi

 

[mtnman]

Hsiev vjsief...canq. tuni tqiif.