When you have a website it is important that you keep it current and updated.
If you can make your website into a community then you may find that you can build your income, rank better in the search engines and provide a better service.
Running a forum is an excellent way of creating a community.
It can be a place for people to discuss issues, share knowledge and, perhaps more importantly, to talk about you, your products and your services.
Now this is all well and good and will drive traffic to your site and create a buzz, but how can you earn an income from this forum.
Firstly you can create special member areas.
These areas require people to pay for access and reveal special secrets or allow more personal / deeper discussions.
Exactly how you will do this will depend on your target market, but remember, it needs to be something worth the money they are paying to enter.
Secondly you can put some adverts on your forum - make sure they are discreet and do not interfere too much in the use of the forum and people will respond to the ads.
You can use something like Google AdSense in this case to display the ads.
Thirdly - recommended products.
As the forum owner, you are a trusted expert in your field, so you can recommend products and services (as an affiliate) to your visitors.
Obviously you need to make sure that these are suitable and of good enough quality to maintain your reputation as an expert.
Fourth, you can email the forum members with special offers, discounts and deals that are only available to them.
Select suitable products that are of high quality and send the offer out.
Again, obviously do not bombard them with emails every day otherwise they will leave your forum in droves.
If you are sensible and send occasion carefully chosen offers you will get a response.
And fifth, you can sell advertising space.
There are always people who are willing to buy advertising space.
If you have a vibrant and lively forum then you may find that you can sell advertising space through private ads or through the bigger advertising companies.
These are just five of the quickest and easiest ways to turn your forum into a source of income.
Carefully applied with due thought you will find your visitors responsive and your income increasing.