Having too much sections to start with

[Cedric]

In regards of: How to make an excellent forum layout.

Have you ever come across a new forum with an overwhelming number of sections? Sometimes it can feel like you need to be a detective to figure out where to post your topic. I wanted to start a discussion about why so many new forums have too many sections, and what we can do to prevent this from happening on our own forums.

One reason new forums might have too many sections is because the forum owner wants to cover all possible topics in their niche. While it's important to have a wide range of topics to attract members, having too many sections can actually be counterproductive. It can overwhelm visitors and make the forum appear cluttered and confusing.

Another reason is that the forum owner might be trying to emulate the structure of larger forums. However, it's important to remember that these larger forums have had years to refine their structures, and their members are already familiar with the layout. A new forum with too many sections can be off-putting to potential members.

So what can we do to prevent this from happening on our own forums?

• Start with a small number of sections and expand as needed. It's better to add new sections as your forum grows and new topics emerge, rather than overwhelming visitors with too many choices from the start.
• Use sub-sections to organize related topics. This can help keep the main section list shorter and make it easier for visitors to find what they're looking for.
• Use clear and concise section names. Avoid using vague or overly-specific names that could confuse visitors.
• Regularly review and consolidate sections. As your forum grows and changes, some sections may become redundant or underused. Regularly reviewing your section list can help you identify areas that can be combined or eliminated.

What do you think? Have you come across new forums with too many sections? How have you managed the section list on your own forum? Let's discuss!

 

[Tracy]

Two words.... Thread Prefixes.

 

[Aaron]

I've played around a bit with Media Planet. I've tried different layouts and different sub-forums.

 

[Arantor]

I often find the 'too many boards' is aspirational for the amount of people and content that the (often new) admin thinks they're going to have.

 

[Cory]

Yes, I have come across forums that have many sections, even freshly started forums. I do find it overwhelming to navigate boards that have so many sections, but I'm somewhat of a minimalist that likes to keep things minimal and tidy. It's a turn-off for me to have a large selection of sections to the board where it's hard to navigate the board and it looks disorganized. I mean, you can maybe have certain features like tabbed forums or a sitemap of the forum to help users navigate their way through it, but especially when first starting a board, I like to keep it as minimal as possible.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I know I've been guilty of having too many sections on a brand new forum in the past. You think you want to cover every aspect of your niche so you start making sub forums, but then the forum becomes cluttered and overwhelming which most likely will deter other members from joining. I think once a community becomes well established, you can start adding new sections if you'd wish. Just try not to go too overboard.

 

[Ken]

I keep it to a minimum of less than 15.

 

[Uncrowned]

It can definitely be a problem to have too many sections to start with. I'm sure there are reasons to do so, but normally it just makes forums look inactive and discourages conversation.

 

[Shortie]

Whenever I create a forum or even work on a forum for someone, I always do my best to ensure that there are minimal sections so that it is not overwhelming for those coming on as visitors and checking the place out. Having too many forums and empty forums as well can be a huge turnoff.

 

[Reverie]

I always tried to start out small, and expand as an area was getting filled with more than one topic. I think a forum should be able to breathe and move based on the population there. For example having "Technology, gaming, movies" all in one place might be a good start to see what people favor. Then eventually expand to "Movies and TV" and "Technology and gaming"

 

[Heatman]

I have never gone with working on this disposition that too much of anything is bad. So, if it comes to new forums, it's very important that you keep everything on the average otherwise you'll risk having all your efforts blow up in your face. Start with the basis and with time, if your members point out that a particular section needed to be added because they feel it's necessary to be represented, then you can add it.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Only choose an amount that you yourself can actively keep up with.

If you choose so many sections that you're having a hard time keeping them active, you've added more than you should have.

The issue here is simple: Someone logs onto your forum (a guest) and it happens to be one of the boards with no activity. They'll judge the rest of your forum and consider it dead even if other sections are booming with activity. It happens all the time. Especially now that more and more people don't ever use forums and don't know how to navigate them properly.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

It can definitely be a problem to have too many sections to start with. I'm sure there are reasons to do so, but normally it just makes forums look inactive and discourages conversation.

agreed but it's good i'd say to separate out sections later on when activity builds up. Honestly? Too much clutter can be discouraging personally.