Not so long ago every organisation wanted its own website; these days even a self-respecting one-man business cannot do without an online community: a virtual place where like-minded people meet and share ideas and interests. The meeting market is a case in point. Blogs and other online applications give conference-goers endless opportunities to meet before the conference and stay in touch afterwards.

Visitor influences content

One great advantage of a community is that the visitor can influence the content. Some communities are even entirely user-run. Which makes sense - because the more influence the user has on a site, the more interesting it will be for him or her. And the big advantage for the owner is that he or she need not be constantly searching for interesting information as users can keep each other abreast of the latest news and developments.

Meet like minds, share views and help each other

But beware: over one third of the communities are short-lived. The most important reason is that communities become too inward-looking. They forget about the users and focus too much on the technicalities of their own organisation. As a result the members, understandably, stay away. Here are some tips for organisations with online communities: remember that members are mainly looking for a place to meet like minds, an opportunity to help each other and to share views on topical concerns and issues.