Things to Consider Before You Start a Ning or Spruz site

    Just about everyone who has ever joined a social networking site such as this one will at some point stop for a second one day and think "Hey!  I think I could do this!"  Well i am here to tell you based on my experience it's not quite as easy as it looks.  Sure you can open one...anyone can do that.  But there are some major obstacles you will have to overcome before your site can thrive and survive....

     First, you have to find your niche.  What do you want your website to be about.  More importantly, who do you want to attract to your site?  What is your main goal?   Do you want it to be about content or social interaction?  

     Next, you need to find a web host.  I use Spruz.com for mine.  It's relatively inexpensive, has almost zero down time, and the page templates are easy to manage.  Ning.com is also a nice choice and probably the most popular of all hosting sites.  There are drawbacks to each, so it is important for you to look carefully at the features of each before making a commitment.  You can use your own domain on many of the hosting sites and eliminate the branding as well.  It's not necessary, but it gives your members the feel of being on an exclusive site rather than just some cookie cutter page.

      Amazingly, there is one thing people sometimes forget when they open a site....Who is going to join?  You need some online buddies to follow you and help you get things kicked off.  Who wants to join an empty site with no content on it?  Get your online buddies to add some videos or blogs if nothing else just for filler material.  Use Facebook and Twitter to spread the word.  Make sure your site is added to search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.  

      Finally, don't try to do everything on your own.  Don't be too proud to ask friends for help.  Make a couple of your buddies moderators or admins.  Jazz up your site with a unique logo and design.  If you do not know how to do this ask friends.  You would be surprised how many people will chip in and help.