Reddit is a hugely successful social media platform as it enjoys millions of monthly users. As a result of this fame, several other internet users are desirous of replicating a forum website like Reddit. If you are one of such people, this article will walk you through the essential steps to creating a Reddit-like website.
Creating a Reddit-like website
Here are some of the steps involved in creating a website like Reddit:
Selecting a suitable CMS
The first thing you want to do when creating a website like Reddit is to select the content management system (CMS) upon which you want to develop your forum. A CMS behaves like your website’s foundation. As a result, the CMS type you end up using will determine how you develop your forum website. The most common CMS is WordPress; however, newbies may benefit from using CMS like Wix. Likewise, CMSs like Vanilla is also suitable if you intend to develop a considerable community forum website. The next step will continue with WordPress due to its popularity.
Acquire domain name and web hosting
You will require web hosting and a domain name to enable your WordPress website to go live on the internet. DreamHost and Bluehost are two of the most suitable WordPress web hosting providers. Using them will offer you reliable hosting and for cheap too as it costs only $2.95/month. Both DreamHost and BlueHost offer plans with a free SSL certificate and domain, free and unlimited domain email addresses, and pre-installed WordPress, which it manages for you. However, free SSL comes with certain limitations and does not provide the full features that a paid SSL can offer you. A paid SSL cert can be a Domain Validation certificate, Organization validation certificate, or EV SSL certificate. You can choose any type of validation type and SSL certificate for the website’s security.
Choosing a plan which offers free domains with either DreamHost or BlueHost will require looking for an accessible name for your website when you get to the checkout. After creating your account, you can then install WordPress from it. This will connect your domain and web hosting plan to WordPress.
Choose a forum theme
Generally, WordPress offers predesigned website template themes that have been developed with content blocks. This makes it easy for you to customize images, text, and other characteristics to create a forum. You can also navigate through Appearance > Themes > Add New, for free themes. When you arrive at “Add New,” type “forums” in the search box.
You should note that you will require less customization if your theme closely matches your preferred design. As a result, if you do not find a suitable free and available theme, you may look to ThemeForest for a paid theme. Odds are, it becomes an excellent investment that will give you a great-looking site and save you time.
Install a plugin
You will require installing a forum plugin as WordPress does not have an in-built forum feature. You can select a forum plugin from the several available ones, You may want to try bbPress as it is an open-source and free plugin that enjoys regular updates and comes with several features. If you want to install it, navigate to the dashboard on your WordPress and look for the “Plugins” menu. Look for the bbPress plugin, and install it. After installing it, three new choices – “Topics,” “Forums,” and “Replies,” will appear in the left vertical menu.
After installing bbPress, update the settings for your forum plugin to something more suitable. For example, the plugin allows you to customize privacy, visibility, and user login settings. To update them, select “Forums” from the vertical menu, then click on “Settings” in the menu beneath it. This will enable you to determine the interaction methods between your users and the forum content.
Develop forum page
Right after you have updated your forum’s settings, you are to develop a page that will contain the forum. You can create it by clicking the “Forums” option. You will find it in the menu on the left, after which you click on “New Forum.” The next step is to enter the name for your forum, after which you select “Publish.” This will save your forum. After that, add it to a webpage by selecting “Pages” and clicking “Add New.” Enter the title of your page, then include “[bbp-forum-index]” in the primary content box. After this, select “Publish” to save it.
Publish your forum
After setting up all that is necessary and you are ready for your forum to become live, select “Launch your site” on the “Bluehost” tab. You will find the tab atop the vertical menu on the left. You may also confirm your site’s web accessibility by entering the name of your domain in your address bar.
After creating your Reddit-like forum, the next step is to promote and publicize it to generate traffic and attract active users. After generating enough traffic, you must continually moderate your forum to increase user experience and ensure it is devoid of trolls and spammers.
Creating a Reddit account
The best way to enjoy Reddit is by creating an account and surfing its many contents. You can create an account with your google account or Apple ID or email. One key difference between both is that creating an account with your Google account or Apple ID will see Reddit give you a randomly assigned username which you can change within 30 days before it gets permanent. On the other hand, you get to select your username when you open the account with your email. The username you select will be your permanent username.
To create the account, go to Reddit.com and click “Sign up” at the top right corner. This will direct you to an interface where you select whether to use your Apple ID, Google account, or email address. Choosing your Google account or your Apple ID will require you to log into either account. This will automatically create an account for you.
On the other hand, you can enter your email address and you would enter a username and password of your choice. There will be suggested usernames that you can leverage instead of racking your brain for one. After entering your select username and password, simply click sign up to create your account.
You should note that Reddit has an age limit, and users below 13 years are not permitted to create an account on the platform.
After creating your account, you can use it for several functions, including as a marketing tool. If you want to use your account as a marketing tool, our social listening tool, Notifier, is a great tool to start with.