How to run a fansite successfully???

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not going to share successful experience in running a fansite in this entry (‘cos I have none), just wondering how to do so, and somehow jealous of many many big and famous fansites in this fandom world. What’s their key to success?

Started in the fansite “business” almost a year ago from zero, from free hosted forum to rent hosted one, I’ve come such a long way, from a dummy of html codes to become a so – called “tech admin” (but not a successful one). A long way of difficulties, a long way to love… Now looking back to what I’ve been through, I myself even cannot believe how far I’ve gone. From a small thread (yes, only a small thread in dienanh.net, the biggest movie fansite in Vietnam), it has become hangengvn.net, a forum dedicated to the one and only Han Geng. Just a small forum, very small, but it’s still a forum.

After almost a year struggling in this “business”, I learnt a lesson: the success of a forum depends on its staffs. Staffs here are those bear responsibilities to develop the forum, in other words, those spend much time and efforts to make the forum work. But somehow staffs don’t know what to do, how to do, even when they do love and do want to contribute to their “home” * I love to call my forum “home”, sound so intimate* That’s why we need some high level staffs called administrators (aka admins) and super moderators (aka smods). They point out the directions of development, inspire (and urge when needed) staffs to work well, and bear biggest responsibilities to their home, and to their members. Yes, I know, it’s not a simple job at all. But when we have love, nothing can stop us, right?

Everyone, and everything, has his ups and downs. We had our heyday *sigh*. After going through some virus attacks, we have to rebuild the forum all over again. Then members come and go, and now even some staffs start losing their inspiration. Who’s to blame?  Virus, I guess T.T

But, once again, I do believe that everyone, and everything, has his ups and downs. We’re down now, that means we’ll be up soon. That’s because we do all love Han Geng and do want to make this forum a true home for all Gengfans in Vietnam.

Back to the question stated in the beginning, what’s the key to a successful forum??

Still finding the answer…