With over 430 million monthly active users, Reddit is one of the most popular websites in the world. The platform is essentially a massive collection of forums where people can share content or have discussions around specific topics.
If you want to create a similar community-focused website, you may think you need design and coding skills. However, with the right tools, you can launch your own Reddit-like platform without needing to build it from scratch.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through how to make a website like Reddit in 7 simple steps:
1. Get Reliable Web Hosting
The first thing you‘ll need to do is get web hosting for your website. I recommend SiteGround – I‘ve used them for years across multiple websites and consistently have excellent uptime and speed. Their prices start at just $3.99 per month for basic shared hosting plans.
Some key things to look for in a good web host include:
- Fast load speeds – Important for good user experience
- Top security – Helps prevent attacks or hacking attempts
- Reliable uptime – You want near 100% uptime so your community always has access
- Knowledgeable support – 24/7 access to specialists for any issues
2. Register a Great Domain Name
Your domain name is the web address that identifies your website (e.g. reddit.com).
Ideally you‘ll want to register a .com domain that clearly communicates the purpose or niche of your community. You can often combine your main keyword + another related term.
For example "petchatters.com" or "sportsramblers.com"
Short and memorable names are best. Make sure to see if the .net/.org versions are also available to cover your bases.
3. Install WordPress
Now it‘s time to install WordPress and get your actual website set up. With WordPress powering over 43% of all sites, it‘s by far the easiest way to launch your platform. The content management system handles all the coding and development work for you.
I put together a helpful guide here walking through how to install WordPress with SiteGround or any other major web hosting service. It only takes about 5 minutes start to finish!
4. Select an Ideal Theme
Next you‘ll want to choose a theme that controls the design and front-end layout of your WordPress site.
For a Reddit-style community, you‘ll want a theme that has:
- A simple/minimalist interface
- Easy post/comment layouts
- Strong forum/community functionality
Some top themes I‘d look at include BBpress, P2, or Flarum. Each has excellent forum features built-in or available as plugin extensions.
There are both free and premium (paid) options to evaluate based on your budget and needs.
5. Install Key Plugins
In addition to choosing a base theme, I recommend installing a few key WordPress plugins that add important functionality:
Forum Software
Plugins like WPForo allow advanced forum options for different discussion groups and layouts.
Enhanced Security
Plugins like WordFence add extra firewalls, malware scans, and security protections. This is crucial for any community site.
SEO Tools
Plugins like Yoast SEO optimize your site for search engines helping people more easily discover your community.
6. Set Up and Manage Forums
Once your Reddit-like site is set up, now comes the fun part – managing the community!
Here are some tips:
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Define forum interests – Create groups around topics people will enjoy discussing like sports, pets, gaming etc. Think of your own niche interests too.
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Establish guidelines – Be clear up front about any rules – banning hate speech or illegal content for example. Model off Reddit‘s user agreement.
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Promote engagement – Jumpstart conversations by posing fun questions or current event discussions.
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Grow your community – Leverage social media and niche forums to promote your site and drive member sign-ups. Offer perks and rewards.
The most important thing is to maintain a positive culture where people want to hang out and come back on a regular basis. Be responsive to your members!
7. Monetize Your Platform
Once you have a solid membership base, you can look at implementing monetization strategies like:
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Advertising – Services like Ezoic provide automated ad placements customized for your niche. This is the easiest approach. Over 1 million monthly visitors can result in a 5-figure U.S. income.
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Premium memberships – Offer special perks or access in exchange for monthly/annual subscriptions. This gives recurring income.
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Affiliate marketing – Promote relevant products/services and earn commissions on referrals. Commission percentages vary widely by vertical.
Take time to test different options and closely track which perform best with your audience before committing long term.
Creating a custom community platform from scratch used to be extremely complicated requiring advanced coding skills and lots of development dollars.
Luckily with the steps outlined in this post, you can tap into the power of WordPress and modern tools to easily build your own website like Reddit without any technical expertise.
The most vital part is driving member sign-ups and engagement over the long haul. But that‘s also one of the most rewarding parts as you foster online relationships and conversations around topics you and your members are passionate about.
I hope this guide gives you a blueprint to feel confident in launching your own thriving community! Let me know if you have any other questions.
