Personal forum advice

I'm out of the forum business right now but all I can tell you is that the most important thing is first impressions. Have custom things, don't use other people's themes, be professional and have everything on point. Please do not advertise your website to the public before it looks good otherwise people won't click your thread for the 2nd time as they wouldn't know it's updated and also they'd gather you're unprofessional by how you first advertised it and won't give you a second chance.

That's just a very basic one. To market a forum properly, you need strategies and timing is very important. I won't share this because they work tremendously and I don't want everyone to know this. I might sell it though.