Forum as an extension of my site vs its own domain

Xrnw

Hi all,

I run an ecommerce site. It is still small but growing.

Do you guys think it would be better for me to create the forum as a part of my site or a standalone entity

discountfurniture.com/forum
vs
furniturelovers.com

I don't run a furniture store but just writing an example. The integrated forum ties people closer to my business but also feels more corporate, whereas the standalone domain is more detached but can also be more lifestyle oriented (in name).

Shadowdare

I personally would use /forum because your users won't have to worry about separate domains and looks cleaner if you're planning to integrate user registrations. If you go with the separate domain, you can still integrate user registrations, but it usually makes more sense to have it under the same domain name.