Need to create a support community where customers can get help and share knowledge? Combining Ultimate Member with ForumWP creates a powerful support platform. This combination gives you member management, forums, and community features all in one.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to build a support community that helps customers help each other. We’ll cover member profiles, forums, knowledge bases, and features that make support communities effective.
Why Combine Ultimate Member with ForumWP?
This combination offers:
- Member profiles for support staff and users
- Discussion forums
- Knowledge sharing
- Community support
- Expert identification
Adding membership to forums creates better organization and engagement.
Setting Up the Foundation
Install both plugins:
Install ForumWP
Set up ForumWP for forum functionality.
Install Ultimate Member
Set up Ultimate Member for membership features.
Creating User Roles
Set up roles for your support community:
- Support staff role
- Expert user role
- Regular member role
- Moderator role
Member Profiles
Create profiles that showcase expertise:
- Support topics expertise
- Helpful posts count
- Solutions provided
- Recognition badges
Forum Organization
Organize forums effectively:
- Product-specific forums
- Topic categories
- Solved issues section
- Expert Q&A area
Knowledge Base Integration
Connect forums with knowledge base:
- Link solutions to KB articles
- Show related topics
- Display expert answers
- Create comprehensive help
Community Features
Add features that encourage help:
- Expert recognition
- Helpful answer marking
- Reputation system
- Community rewards
Best Practices
Tips for successful support communities:
- Encourage peer support
- Recognize helpful members
- Organize content well
- Make it easy to find answers
- Foster community spirit
Next Steps
Now that your support community is set up, consider:
- Promoting to users
- Creating initial content
- Training support staff
- Building engagement
A well-built support community helps users help each other and reduces support burden. Take time to organize it well, and your community will become a valuable resource.