Foundation
Making deliberate technology decisions so your community can scale without friction and adapt as your needs evolve.
Key ideas for building a solid foundation
Platform evaluation and selection
There are many platform options available all with varying benefits, disadvantages, and ideal use cases. Take the time to think through your needs and long-term plans and ask for guidance where needed.
Hosting infrastructure setup
Know what type of hosting options you have, what you want, who will host it, how it is managed, and ensure it is optimized for your traffic patterns and growth trajectory.
Dataflow mapping
Understanding how each piece of your community works together is critical for any community, especially larger communities or those looking to scale across multiple touchpoints.
Roles and permission architecture
Segment your users for a better understanding of your community via analytics and align permissions based on user validation, trustworthiness, monetization strategies, or other criteria.
Choosing the right tools
There are likely a lot of add-ons, extensions, plugins, and themes to use but your community doesn't need every bell and whistle — it could actually hurt it. Pick the tools you need with care.
Integration assessment
Too many moving parts or barriers? Identify areas to streamline or software that's causing challenges and assess the pros and cons of each integration point.
Security and compliance planning
Establish security protocols, data handling policies, and compliance requirements from the start. A secure foundation builds trust and prevents costly issues down the road.
Backup and disaster recovery
Define your backup strategy, recovery procedures, and acceptable downtime thresholds. Your community's data is irreplaceable — plan accordingly.
Future-proof architecture
Make technology decisions that leave room for growth. The right choices now make future feature implementation, migrations, and scaling straightforward rather than painful.
Determining what's right for you
There isn't an all-in-one solution when it comes to building your community. Your ideal solution will utilize multiple tools to create an experience for your community that will continue to grow with you.
Utilize the best tools
Find the right combination of platforms and integrations for your specific community needs.
Scalable infrastructure
Establish hosting that meets your current needs and grows with you.
Future-proof decisions
Make technology choices that make future feature implementation straightforward.
