Web-based forums provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with both new and existing users. For those running WordPress and looking for quick and easy ways to build out their sites and improve the relationship they have with visitors, a plugin by the name of Simple:Press might just do the trick.

Simple:Press, which can be integrated into any existing WordPress site, uses the same user records and database and displays forum content on a single WP page. The plugin is  customizable, coming out of the box with a number of skins and icon sets to get bloggers started. There are many other noteworthy features of the plugin including a Private Messaging sub-system, the ability to link blog posts with forum topics, the capability to extend the forum display with custom code, a number of template tags for use outside of the forums, extensive online help that explains every option and full language support.

While Simple:Press is suitable for those who want to run private, invite-only specialized forums, it is capable of accommodating open, public forums that allow guest posting. Current users have shown it to be fully scalable, whether your site membership numbers in the tens or the thousands.