Problem is you also have to compete against other products. So you either follow a similar route or produce something that the competitors do not have.
Sadly a simple forum software is probably not going to cut it in today's marketplace with free products available.
Surely at the end of a day a forum is just one part of a community, and we all need to attract and keep users who are looking for a bit more than just a forum. Even forum admins have competitors and if we also do not stay ahead of the game we too will lose business.
