A membership site is simply a website or part of a website that you can only access if you are a member. You can also build your site and make money online. You can do this by packaging your expert collection of premium content, online courses, or webinars that offer great value to individuals or businesses. You will then give them access once they pay.
Before showing you the simplest way to build your membership site. Here is what a membership site is about.
What Is A Membership Site?
A membership site lets your audience pay an annual or monthly fee in exchange for access to exclusive content, benefits, and services that you offer. You can also use it to give a right of entry to a community that you are part of.
You can also use a membership site to engage members and for administrative tasks. This way, you will save time and improve your effectiveness as an administrator.
See below five easy steps you can use to build your membership site without any technical knowledge.
1. Model Planning
This is a critical prep stage that will save you a lot of time as you build your membership website.
Membership Model
Note down how to join and why people should join. Also, include what they get as a benefit. In straightforward terms, express what your paid members will have access to. Then ensure you deliver that value to them.
You need to establish categories of membership. The classes can be free, premium, and business levels. Then lay out the pricing and the value for each.
Events Coming Up
Here you can enter the activities and events that you plan to have. This will enable visitors to your site to book events in advance.
2. Contact Database Cleaning
Before connecting your website and your database, you need to ensure every detail is correct. Remove double entries, match each person with their payment and dates correctly.
When you have connected your database and membership site, the site will do automated updates.
3. Choose A Software Platform
This is the game-changer for you—an easy-to-use and robust membership management software. Good software will offer you easy-to-use tools that do not require expert input so that you won’t have to do any coding to set your site.
You may want to have some basic knowledge before you choose software. An ultimate guide to membership site platforms can help you. In a nutshell, the key features of membership management software are:
- Easy to use website builder
- Online calendar of events
- Online registration forms
- Online payments; one-off and recurring payments
- Easy to search member database
- Newsletters and emails well designed
- Ability to Publish reports, news, and resource pages
- Capability to track finances
4. Add 8 Essential Pages To The Site
Potential members or your website visitors only require:
- To know whether your vision, mission, and values align with their personal needs and values
- The value they can’t get anywhere else
- To be part of a like-minded community that’s active and beneficial
- A simple way to join and pay for what you offer
Use the eight pages below as an easy-to-find way to show your visitors that you offer the above.
Homepage
This is the face of your website. It is what a visitor sees first. Make it appealing. You can have your company’s call to action, a featured event, or amazing pictures of what you are about.
About us
This is where you write the purpose, mission, and values of your company. You can also include your profile here and the profiles of the top leaders you are working with.
Join us
Include here everything a new member will require before they can join the membership.
Donate
This is the page you invite potential donors or partners. All the information they need to know you provide herein.
Events
Use this page to post your calendar. It should have the dates and times of upcoming events.
Resources
This is the part where you host your publications.
Members-only
This page will create the appetite for one to join to have access to the exclusive resources herein.
Contact us
Here you enter the company’s basic information. You can also include a sign-up invitation in your newsletter. Ensure you have the benefits they will get from the newsletter.
Upload The Contact Database
When you upload your contact list to the membership website, you make it easier to automate other processes. You will then be able to send automated emails and newsletters to your members.
After registering through your site, a new member’s details will update instantly. You will also save yourself a lot of administrative work. This is because a membership site allows you to automate due payments and reminders.
We hope you find this guide helpful as you design your membership site.
