How to Create a Membership Website

The main purpose of a membership website is to connect people with a mutual purpose and gain from it. Of course, running your membership website isn’t exactly a walk in the park, it does take a lot of serious dedication and at times can feel very overwhelming, especially if you’re building your membership website for the first time.

Despite the fact that starting one may seem quite difficult, in this article you will find all the answers to the core questions on how to create a membership website step-by-step. If you have no idea what exactly you need to do, this article will give you tips and confidence to maximize your success in building the best membership website possible. In addition, the knowledge on how to do everything on yourself.

Let’s find out what it means exactly and gradually view all the below listed points.

What does the Phrase Membership Website Mean?

For comparison, imagine that a membership website is like a gym membership, where you pay a monthly fee to use the gym’s resources, a membership site is a place where you can upload content and require people to pay a membership fee in order to access it. Many membership sites offer articles, tutorials, webinars, checklists, apps or software, and more.

Generally, people join a membership site because it will simplify their life, speed up their learning curve or give them more detailed information on how to do something than the general content offered online.

Just think about it, you can provide premium information which can be useful to people, so it’s obvious that they’d want to pay for access and, as a result, you can make money from it! It’s definitely a win-win situation.

Below you will find several common membership models that include the majority of the membership websites that you can see, though you can create your own.

Various Kinds of Membership Websites

One great thing about membership sites is that there are many ways you can offer them. The main types of membership sites include:

1. All-In Membership 

You just transfer a flat fee upfront or a monthly pay and view all the content right away.

2. Online Course

Share knowledge with your members and keep your information safe. Courses are sold at a fixed price, but you can pay all right away.

3. Online Community/Group 

There is usually a common subject which brings people together. You pay a monthly fee for access to private forums or online groups and it is available as long as people pay for it.

4. Fixed Termer

This membership website allows you to see everything for a particular period. You pay a monthly fee for as long as the membership lasts, or upfront.

5. Service Model 

The delivery of a service gives you access to the content. There is also a closed territory for online tools like worksheets and information notes.

Top Perks of Creating Memberships Websites

As it’s been already mentioned, membership websites play an important part in connecting your business and your customers and have several benefits, either for you and your subscribers.

Here is a set of most general profits for both sides, you and your customers:

1. Steady Development. As a content creator you will leave your comfort zone as you need to offer and brand new content or improve the one you already have to keep your members in touch and give them the motivation to stay. 

2. Building a Community. Find people who have the like-minded preferences as you and create a solid bond with them. 

3. Regular Revenue. Develop a reliable source of revenue as members will pay a regular fee to have an opportunity to use your exclusive knowledge. 

4. Creating Without Restrictions. A freedom to be creative and generate fresh ideas without limits.

5. Providing Valuable Information. Getting useful information content like education, resources and etc., which can help them in achieving their purpose.  

6. Creating Your Credibility as a Professional. Being seen as an authority in your field not only increases your income on the membership site, but you can also create other income opportunities, such as in coaching or consulting or speaking.

Before we begin, you probably ask yourself if you have enough expertise to dive into that topic. 

Do I Have Enough Experience to Make a Membership Site?

If you have a specific topic that arouses your interest then it’s already a sign that you can create your membership site.  

Don’t be afraid that you are not an expert in a specific topic. This is not the point. When you create a membership site, you make a significant value whether you have experience or not. To be honest, anybody can create a membership website, regardless of their experience.

Most of the membership sites that you can find are built by people who pursued their interests and desires, though they’re not experts. The main aim is to unite people with the same interests and views and only then you make money through their membership sites.

So, if you’re worried about running your own membership website and the work that it can take, just know that it’s possible and you can do it too.

Now it’s time to talk about the essential steps in creating your membership site. 

Plan out Your Membership Website Easy Step by Step

First of all, it’s important to say that people make the same mistake when creating a membership website. The mistake is jumping into building their site first because it’s more interesting to choose themes, colours, uploading your logo, but resist that temptation and follow the below listed guide. 

Here are the exact terms to build your membership website:

Design Your Own Variant for Building the Membership Site

Remember that it’s important to have an image of how your website will look eventually. So, when you decide on a name, start planning out all the possible options. 

The significant part is to think through all the details, to have a clear view of what you finally will get ,otherwise, creating a product without any idea of what it should look like will bring no result. 

In the process you will come up with the following questions, which will help you define a precise outline and view the final version of your membership website. Here are these questions:

• Who you are creating it for?
• What its function?
• How will it be monetized?
• Why should people subscribe?
• Where will people find out about it?

Start using these particular points as a plan before creating your membership website in order to be sure what aspects you should cover and get a vivid picture of what you should build.

Create Content Only For Your Members

What content should be given to the audience, so that it will capture their interest? Let’s start from the following main reasons for joining.

• This can be a specific content to help people master their skills.
• It can be a webinar to give people feedback, support the community, and motivate them to take action.
• This can be content like reality, cases, mistakes, behind the scenes.
• The main thing is that it’s interesting, useful and easy to follow. 

Pick one certain area you’re gonna go really deep on and master it before moving into the next page.

Start a Membership Website Using Connect Today

Today there are a huge number of platforms to assist people in creating their own membership website. Although, your task is not to get lost and find the one which fulfills all of your needs. 

With Connect it takes a few minutes to make everything you plan possible. Your main aim is to determine what exactly you are going to offer and build a structure. It can be exclusive photo sets, video, courses, tutorials, webinars, live events etc., and Connect will provide the solution for you. 

Connect has all the necessary elements that let you create your own membership website where engagements between creators and their fans generate your revenue. You can build membership levels, set restricted access to the gated content, receive paid messages and send attachments, create live events with paid entrance, accept payments on your website, and so on. 

With our product your future members will join to view your content and then stay as they build a solid bond and relationship with the rest of the members which will create an effective result. 

Set a Price for your Membership Website

When choosing a price, stick to the following main tips:

Don’t set a high price if you are a first-timer. When building a membership site, make it simple and valuable. First pay attention to what your members want to achieve and focus on what will make them successful at achieving their goal. 

While creating this value, try to remember that this is not only about content. The main purpose is your community and the relationships you make between your members. Thus those multiple connections will become a reason for people to get results in the particular interests that they want.

Set the actual worth price. If you give people what they want and with that they get what they planned, then you make a huge difference for your members. This means that you don’t need to be afraid to rate your price at what it’s worth.

Discover the Best Ways to Attract New Members in Your Niche

Now having considered all the above mentioned aspects, let’s get to the next step. Your task is to attract your first members to your membership website, of course. 

First, if you already have an audience, then invite everyone to the preliminary list and immediately inform them that you will invite the participants of this list to the webinar, where you will announce your membership.

In fact, this is an invitation to a selling webinar, but people trust you – and they will come.

Secondly, you can sell via video. In those videos you talk about an  opportunity that will change the lives of your customers. Also you can mention errors on the way to the opportunity from the first video and fixing these errors.

Thirdly, sending emails leading to the selling text and setting the deadline discount, bonuses, number of seats, withdrawal from sales.

Promote Your Membership Site

Here you’ll spend most of your time and money. A membership site can be extremely profitable, but only if people join. There are many ways to access the membership site.

First, you think about your ideal customer, the one who is interested, willing, and able to buy, and where you can find them. Then you need to find ways to encourage it to your membership site. These can be articles related to your topic, social networks, and much more.

Consider using a lead magnet and a funnel system to collect potential members’ emails, since most people don’t join their first visit. Your lead magnet may be something that is already on your membership site. Or you can offer a free trial for 7 days or 1 month for the first time.

Make your Members Stay

There are several reasons to convince people to stay in your membership.

• Results. If people get awesome results, they are with you. The good news is that you don’t need a lot of content to get results. Sometimes just one tiny piece of information can ultimately raise the result.

• Relationship. As it was said earlier, good and trusting relationships are the essential feature. If you don’t get involved and this aspect is missing, people will lose their desire to stay.

• Convenience. Create the content which is easy to understand. If there is confusion, then even the most interesting content won’t keep your membеrs.

Now It’s Time to Get Started

So, you’ve learned all the main tips that are necessary for starting your membership website. All of these steps will create a vivid picture of a structure you need to follow. 

If you have something you are interested in, you want to share it with others and add value, then just get rid of all the doubts and get started. 

Feel free to contact us If you have any questions about starting your own membership site using Scrile Connect platform. Our team will be glad to assist you and provide you with all the needed information.