Written by A membership site can help you generate a lot of profit if your content is unique and creative. You can build a large community of people who will pay for your premium content. The article covers an idea about the membership site, its benefits, and how to create a one.
Membership Website
A membership model or website lets the owner charge money from the users in exchange for the content. The users need to pay and create a membership site and access the content. Payment could be weekly, monthly, or yearly depending on the membership model. After payment, the users get access to premium and exclusive content.
A membership site content can range from blogs or written content, webinars, digital downloads, online courses, podcasts, and much more. Every time you upload content, the active users and subscribers consume it accordingly.
Who should go for a membership site?
There are no such universal criteria that restrict people from create a membership site. If you are interested in building a community around your niche and content, a membership site will help you in such a case. It creates a fan base and keeps you and your subscribers connected.
Creating a membership site is easy, but you have to deal with the maintenance part, which means regular premium content. Your subscribers will always look for the latest and trending content. They can also unsubscribe anytime if you failed in providing quality content.
After a guide to the membership site, let us now dive into the steps involved in building a membership site.
Step 1: Select A Suitable Platform For Your Membership Website
The first step to build any website is to select a website building platform. Out of many, you need to select the best website development platform for your membership website.
If you already have a website, it is easy to add a membership section through various plugins. But the people who want a specific membership website can select a dedicated website building platform.
Features needed in a membership website
- Membership Model – membership model creates different to create a membership site according to subscribers and members.
- Users and members profile – a feature through which new users can sign in and access their profiles after becoming members.
- Content regulation – an option through which you can manage and regulate your content.
- Payment – Payment gateways to manage payment activities.
Various platforms require technical skills to add these features, for which you need to hire a developer. But all thanks to WordPress that offers an easy platform for website building. You can select various WordPress themes and plugins and can create a website with few simple steps.
For a membership site, we recommend you to go with the MemberPress plugin. The MemberPress includes all the features that are required to build a membership website. From membership model to content to payment, it has all the important features. Moreover, it offers extra tools such as email marketing and Affiliate Royale.
Step 2: Set Up Your Membership Site
After selecting a platform, you will require a domain name, hosting, and an SSL certificate for your membership WordPress website.
A domain name will be your web address, something like www.xyz.com. Web hosting is a cloud where you will save all your data, and an SSL certificate will secure all your transactions. You need to pay some amount for all three depending on the plan you choose. Try to get all three from a single platform to save some of your money. Bluehost is among the most famous platforms recommended by WordPress.
After getting all three, the next thing you need to do is install WordPress. If you are with Bluehost, you need to do it, as they offer pre-installed WordPress.
Step 3: Selecting A Membership Plugin
Once done with WordPress installation, it’s time to install a Membership plugin for your site. After the plugin is activated, you will get a configuration notification. Apart from it, you can also go on MemberPress >>> Options to reach the plugins settings page. Now you can customize and choose the plugins for your membership website.
Step 4: Payment Options
As you are about to operate a membership site, payment will be the most important thing. Go to the payment tab to add a payment gateway so that you can accept payment from your subscribers. MembrePress officially offers Paypal, Authorize.net, and Stripe as payment gateway channels. However, you can add multiple payment options on your site.
Step 5: Membership Model and Levels
The next step after payment gateway is to create membership plans that people will buy. You can set up different membership plans with MemberPress with specific prices, features, and access.
From your dashboard, go to MemberPress>>>Memberships and then click on Add New option. Now you will land on a page where you can create different membership plans.
Add a title and description of your membership level. Then set a specific price, select billing model, and period in the Membership Terms. In the end, go down and edit the permissions for all your membership plans and publish it.
Step 6: Memberships Plans
After creating membership levels, you have to select specific content for your diverse memberships plan. Click on MemberPress >>>Rule and then on Add New button.
From here, you can add and link the content according to your membership model.
For instance, you can add particular content that matches its category, tag, and subscription plan, such as silver, gold, platinum, etc. Apart from it, you will get a Drip and Expiration option, and you need to enable it. After enabling, you can constantly upload contents and set their time duration. Lastly, click on the Save Rule button to save your settings.
Step 7: Ensure Member Only Content
Members-only content is the prime content only available to the registered users or members. Add the content with posts and select the Advanced WordPress Guide category to match the rule that you formulated in the last step. Now scroll down and set up content for unpaid members or users. You can do this by clicking on the MemberPress Unauthorized Access.
After adding content and reviewing all the settings, you need to publish your page. Further, you will get a message that the content is protected.
Step 8: Pricing Page
The next step is to create a pricing page for your visitors. It is a page where your visitors will come and choose a membership plan. With the MemberPress plugin and Group option, you can create an attractive pricing page.
To get started, click on MemberPress >>> Groups>>> Add New
Write your group title, add memberships based on your pricing and also select a membership theme. Click on the Publish button, and you can also preview your page and see how it looks like.
Also, configure the setting for your non-paid members. They will be directed to the page whenever they will try to access premium content.
Step 9: Sign Up and Login Forms
Now comes the final step, where you have to create a signup and login form for your website. Through the MemberPress plugin, click on Appearance >>> Widgets and add MemberPress Login.
Add your pricing page URL to the navigation menu. Go to dashboard and click on Appearance >>> Menus. You can create a new menu or can also choose an old one. Alongside choose pricing plans below the Group option and click on Add to Menu.
In the end, rearrange your pricing page as per your requirement and click on the Save button.
Congratulations! You have successfully created a membership website.
Final Words
Now you have your membership website. Optimize your website to get more leads and traffic. Be creative and regular on your content, as people will only pay you for this. There are tons of platforms, themes, plugins to choose from, but the process is almost the same. Follow the steps to have your membership site.
Interesting Reads:
TOP WORDPRESS THEMES FOR ARTISTS
TOP WAYS TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST