What Is a Membership Website

4. Plan and build your site

Great websites have thought-out structures and intuitive navigation that gets users where they need to go. Consider planning your website with a wireframe -a simple, visual guide that outlines the structure, layout, and key features of your site. A wireframe can help you build more quickly once you go into your website builder and website template.

Make sure your membership website or members' only page reflects your brand and personality. Unique visual design helps set you apart, stay memorable, and look more professional.

5. Promote your membership

Your website won't be successful if no one's aware it exists. Consider drafting a marketing strategy, which can help clarify your goals, keep you focused, and effectively get the word out.

Start with your current audience if you're not sure where to begin. Consider sending an email to past clients and highlighting your new membership on social media. Don't be afraid about sharing more than once to ensure you reach more people.

Read our full guide to creating a member site

How to price memberships for a member site

Coming up with a pricing model for a membership site is often a delicate balance. Charge too little, and you may not be able to cover expenses. Charge too much, and you risk turning people away.

The goal is to charge enough to manage expenses without turning off potential members. You'll also want to charge what's in line with the value of the content you provide. Here are some ways to ensure that you get the price right.

1. Research the market

Researching other membership programs will give you a strong sense of what others are charging and how your content stacks up. You may also spot certain trends and get ideas for how to market your site. In knowing your competitors' strengths and weaknesses, you may also find a segment of your audience is underserved, meaning you can customize your membership and build a website that speaks to them.

2. List your expenses

Once you've researched the competition, it helps to know how much running your site and membership will cost. Expenses can include everything from your website subscription to equipment rental costs, studio rental fees, and so on.

Like many, you may put all of your membership fees toward expenses. If you're worried about charging too much, see if you can supplement with brand partnerships, grants, or donations. Use your budget to help you decide which choice is best.

3. Get real about value

Affordability matters, but members need a good reason to join. Draft a list of the value you realistically offer to someone. Compare your list to what competitors offer and what they charge, factoring in the size of their following and level of experience. This should give you a baseline from which to measure the value of your membership.

4. Consider your members

Just as it helps to be real about value, it's important to be able to reach who you're trying to serve. Who are your members and what do they want? Where do they work? Can they realistically afford to join your membership?

This is where polling your audience or clients can be helpful. Check in regularly with members and pay attention to changes in membership to identify their needs early. If you can't meet their needs, chances are they'll decide to go elsewhere.

Growing and maintaining your member community

Now that you've got your membership site up and running, you'll want to grow and maintain it. In addition to keeping your member site regularly updated with content, try these strategies to keep your audience engaged.

• Host events. Virtual or in-person meetups are a great way to gather your members in a casual environment. Building relationships will help members feel more connected to the group.

• Start an online forum. People love to connect and share ideas, and a forum is a great place to do this. Online forums can be password protected to create a sense of exclusivity.

• Interact with your members. People joined your member site because of you, so it's a value-add to be present with your members when you can. Take time to respond to comments or messages regularly and find opportunities to connect outside of your content.

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