A paid membership site can be a great way to start creating some serious income. They can be a bit work intensive on the front end, but once its up and going, you’ll find it practically runs itself.
There are a few components you need for a membership service. As with any service, you should shop around and find one with the features you want at a price you can afford. In order to get a membership site rolling, you need to consider three things: your script, your payments and your autoresponder service.
Scripting Software
The easiest way to develop a paid membership site that meets the needs of your clients is to find a scripting service with the functions you want. There are dozens of these types of services available, so here are two tips to keep in mind.
1. Shop around – Look for as many features as you can find in one script. You may not find one with everything you want, but if you do your research, you can certainly find some great deals. Membership sites are hot and that means scripting services are enjoying heavy competition. Like any type of sales, competition means benefits and deals for the buyer. You may be able to find free trials of a scripting service – which might be a great deal – but remember that switching services can be a real chore, so be reasonably certain your first choice is the best choice. The cheapest route may not be the best route, but the most expensive isn’t necessarily the best either, so do your research.
2. Look for reviews of the various membership scripts you’re considering. Find out what others think of the service before you choose one. Look at some of the sites you like and check around for the scripting software company. You’ll likely discover the scripting service information available – although it may be in the fine print somewhere.
Payments on Your Site
Obviously, you can’t make any money from your paid membership site without a payment processor. Many scripting software services include a payment processor, but if yours does not, you need to set one up right away. You can choose whether to accept credit cards, checking account payments, debit cards or other online payment services. Most sites accept a variety of credit cards as well as PayPal. PayPal is a very common payment processor that allows users to make online payments without needing to share their financial details with merchants. Many people are familiar with PayPal and will expect to be able to use this feature.
Autoresponders
A third component you need for your paid membership site is an autoresponder to handle your mailing list. Autoresponders let you capture email addresses as well as names and other information you might need. You can then load up your email messages to the autoresponder at your chosen service and have them delivered automatically, regardless of when a member joins or how long they remain. They will receive your messages in the order you load them. You can create several different mailing lists with your autoresponder service, including separate lists for different levels of membership, as well as a newsletter, if you choose.
These three pieces are all critical to a successful paid membership site. Once you’ve made these decisions, you are well on your way to creating your own site and a new stream of income.
Get our Online Paid Membership Site Manual to get started with your own money making paid membership site.
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