Having a membership site has become one of the most popular ways to generate supplemental income. Businesses and social media figures use membership websites to the best of their abilities. There are countless things you can do with these types of websites; from having your customers pay you to access and test out exclusive products and services, to making money from creating interesting content, you can secure a good monthly income. However, there are several things you need to do to attract more subscribers and ensure that your current ones continue to pay for your services. Here are 6 essential things that you should do to have a successful membership site.
1. Dive Right In
Most people don’t set foot in any venture unless they’re a hundred percent ready. While this is typically the right way to go, you may want to consider implementing a different strategy while establishing your membership site. Chances are you will never feel like what you have to offer is good enough; if you will never feel entirely ready, then you might as well just dive right in. What sets a startup business and a membership website apart are the required costs; businesses require a great amount of capital, which is why you can’t risk launching without guaranteeing some degree of success. Meanwhile, you can get a membership site up and running for a relatively insignificant fee. Make it known that you’d appreciate your first few members’ ideas and feedback; the more you comply with people’s needs, the more confidence you’ll have in your site. Your website doesn’t need to be more than a minimum viable product during its beginning stages anyway.
2. Learn From Others
Exploring other membership sites in your niche is another great idea. You can borrow a ready-made, successful structure and tweak it in a way that suits your brand. You can hold monthly seminars and invite guest speakers to get the word out. You can also have monthly Q&A calls to connect with potential and current subscribers. Having member forums can also help strengthen client loyalty and ties. Keep all your members updated and informed through weekly emails. If you come across a website that you don’t like, you can think about how you would like to improve it. Similarly, explore the positive aspects that make your favorite membership sites stand out. Create a website and community that you would personally love to partake in.
3. Be Accessible
You may be surprised to learn that many membership websites with ordinary content are overflowing with members. This is because they offer something far more valuable: insider access to the creator. Having access to the creator entails credibility, authenticity, and reliability, which are all important elements, especially when you are attracting your first members; they are all strong reasons why members should join. Ensure that your members can always reach out to you when needed.
4. Engagement and Interaction
You can hold live webinars or seminars and encourage attendees to ask you questions and share stories. Having a chat room feature on your website where you personally chat with the members during set hours can be a great idea. You can also have forums where you always post and offer your members tangible help and support. Staying consistent when it comes to interacting and engaging with your members can be challenging, especially if you lead a busy lifestyle. However, setting time aside for daily interactions and always taking the first step toward communication can be helpful.
5. Free Places
Although you may feel skeptical about doing this, handing out free places to your membership website can help you greatly. Although you may be missing out on money, there are members who would like to join who can’t afford your fees. You may also grant access to writers who wouldn’t join your platform otherwise. Even though it may not seem like it, you will benefit greatly from this deal. Free stuff always attracts attention; opening up 50 free spots may turn 100 heads to your website. You will let 50 in for free, and the 50 others will explore your website and potentially subscribe to it. These members can also help spread the word about your website, and will probably be the most interactive and committed audience you have.
6. Evolve and Adapt
People have dynamic needs; what was once a great idea may not seem like one anymore. This is why you always need to keep track of the evolving trends, your members’ involvement, and engagement, and ask them what they want. Steer clear of topics that they don’t show interest in, regardless of how great you think they are.
Membership websites are a great way to grow your current business or have an additional source of income. They open up endless opportunities and can be utilized in many different ways. This is why we gathered some tips to help you run a successful membership site.
