With a traditional membership website, your subscribers pay monthly for regular content updates and new releases.
By far, this is the most common method of building a membership website, however it
does require more frequent updates than other membership types.
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In many cases, traditional membership sites either offer a low trial price with the cost increasing once the trial is offer, as a way of generating interest and encouraging
visitors to explore the websites offer. (this is also a great way to stand out from the competition in the event they are not offering a no-risk trial).
Example: A subscriber would be given the option to join the membership site for only $17 for the first week (7 days), then $37 monthly, set on a fixed term rate. This means that even in the event you increase your prices later on, charter members who initially took advantage of your introductory offer, are locked in, and are not required to pay any additional charges or increased fees.
This structure is a very successful one, and can really help your membership website
get off the ground, as you are providing a clear incentive to subscribers, as well as encouraging members to stay subscribed to your website so that they can continue to
receive access at a lower rate than future subscribers.
Traditional membership sites are usually updated on the 1st of every month, but one savvy technique is to update halfway through the month so that subscribers don't join at the end of the month only to gain access to two months worth of content.
You should also consider setting up an archive section of your website, so that new
members are able to purchase previous releases or updates, rather than gain access to Membership To The Bank | Page : 22
everything. Remember, your subscribers are paying for monthly access to your content
so it's only fair that you value their subscription by limiting content on a monthly basis.
Anyone who joins your website halfway through a month should only be able to access
the current months content.
Traditional membership sites can be set up a number of different ways, customizing
everything from the delivery format, to the update schedule. It's your website, so make sure that you evaluate the different options and choose a platform that works best for you based on the time you have to allocate to your community, as well as what you
believe your members would prefer.
One thing to keep in mind is that when you launch your membership website and begin
to generate subscribers, it's often difficult to switch formats or change delivery times, so make sure to do your best to carefully plan out your website early on, so that there is no need for abrupt changes.
Believe it or not, your subscribers will come to rely on the schedule that you implement into your website, and in order to retain consistency and demonstrate your desire to
provide a stable, ever-growing community, you need to do your best to thoroughly plan out your entire membership program before it even launches.
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FREE & PAID FORMATS MEMBERSHIP
The obvious benefit of a paid membership program is the monetary element, however,
setting up a free membership program can be just as rewarding.
With free memberships, the foundation is usually based on allowing free entry with the intention of selling a membership upgrade. Using teaser options like this, you initially attract a customer with a no obligation, no cost offer. In other words, you eliminate the risks involved and instead of forcing a visitor into making a quick decision to join your site or exit your page, you are able to capture their information, add them to your
database and follow up at a later date, in the event they failed to upgrade right away.
The free membership module works very well if you have the ability to create quality
content on the front end to wet their appetite, and work towards encouraging
subscribers to upgrade for access to even more information or resources.
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Building a subscriber database from free membership accounts may seem less
profitable than charging an entry fee on the front end, however by capturing leads you will have an opportunity to communicate with them through follow up emails later on,
encouraging them to upgrade their account for full access to your material or resources.
It's said that the average visitor needs to visit a website up to 3 times before deciding to purchase a product, and by offering them free entry on the front-end, you eliminate lost sales while building a laser targeted mailing list!
We‟ve just covered the most common membership formats online. Consider which
format will work best for you, and let‟s move onto the next step, choosing the software that will essentially power your entire membership website.
If you plan to create an email based membership program, you can skip the next
chapter and move onto “Creating a Polished Membership Site”.
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