How to Launch a Membership Site

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How to Launch a Membership Site

WordPress is the first thing you need to install before launching a membership site.

The next thing you’ll need is a rock-solid plugin to secure your content and keep your membership site safe for members only.

I’ve tried many plugins such as aMember Pro, WishList Member, Magic Members and Digital Access Pass. I found that with many of the aforementioned plugins, they wanted to completely take over your WordPress install and do things inside their interface. That’s why – after extensive testing – I settled for one membership site plugin.

s2 Member

s2 Member may not be the easiest of plugins, but I found that it works with WordPress rather than against it; plus, the basic version is completely free. I opted for the paid version as I wanted to use PayPal Pro forms and advanced features.

Setting up is pretty easy and they have videos to guide you through each process. Then comes the extensive testing and integration with your mailing list, so that you can keep paid members up to date with new content on your site.

What To Include in a Membership Site

How do you offer value with a membership site? Here are some ideas I have found to be invaluable:

Community

If you want members to stay for more than a couple of months, then give them a place where they can chat and get to know each other. This is by far one of the biggest benefits of joining a closed community. Facebook Groups is, in my experience, the best place for this. Make sure your group is set as a closed or secret group.

Webinars

Monthly training is another great benefit of a membership site. Offer them the chance to watch you doing what you do best, and open up a question and answer section at the end.

A Real Product

Having a real product in the mix can also make membership sites appealing to join. At Audio Production Masters, members get weekly unique royalty-free audio downloads to use in their productions.

See my site at Audio Production Masters.

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