6 Steps to Building Your First Membership Site

If you’ve got the content, the products, and the drive, you can create your own membership site that will amplify your brand in all kinds of ways.

Membership sites have become increasingly popular for generating revenue and building community. Having folks sign up for your content and engage with your site on an ongoing basis seems like the dream for most businesses and content creators. But, it doesn’t have to be a dream. Creating a membership site has never been easier. 

We’ve narrowed down the six steps you need to get started with your first membership site, from structure to content to community. With this guide, you can take your vision of a membership site from a dream to reality.

1. Consider the components

Similar to a digital product site, there is an industry-standard structure to membership sites. 

Here’s a brief overview of the components you’ll need to get started: 

• Web content management system (CMS): The foundation on which your site is built, such as WordPress. 
• Domain: The web address that people type into their browsers. Domain name registrars include Namecheap, GoDaddy, and Network Solutions.
• Host: The server where your website data is stored.  Examples are BlueHost, HostGator, and Nexcess. 
• Theme: How your content is presented/looks on your site.  
• Payment gateway: A service that processes credit card payments. Popular payment gateways include PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net.
• Content pages: The different web pages of your site, such as your homepage, landing pages, product/service pages, support, and about.
• Membership platform: Software that adds membership functionality to your site. 
• Member area/member dashboard: The interface your members have access to and the home base for their activities on your site.
• Your onboarding process: The experience new members will have when they subscribe to your site or purchase a membership. 
• Other non-website components: member emails, mailing list, and newsletter.

2. Create your membership site 

There are tons of options out there for building your membership site, but WordPress is one of the most common CMS platforms for membership sites, for a variety of reasons. Namely, WordPress allows for extensive customization and plenty of flexibility if you want to create something unique with advanced features. 

For getting started with building your first WordPress site, we recommend checking out the WordPress Getting Started guide. Essentially, you’ll want to create your site identity, your home page, and essential information pages first. 

3. Find the right plugins and theme

Heading down the self-hosted WordPress route means you’ll need a few extra pieces, specifically plugins and a theme. Membership plugins, such as Restrict Content Pro, provide you with the ability to restrict your content, offer subscription packages, and accept payments, along with a variety of other useful features. 

When considering the right membership plugin for you, ask the following questions: 

• Do you want to offer multiple subscription levels?
• Do you want to accept credit cards, PayPal, cryptocurrency – all of the above? 
• Do you want to drip your content to members? 
• What is your budget for a membership plugin? 

Themes provide the entire look and feel of your membership site. A theme includes elements like page layouts, color combinations, fonts, and any other aesthetic elements. Certain themes work well for membership sites, such as Kadence and the Kadence Block editor, which offers seamless Restrict Content Pro integration. When considering a theme for a membership site, keep in mind: 

• a theme that keeps content front-and-center, showcasing your latest work in an easy-to-browse grid design or carousel 
• a theme that includes dedicated archive pages and pricing tables, and allows for a variety of post types
• The ability to add widgets and other extras, like a search box and call-to-action buttons 

4. Price your memberships

Figuring out what to charge your members is an important step, but it can be challenging to find the magic number. When thinking about pricing, consider:

• What are your competitors doing? Compare your content, products, and overall value. Are you offering more than they are?
• Do you have a unique advantage or competitive edge that boosts your value, such as one-to-one support, coaching, or consultation?
• What are the valuable benefits of subscribing?
• How much revenue do you want to bring in per month?
• How many members do you expect for your initial launch?

You also might want to make your ideal membership fee your middle-range option and highlight it on your pricing page as the “most popular” choice. This can drive more sales toward the number you actually want to make while offering a “most affordable” option (with fewer features) for customers with smaller budgets, as well as a “highest value” option (with more features) for higher spenders.

5.  Get the conversation started

One of the most crucial parts of getting your membership site up and running is the user experience after signing up, known as onboarding. Use sequenced emails as part of your onboarding process to keep members engaged from the start. 

After onboarding emails, lead members to community spaces to easily communicate not only with you but each other, such as a member forum. You should also have dedicated pages for contact and support, making yourself readily available and reachable within a few clicks. 

6. Build your content calendar

With membership sites, it’s all about consistent, ongoing value that keeps your members happy, paying, and returning to your site. Content planning is necessary to the value of a membership site and should be ongoing throughout this entire process. 

Here are some questions to ask as you plan your content: 

• Can you produce enough content yourself, or do you need to outsource? 
• Can you offer one-on-one support, live streams, Q&A sessions, or other bonuses? 
• Can you dedicate a block of time to content creation and then drip-feed it for weeks or months? 

Be bold!

Setting up a membership site is not only a win-win for you and the customer – it’s also one of the best ways to build an entire community and loyal customer base around your business. 

There will be risks involved with setting up your membership site, but remember that you can always start within your means, price your memberships accordingly, and expand later. 

Ready to get started building your first membership site? The Restrict Content Pro plugin is the perfect tool. It’s free to install and get started. Try out Restrict Content Pro today!