Choosing Web Membership Software to Create Membership Sites

ByMargaret Winfrey

Web membership software is used to create a membership site that you can run either from your own website or from a site provided by the software provider. There are several types of such software, each having its own advantages and drawbacks, but generally a software package allowing you complete flexibility is best.

By flexibility is meant the facility to personalize and customize the membership website to suit your needs. Hence, you would certainly want to use your own site name on it rather than be obliged to use a name provided by the software provider. This does happen, and some web membership software packages are supplied already populated with the products you must sell, and already branded with a name - not yours!

This is acceptable if the web membership software is free to use, but not if you are paying for it. Some marketers use a membership site as a marketing tool for themselves, and offer it free to others as long as they retain the originators branding and sell their products. In some cases that's the only product allowed, while others permit you to also sell your own - but not change the site name.

Components of Good Web Membership Software

While there is nothing wrong with free membership sites, this form of subscription software will not be of significant benefit to you if you are looking for a member site to bring you income from the monthly subscription fees as well as sales of your products or your affiliate products. What you should be looking for at best is as many of the following options as you can get:

Personalizable with your name and your brand or site name.

Fully customizable, so you can change the colors and the layout of the site.

Able to sell any products or services, including your own products and affiliate programs.

Hosted on your own website or with the option to have a hosted version if you need one.

Compatible with PayPal and other payment collection systems.

Compatible with ClickBank so you can integrate the site with products selected from the ClickBank Marketplace.

Compatible with your blog - or with blogging software included in the package.

Compatible with forum software or included in the package.

You may have other requirements, but these options would constitute a good web membership software package. It is possible that you already have PayPal and ClickBank membership, and can simply add payment links to your membership site, but if not then the facility to add these easily would be an essential feature.

Other features you could hope to find in a top class web membership software package are:

Duplication

The facility to run unlimited membership sites from one license or software package. If you are successful with your first site, you will likely want to start up another, and so on. Even a limit of 100 or so would be fine for you, but if you are limited to a single site then you might find it difficult to make a great deal of money.

True internet success comes from repetition: find something that works and repeat it time and time again. 'Rinse and repeat' is the term used, though the derivation of that phrase is obscure. Nevertheless, it is true. Make a few hundred dollars from one program, repeat that dozens of times simultaneously and you find you are making significant sums of money every day.

Membership Restriction

You must make sure that your total membership is not restricted. Since you make money from your members, the more you have the more you will earn monthly, and if the web membership software restricts the number of members you can register, then it also restricts your potential income. Make sure that is not the case before you buy the software.

Purchase or Subscribe?

You can either purchase web membership packages or subscribe, making a monthly payment for use of the software. There are pros and cons for each, and while an outright purchase is generally the least expensive option in the long run, you should keep in mind that the monthly cost of subscription software will be covered by your first two or three members.

One benefit of web membership software that is paid monthly is that you get the benefits of any updates. And you might also find new products being added on a regular basis. This keeps the products aspect of the site fresh, and you also get enhancements and improvements as they become available. Support also tends to be very fast and top class, because no business wants to upset regular subscribers - you will be the same with your own members.

Choosing web membership software might not seem easy if member sites are new to you, but if you keep the above advice in mind then you should be able to make the right choice. You generally get what you pay for, and if all you want is a very basic membership site then you needn't pay much - no more than about $57 for the whole software package. However, if you want to make real money online, then double that each month is realistic - keeping in mind that your subscribers will be paying it for you.

More information on how to create a membership site is available on MemberDesk.com where you will find a package suitable for the most sophisticated subscription sites, allowing unlimited members in unlimited sites and domains. They are the authority on all things membership website!

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Create A Membership Website To Sell Your Knowledge

ByMargaret Winfrey

You can create membership sites to sell anything, but if you are knowledgeable about any specific topic then you can use them to sell that knowledge. You can do that in a number of different ways including articles, eBooks, videos and MP3 audio files, and which is most relevant to you will depend upon the type of knowledge you have.

People use the internet to seek information. Sometimes it is simply to have one question answered: a crossword question for example, or to find the answer to a question needed to enter a consumer sweepstakes. Perhaps they need information for school homework, or are trying to compile a trivia quiz. Whatever the reason, they are looking for information.

However, others are looking for more than that, and might be looking for information on the best way to find carp, how to lose weight or how to bring up their children properly. If you have that knowledge then you can create subscription sites to sell your knowledge and make money.

Take Golf as an Example

Let's take an example: golf, and how to cure your problems and improve your game. In discussing this example, keep in mind that you can apply exactly the same principles in your specific interest. Whatever it is that you are knowledgeable about; you can apply to this example - even if it's fishing, gardening, internet marketing, training dogs or quilting. People will join a subscription site to learn and to meet others with the same problems or interests.

You can have a page or two on solving golf problems, such as a slice or hook - one is the opposite of the other, and if you understand how to cure a slice, then sorting out your hook is the mirror image! Strengthen your grip for one, and weaken it for the other. Take a step back for one and forward for the other. In fact, you could have a whole page on the slice and hook.

You could then have sections on improving distance, the flex of a club and so on. More on training equipment, from weighted clubs to laser systems and full circle swing trainers. You could include information and tips on choosing golf balls. The whole point is, this is only for members of the subscription sites, and you do not offer this information anywhere else.

Create a Product to Sell - or Give Free

Another way to sell your golf knowledge would be to write an eBook including all your golf tips. Try to make it about 90 pages plus: it will take time to get together, but you could pay ghostwriters to do it for you. Once it is complete, get an account with ClickBank if you don't already have one, and put it up for sale, for say $47. It doesn't matter if it sells or not - if it does, great, but if not, it doesn't matter because that's not why it's on ClickBank.

Offer your members the first two chapters free - in fact you could offer the first chapter free on your squeeze page in return for their contact details. That way you can keep in contact with prospects that visit your website, but don't join the membership site. Then offer the first two chapters free to members on the site.

What you do then is to offer your eBook "Add 40 Yards to Your Golf Swing in 5 Easy Lessons" at 'less than half price' to members: $23. You can prove it is genuinely under half price by showing them your ClickBank price - that's why it's there! That is sure to get you some sales, so you make money not only from the membership fees, but also from sales of your eBook!

A Subscription Site Forum is Popular

You could also start up a forum: make sure the membership software you choose enables you to create subscription sites with a forum. There is some very good free forum software online, and a good membership software package should be able to integrate that into the site. That will then enable your members to discuss their golfing problems between themselves.

Once your members feel that they are in a club or 'family' of people with the same problems and issues as themselves, then they will keep on paying their monthly subscriptions - often just for that contact with like-minded people! A forum can make the difference between average subscription sites and great ones.

Apply These Principles to Any Niche

There is lot more you can do with your membership site, but do you get the general idea? The golf example can be applied to any niche. You can sell your knowledge both on the site and in the form of an eBook. Rather than the ebook you could offer members affiliate products on golf and also provide them with a monthly training course on improving their golf swing.

You could offer a similar course in 8 parts as a gift on your squeeze page for those providing their email address: that can be delivered by autoresponder along with a link to your registration page. It is easy to create subscription sites to sell your knowledge if you have a good subscription software package with which to run your site. Membership sites can be very profitable.

If you wish to create membership sites to sell your knowledge, and make good money doing so, then check out MemberDesk.com which is one of the most powerful membership software packages online, and also enables you to run blogs and a forum in addition to a subscription website.

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