Bekah's vision led her to become an online fitness coach over eight years ago.
She recognised that, for many of her in-person gym clients, finding the time to workout was a balancing act between their job and family responsibilities. Responding to this pain point led her to explore the benefits of delivering her fitness classes in a virtual format via a membership website.
Bekah identified her customer persona to be busy women. This understanding of her target audience led her to launch her website, BekahFit, which features fitness routines that require limited equipment, time and space.
Besides convenience, her members appreciate the range and variety of classes available on her website and being able to customise their workouts according to their preference, schedule and body focus.
Bekah has gained a devoted member base by regularly posting new content and being responsive to the needs of her members. Her commitment and expertise are what keep her members renewing.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to set up your site?
Fourteen years ago, while I was still in college, I started teaching aerobics classes. Later, I started giving personal sessions in addition to teaching many group exercise classes. I have been in the fitness industry for many years now and it is constantly changing and evolving. It is important to stay up to date with research, education and technology in order to be successful. I had been pondering the idea of an online fitness site for about a year before I actually got started, so I knew that the time was right.
Why did you decide to use SubHub and how did it work out at first?
I did some research online and came across SubHub. SubHub offered exactly what I needed and turned out to be extremely cost effective. Their customer service walked me through the process of setting up a a website and explained to me that they could handle the back-end. I started filming workouts each week and would add them to my website under specific categories. Both past and current clients signed up immediately and told me that they loved the workouts.
What is your passion?
My passion is definitely women’s fitness. Women are the most faithful customers when they trust you and believe in what you are selling them. Women are extremely loyal and over the years I have developed a large following of women who want to change their body and get in shape.
My workouts are geared specifically for women, although men are welcome to sign up as well. I design the fitness routines so they can be done at home by people with limited equipment, time and space. I use Facebook to create excitement about the new workouts each week and it lets me stay in contact with my followers.
What's the interaction like between you and your members?
I receive daily messages from women letting me know their weight loss progress, or how much they love the workouts, or how they can finally fit into their “skinny jeans” again. It’s fun for me because I get to be as creative as I want with the routines, and I thrive off the feedback from my members.
In conclusion
As a virtual coach, you must demonstrate understanding your member's fitness goals by responding with effective online solutions.
Virtual fitness coaches also need to show their ongoing commitment by regularly posting new content and utilising interactive formats like forums or live Zoom classes to foster community. These formats give you the opportunity to engage, motivate and provide the accountability many members need to sustain themselves on their fitness journeys.
By incorporating these in-person skills into your virtual practice, you can effectively connect with and guide your clients toward achieving their fitness aspirations, regardless of physical presence.
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Jeanne Berg
As part of the SubHub team, I’ve been helping people build, grow and manage their membership websites for over eight years. I’ve written blogs about a variety of topics but particularly enjoy writing about web design. Though I’m a native New Yorker, I live in the United Kingdom and am raising two sons who speak with British accents. Outside work, I’m a dedicated volunteer gardener at my local park, countryside rambler and secret K-drama fan.
Selling digital PDF downloads and printables has become a highly popular and profitable online opportunity for individuals and businesses. Whether you're an educator, subject matter expert, coach, or crafter, creating and selling digital products can be an excellent way to generate passive income.
Kate Faulkner, founder of PropertyChecklists.co.uk, has created a valuable resource for aspiring property developers and professionals. By offering an array of detailed checklists, expert advice and access to a trusted network of service
Using a membership website to sell your online learning materials allows you to support teachers with fresh resources while generating recurring revenue and showcasing your expertise.
Yoga continues to thrive as one of the most adaptable and accessible fitness practices, making it an ideal discipline for online instruction. With minimal equipment and the flexibility to practice anywhere, transitioning from an in-person studio to an online membership-based platform is easier than ever.
Lower Overhead Costs – Eliminate expenses associated with running a physical studio.
Flexible Income Streams – Generate passive income through on-demand classes, memberships, and live sessions.
Personalised Learning – Provide students with an extensive library of yoga sessions categorised by style, duration, and focus, allowing them to tailor their practice.
Deborah Stanley, founder of ThriveYoga, successfully launched her online yoga studio with these benefits in mind. She leveraged the SubHub membership platform to create a seamless experience for her students. We spoke with her about her journey, insights, and tips for building a thriving online yoga community in 2025.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led to you to setting up your site?
I've been a yoga teacher for 12 years and I wanted to offer my classes online so my pupils could practice at home and people who couldn't attend my in-person classes could enjoy the benefits of yoga whenever they wanted to.
Why did you decide to use SubHub and how long did it take for your website to be online?
I wanted a membership site that did everything - hosted the website, managed the members, linked to the payment method, that I could update and add to myself and offered support and back-up when I needed it.
How involved were you in developing the website, and did you have any experience in creating a website before?
I was involved in building the website from scratch and worked closely with the developers to ensure the site worked as I needed it to. I have created a very basic website for my in-person classes before.
How hands on are you with updating your site? Do you create everything yourself, do you have any staff, or do you outsource?
I create everything myself. I write a weekly blog and add a weekly video myself. I don't have any staff, except a slightly more tech-savvy and willing-to-help husband.
How much time do you spend updating your website?
I don't make many changes to it apart from writing my weekly blog and setting up my weekly video. How do you interact with members and what’s the key to keeping them happy? I keep in contact with them via my blog, newsletters and social media. A variety of different classes and different information about yoga keeps people happy, plus a smooth-running, straightforward membership process with no surprises or glitches so they can view their videos whenever they want to.
How has SubHub enabled you to grow?
I am able to teach yoga to many more people than I could in my in-person classes and potentially make more money from doing so.
What kind of content is most popular on your website and why do you think that is?
The videos - people join Thrive Yoga to practice yoga with an experienced teacher who offers varied classes suitable for all abilities.
How have you grown your email subscribers and how do you manage them?
I have not done much advertising yet but some members have found me through word-of-mouth, the Thrive Yoga Facebook page and Google search. I manage them via Mailchimp.
How important is your website for your business?
My website IS Thrive Yoga. Without it I can't offer the videos or the membership.
Now that you've created a website, how do you make money from it?
I sell a monthly membership package.
From your experience, what are the basic steps somebody needs to take to setup and develop a successful website?
Help from an expert - it is extremely time-consuming if you don't know what you are doing. To develop it you need to be consistent with what you are offering in a clear and easily-understandable way.
What advice would you give to somebody thinking of starting their own website with SubHub?
I would say that if they don't have any experience of putting together a website or membership site then getting everything done 'all under one roof' with SubHub rather than trying to piece individual bits together using lots of different providers saves time, sanity and money. SubHub has yoga membership website temples that you get started with.
What can people expect from your site or company the next 6 or 12 months?
All-in-one membership website builders have emerged as transformative tools that simplify the process of creating, managing and earning an income from your knowledge. They empower individuals by letting them establish their online presence quickly, efficiently and affordably.
These comprehensive platforms offer an array of features and functionalities under a single roof, eliminating the need for coding or the use of multiple tools.
With all-in-one website builders, you can effortlessly design, customize and publish your website. These platforms typically include user-friendly drag-and-drop editors, templates and a variety of built-in functionality so all aspects of your business are in one place.
If you're ready to start a membership website then this article will provide guidance and examples for the top website builders and their best use cases.
What basic features should your builder have
User registration and login: the ability for users to easily create accounts and log in securely.
Content restriction: you should have the ability to restrict access to specific content to incentivise memberships and provide value to subscribers.
Membership levels: this feature is crucial to creating distinctive member tiers and effectively monetizing your audience.
Responsive design: ensure the platform is accessible and functional on various devices and screen sizes.
Integrated payment processor: your builder should be able to securely process payments using gateways like Stripe and PayPal.
Automated workflows: time saving functionality that streamlines administrative processes by sending welcome and renewal emails.
Analytics: data tracking and reporting tools are essential to making informed decisions about your website’s performance.
Customer support: access to reliable and responsive customer support for troubleshooting and assistance.
How to select the right all-in-one website builder
When selecting which website builder to choose, start by considering your specific use case, content, goals and audience needs.
By defining the scope and purpose of your membership site, you’ll be able to determine what functionality you’ll need and which platform has the capabilities to deliver it.
Most membership website builders are designed with specific use cases in mind and their features and functionalities reflect this specialization.
For instance, platforms like MemberPress and Wild Apricot are focused on providing solutions for online communities or associations with tools for managing membership.
While education-focused builders like Thinkific and Teachable cater to instructors, offering features tailored for online course creation and management.
The key is to identify your specific needs and objectives, then choose a builder that aligns with your intended purpose. You should also evaluate factors such as pricing, scalability, security, and reliable customer support.
Top 5 membership website builders and their best use cases
Circle is a platform for building, managing and monetising your online community. It's easy to use with a clean and intuitive interface and responsive support.
This platform is particularly useful for those seeking to foster engagement, discussions and collaboration around a shared interest, topic or brand. The cornerstone of the platform is its community facing features.
Features include:
Community building: tools for creating and customising your online community with categories, topics, or channels.
Member profiles: so users build a sense of identity within the platform.
Discussions and posts: initiate and participate in discussions, ask questions, share knowledge, and post content.
Notifications: features to keep members informed about new posts, replies, and updates.
The platform also includes online courses, live streaming, automation workflows, metrics and more.
Standout feature: is its interactive community space that provides chat rooms, private messaging, event spaces, live streams and more. An alternative to using a private Facebook group.
Use case: best suited for individuals and brands looking to build, manage and monetize their online communities.
Best for: established community centered creators.
Starting at: $49/mo with 4% transaction fee and 10GB of storage.
Kajabi is a premium priced, all-in-one website builder designed for creating and selling online courses, memberships and digital products.
Whether you're a subject matter expert, coach, or organization wanting to provide structured learning experiences, Kajabi offers a comprehensive solution with many built-in tools.
Kajabi provides tools for creating and hosting courses, managing members, marketing your content and processing payments, all within a single platform. It's a versatile choice for those seeking to deliver educational content, whether it's in the form of video courses, e-books, webinars or other digital products.
Your website is built using an editor that allows you to select and assemble content blocks from a menu.
Kajabi has a user-friendly interface but, as with most all-in-one platforms, there is limited customisation that can be done to your website's design.
Features include:
Course creation: robust system for creating, hosting, and selling online courses which include videos, documents, quizzes, and more.
Website builder: powerful website builder lets you create a professional looking website.
Email marketing and automation: built-in email marketing tool lets you to send newsletters, automate email sequences and segment your email list.
Standout feature: is its built-in email marketing editor to create custom email campaigns.
Use case: best suited for coaches and creators looking to monetize their knowledge through online courses.
Best for: established coaches and creators as it is a premium priced option.
SubHub is an all-in-one website builder that specialises in membership and turning all forms of content into income.
It's strength lies in its flexibility, making it a suitable choice for a wide range of membership use cases.
SubHub provides the necessary tools for managing subscribers, selling online courses, delivering content, processing payments and building an online community around your niche or expertise.
Its built-in store adds a significant layer of e-commerce functionality to your membership website. It's particularly useful for those who want to sell additional products beyond just membership subscriptions.
Use case: best suited for individuals and businesses looking to monetize their content through selling memberships and stand alone products.
Best for: knowledge experts, coaches and creators with content rich websites.
Starting at: $47/mo, 500 members, unlimited products and pages.
Vonza is a platform tailored to the needs of course creators, coaches, and digital entrepreneurs. With an array of tools and features, Vonza simplifies the journey of transforming your knowledge and expertise into a thriving online business. It's all-in-one platform provides a comprehensive set of tools to create and deliver online course content.
While Vonza has an array of functionality, its website builder has limited design flexibility compared to other platforms. So its websites can have a generic appearance.
Features include:
Course creation: easily create and host online courses which include video, quizzes, assignments and progress tracking.
E-commerce: sell physical and digital products, memberships and courses.
Email marketing: integrated email marketing tools and lead nurture.
Standout feature: is its powerful online form builder to create online surveys and quizzes.
Use case: best for course creation.
Best for: new coaches and creators.
Starting at: at $99/mo for 5 courses and 10 products and Stripe integration.
Kartra is an all-in-one platform with built-in, comprehensive marketing tools. Whether you're looking to build a website, manage email campaigns, sell products or create marketing funnels, Kartra gives you the ability to centralise all those functions in one place.
Many membership websites use social media to drive traffic. However, if you want to create targeted campaigns then Kartra's integrated marketing suite of tools lets you build and manage lead generation pipelines with opt-in forms and landing pages.
While Kartra's purpose is to simplify e-commerce, the platform is so comprehensive that the learning curve is long and setting up workflows can be complex. So you need to be prepared to commit time to learning the system.
Users also report that the website page builder has design limitations and can be slow to load.
Features include:
Marketing automation: to create and manage campaigns, set up email sequences, follow-ups and segment your audience to deliver personalized content and offers.
Affiliate management: recruit and manage affiliates to help promote your membership site.
Standout feature: is its automated, sales-driving marketing funnels.
Use case: best for marketing campaign creation and selling products.
Best for: product marketers.
Starting at: at $119/mo for up to 2,500 contacts, 20 products and 100 pages.
In summary
All-in-one membership website builders cater to a wide range of use cases, from education to content subscriptions and community building. The best choice for you depends on your specific goals and requirements, so it's essential to consider the features and integrations that align with your website's purpose.
It's time to build your membership website
Book a demo and see everything that's possible with SubHub.
Cheri has been a yoga instructor for over eighteen years. While teaching mat yoga, she realised that many of her senior students were having difficulty getting up and down off the mat. This prompted her to start creating chair yoga routines. She quickly found there was a large and enthusiastic audience for this type of yoga.
When Cheri launched her membership website, InspireEncourageEmpower, she had already organically identified her target audience - seniors who wanted to improve their flexibility. She had recognised a pain point that was being experienced by some of her students and created a solution.
By defining her 'customer persona' and understanding their problems, Cheri has been able to effectively target her website's content and marketing. In the saturated online yoga marketplace, Cheri has carved a niche focused on delivering a customised member experience to a niche audience.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
I have been a yoga instructor for over 18 years and when I was teaching mat yoga, I realized some of my seniors were having a difficult time getting up and down off the mat. I wanted to come up with an alternative yoga routine where they could still remain active, do a yoga routine while gaining flexibility and strength. Over the last 8 years, I have been creating Chair Yoga Routines to teach to seniors at Independent Facilities, Memory care, individuals in wheelchairs, car accidents and 55+ senior communities. It grew rapidly and I was teaching these classes between 12-15 times a week.
Why did you decide to build a membership website?
Since my Chair Routines were so successful, I wanted to reach the collective and get seniors to move their body in the comfort of their own home without having to go to the gym for a workout. Some seniors have health concerns and mobility issues that prevent them from going to any gym facility. This membership site was the best decision I every made. I can now reach people around the globe, keep individuals active and make exercising fun. I LOVE what I do and the testimonials I receive from my seniors, keep me motivated to update my videos and create new ones to make it interesting and dynamic.
Why did you choose the SubHub platform? What are the platform features most important to you?
It was easy to use and I could get all the technical support I need. This allowed me to focus on creating videos instead of worrying about the technical side of the website. The customer support is superior. They are always there to solve your issues quickly and really want to help you succeed and work past any issue you have. I always give them 5 out of 5 stars. I really do appreciate their hard work and dedication.
How did you get your first members?
I have obtained 90% of members through Pinterest and Instagram. I have run google ads and facebook ads in the past but my social media sites are where I obtain my clients. They want to know there is a real person behind this site and I am readily available everyday for my followers creating videos to help them move their bodies. I respond to every email, comment and direct message myself. I do not have anyone working on my behalf!
What has been the most effective way to drive traffic to your website?
Social Media: Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube.
Do you use social media to get members for your website? What platform have you found to be the most effective?
Yes, Instagram hands down!
How have you grown your email list and how often do you send out email campaigns?
Yes, I have grown my email list by offering a free Chair Yoga Video but I think people are bombarded with email and I only send out an email once a month.
What kind of content is most popular on your website? And how often do you post new content?
My website is pretty static. I post videos 7 days a week on Pinterest, Instagram and 4 times a week on Youtube and I drive everyone to my website and it links directly to my membership page. EVERY link from my social media site links directly to my membership page on my website. I go into details about the benefits they will receive when they join. I always have an opening video of me talking about the membership first and verbiage below with more details.
What advice do you have for anyone launching a membership website?
Start building your social media sites immediately and in the beginning you need to post videos 3 times a day. I know it seems like a lot of work but it will pay off!!
How has the SubHub platform helped you to reach your goals?
They have made my life so much easier by handling the technical side. It gives me more freedom to focus on the videos to help my seniors move their body and stay active. Plus they address any issues I have immediately and try and solve the problems as quickly as possible.
In conclusion
Creating a successful membership website depends a lot on identifying your target audience and defining their pain points. The more you understand your audience, the better you'll be able to address their needs in your content creation and marketing campaigns. Personalising the experience of your product might target a smaller audience but will deliver a more relevant product to your audience and achieve a greater impact. So take the time to understand your audience, their needs and the solutions you can offer.
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Getting your first 100 paying customers for a membership website is always the hardest part. But once you reach that number, it becomes much easier to attract new members.
Here is your 90-day plan for getting your first 100 paying customers:
Before you launch your membership website
Before diving into marketing and traffic-building, there are a few key things to consider:
Know Your Audience: Understand who they are, what problems they have, and how you can help them. Also, know how to reach them.
Understand Your Competition: Identify both online and offline competitors, know their pricing, and determine how you’ll stand out.
Clarify Your Unique Value: What makes your site different? Why should someone choose you over the competition?
Create a User-Friendly Website: Your site should look professional and clearly communicate what you offer. Remember, every page is a landing page, so ensure visitors can easily navigate your site from any entry point.
Include Free and Member-Only Content: Offer some high-quality free content to build trust, but also have exclusive content for members. Before launching, have at least 90 days’ worth of content ready to free up time for marketing.
Refine Your Offer: Make an offer that’s hard to refuse. Ensure the perceived value is at least three times higher than the membership cost. Consider offering a money-back guarantee and special deals for early sign-ups.
Pre-Launch Marketing Activities
Build Authority: Establish your credibility in the field. Get testimonials, create a social media presence, and engage with relevant groups.
Prepare a Marketing Plan: Outline your marketing activities before the launch so you know exactly what to do each day.
Interviews: Conduct interviews with key figures in your industry. This not only creates valuable content but can also drive traffic to your site if the interviewees share it with their audiences.
90-Day Marketing Plan
Your plan should be divided into two phases:
Phase 1 (80 Days): Focus on driving traffic to your website and building a relationship with visitors who show an interest in the service you are providing. Allow visitors to sign-up to an email newsletter or other services that will enable you to proactively communicate with them.
Phase 2 (10 Days): Shift focus from traffic and relationship-building to converting your most loyal followers into paying members. Build excitement with an irresistible offer which your most loyal followerswon’t be able to resist.
Phase 1 Activities:
Driving Traffic to Your Membership Website
Since you won’t initially get much search engine traffic, you’ll need to rely on other methods to drive visitors to your site. Some ideas include:
Google Ads: A powerful tool if used correctly. Focus on specific keywords relevant to your niche.
Newsletter Ads: Pay to advertise in newsletters that reach your target audience.
Press Coverage: Use free and paid press release services to announce your site’s launch.
Article Syndication: Publish high-quality articles on third-party sites to drive traffic.
Forums: Join relevant forums and participate in discussions. Include a link to your site in your signature.
Collecting Email Addresses
It’s crucial to capture email addresses from your site visitors. Offer something valuable in return. Your offer should have a perceived value that is at least three times greater than the membership price. Some examples are:
Access to a video series
A free course
A popover sign-up box
A downloadable eBook or report
An example offer package could be:
Your Guarantee – The lower the perceived risk the higher your conversion rate. If you can offer a 100%, no questions asked, money-back guarantee it will increase your sign-up rate.
The early bird catches the worm – reward your first members with a special deal. Everyone likes a bargain.
Set-up an affiliate program – an affiliate program is an automated way of paying people who recommend your service to their customers or site visitors a commission for any sales they facilitate. If you want other website owners to help you sell your service this is the best way to get them fired up.
Try to give away something that has zero or near-zero cost to you, but provides your target audience with real value.
Phase 2 – Converting Followers to Paying Members
After 80 days of building excitement and relationships, it’s time to convert your followers into paying members. Here’s how:
Create a Compelling Offer: Give early members extra value rather than just a discount.
Host a Big Event: Consider organizing a webinar with valuable content, but make the full benefits available only to paying members.
Make Signing Up Easy: Clearly communicate the benefits and include a money-back guarantee to reduce perceived risk.
Everything you will have provided so far – the email sign-up giveaway, the content on your site, the email newsletter, Tweets, etc – has been free.
In phase 2 you must turn your attention to packaging up your paid membership service in such a way that your most dedicated followers are very happy to pay.
You want to build excitement and desire over the 80 days. This will get a much higher conversion rate than allowing members to signup whenever they want.
The Offer
You must create a very compelling offer for the first 100 members. I would strongly recommend that the offer is based around giving them downloadable stuff for free rather than a discount on the membership fee.
You should try to preserve your income as much as possible. As mentioned above create a package of services that have a value much greater than the cost of the subscription.
The Big Event
To launch the 10-day sign-up period you should arrange a big event.
A very popular thing to do is have a webinar where prospects can dial into for free and listen to a talk by you, or better still, a really well-known industry personality.
A webinar is easy and cheap to arrange but has a high perceived value to attendees.
The content of the webinar should not be a sales pitch for your membership site. You need to be more subtle than that.
The content should provide really good information about a particular subject, but the information should be incomplete. The additional information should be available within the membership site.
A few examples:
A wine tasting site – the webinar could be hosted by a recognized master of wine and cover how wine tasting is done. The membership area of the website could then reveal their actual tasting notes for dozens of wines
A site about launching an Internet business – the webinar could cover the 15 things you must do before launching an Internet business. The membership area could list all the resources you need for a successful launch
A site about educating children at home – the webinar could cover how to plan a home-based curriculum. The membership website could provide all the templates for the parent to fill in
Make Signing Up Easy:
Clearly communicate the benefits and include a money-back guarantee to reduce perceived risk.
The Sign-Up Process Checklist
Get your site ready with some really excellent content
Create additional content for the first 90 days so you can focus on marketing activities
Create or source some gifts that can be given away to incentivize email sign-up and paid membership sign-up
Focus on driving traffic to the free content on the site and getting visitors to sign-up for the email newsletter (or other communications channel) using a free offer. Keep building interest and momentum for 80 days
Work with other bloggers, online publishers, journalists to get them to drive traffic to your site
Plan a big event such as a webinar to launch the start of membership sign-up
Create a very compelling offer which gives value well beyond the cost of the subscription
Host the big event. Provide real value but give listeners a compelling and irresistible reason to sign-up for your service
Look after the early paying members and they will do a lot of the future selling for you
Conclusion
This technique for getting 100 paying members in 90 days is tried and tested. The skill is building the excitement about your service to the point where your followers can’t wait for it to go live. At all stages, try to put yourself in your prospects' shoes and think about
“what would REALLY make me want to sign up for this service?”.
Starting an online magazine has never been easier. Whether you are an individual with a passion for a specific niche or a business seeking to expand its online presence, the wealth of affordable and user-friendly tools makes publishing an online magazine achievable for even a solopreneur.
These days, if you're looking to manipulate or edit your photos and images, it shouldn't mean you have to purchase expensive software or engage a professional graphic designer. A lot of the functionality that the majority of people need is available with free or low-cost web-based image & photo editing software.
Using headings effectively on your website’s homepage is essential for both engaging users and optimising your site for search engines. Well-crafted headings not only capture attention but also play a vital role in guiding your visitors and improving your SEO performance.
Color is a visitor's first point of engagement with a website. This makes choosing the correct color scheme essential. Not only do color choices, create brand awareness, they actually trigger specific emotions and influence conversion rates.
If you run a coaching business in 2025, taking it online through a membership website is a smart way to expand your reach globally and scale your business quickly.
Setting the subscription prices for your membership website is a critical step to ensuring its profitability and long-term sustainability. When deciding the price, it's important to consider various factors, including the value you offer, your target audience and the costs involved.
The best place to start is with your content. Once your message and structure are clear, design becomes a tool to present that message effectively. A well-designed site should look visually appealing, guide visitors intuitively, and inspire them to take action.
If you’ve ever wondered how to plan an event online, now is the time to learn. With 2020 being the year of Zoom, it’s no surprise that holding virtual events has skyrocketed as traditional live events are on hold. But you might be wondering, "Is that good thing?"
The importance of an intelligently crafted pricing page cannot be overstated. When trying to convince visitors to become subscribers of a membership website, the pricing page is a pivotal element in the conversion journey. It's the gateway where potential customers make the crucial decision to commit to your membership.
If you're an expert in a niche subject and want to start a business to earn an income from your knowledge, then starting a membership website is the answer.
A membership website allows you to protect your exclusive content behind a paywall so access is only granted to subscribers.
This article will list the steps you need to take to start building your membership website.
1. Identify your target audience
Growing an audience of paying users requires creating content tailored to their needs.
It may seem counter-intuitive but by focusing on a specific niche subject you'll be able to more effectively create content that appeals to your target audience.
Knowing the customer persona of your target audience, enables you to identify and create impactful content specific to their needs along with effective marketing strategies to reach and engage them.
A narrow audience allows you to craft targeted marketing messages that will resonate with potential members resulting in successful marketing campaigns.
2. Determine your membership model
Once you identify your audience, you need to decide the content that you plan to offer, how it will be delivered and the sales model. Employing multiple revenue streams will maximise your ability to monetise your content. For example, by providing a visitor, who doesn't intend to sign-up to a membership, the opportunity to purchase a course, digital download or pay-per-view product means you still capture revenue. The SubHub platform gives you the ability to create multiple revenue streams.
Offering membership tiers which unlock more content and perks depending on the level is another upsell option to employ. But remember, too many choices can have a negative impact. According to Hick’s Law, the more choices you present to a user can prolong their decision making process. So limit the membership levels to no more than four.
Membership fees can be set up as a one-time payments or on a recurring basis. Recurring fees have the advantage of providing a steady and reliable income flow. For members that might need a nudge, including free trial days can entice them to sign up.
3. Choosing the best membership platform for your needs
These days there are a wealth of membership models to choose from. They include WordPress, where you can build your site's functionality with plugins, to all-in-one SaaS solutions. Which you select will depend on your budget, tech skills, membership objectives and the content you want to sell.
WordPress offers the most flexibility when it comes to the design and functionality you can achieve with your website. However, those benefits also come with costs and disadvantages. Unless you have technical skills or the budget to hire a developer, a WordPress site can be out of your price range.
The other major downside with WordPress is plug-in maintenance. When you build a website based on the interaction of multiple plugins, you must insure they are all compatible. One incompatible plugin, can break your whole site. This often happens when a plugin needs to be updated. And when it does, you'll need to hire a developer to fix it.
Alternatively, a SaaS solution (Software as a Service) is a complete service that provides you not only with the website but hosting, maintenance and customer support. Popular SaaS examples are Wix, Shopify, Teachable and SubHub. A SaaS solution reduces the stress of running an online knowledge business. If something breaks, you just need to submit a support ticket. And SaaS companies are always working to improve their product offerings.
You'll want to select a platform you can grow with. The design, functionality, and scalability should be flexible enough to modify to meet your target audience’s changing needs.
Many SaaS solutions specialise in the delivery of specific types of content. If you plan to only sell online courses, you might select an eLearning platform like Teachable. If your focus is website membership, but also want the additional revenue stream of selling courses then the SubHub platform is the answer.
Lastly, choose a platform that provides dedicated customer support. When you run a membership website, there will be issues. Read client reviews support by people who really understand both technology and online publishing is vital.
4. Building your website
If you've selected a SaaS solution, you can start right away creating your site with that solution's website builder. Most SaaS solutions are intended to be intuitive enough for a non-techie to easily use.
Your homepage will be the most important page on your site as it will influence whether or not a visitor becomes a member. Be sure to carefully craft the copy of your banner and body text so that it informs and engages with your potential members. Clearly define, the benefits of your membership proposition.
Your homepage must also be SEO optimised with keywords so that your site is found in search results.
Include a testimonial section as client reviews can have a persuasive impact by showing visitors that others value your product, it’s a vote of confidence in your product.
Pay attention to page speed as a slow loading page will cause visitors to bounce.
These are just a few tips to create a converting homepage.
5. Upload initial content
Before launching, you'll need to have uploaded enough content to satisfy your first members. This could be in the form of blog posts, courses, downloads, videos etc. Then you'll need to stay committed to a regular schedule of adding new content.
Make sure your content is meaningful and is of value to your audience.
6. Follow SEO best practices
Just launching a website isn't enough to get found. From the start, be sure to follow SEO best practices when creating your site and adding content. This will improve your chance of getting found in search results. Using keywords, the proper heading format, internal links and requesting backlinks are all necessary to insure that when Google and other search engines index your site that they understand what your site is about, how content relates to each other.
The same focus keyword needs to be present in your meta title, article headline, first sentence and a few times in the article body.
Once you create an article, submit it to Google search so that it is indexed within 24 hours.
Use the proper heading (H1, H2, H3...) format on your pages. H1 must only be used ONCE on any page. Proper headings inform search engines about the structure of your site and the hierarchy of your content.
Internal links are created when you include links of similarly-themed content to each other. Again, this help search engines understand the content on your site and how it relates to each other.
When a site links to your site, this is a backlink. It proves to search engines that your content is relevant and trustworthy.
7. Grow a community on social media
Drive traffic to your website using your social media channels. It's best to select a single social media platform and then dedicate all your efforts to building an audience. Choose the platform where your prospective members will be hanging out.
Conclusion
Membership is one of the most exciting business opportunities on the internet today. It is established enough that you will not have to reinvent the wheel. Everything you need to be successful is available and accessible to novices and experts alike.
Having a well-designed church website is essential for keeping your congregation connected, attracting new visitors, and sharing your ministry’s mission. A great website serves as a hub for online sermons, event updates, and community engagement.
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Bekah's vision led her to become an online fitness coach over eight years ago. She recognised that, for many of her in-person gym clients, finding the time to workout was a balancing act between their job and family responsibilities.
