Membership Sites

How to go about Creating a Membership Site

Membership Sites: How to go about Creating a Membership Site

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How to go about Creating a Membership Site

2014 All Rights Reserved.

o part o! this publi"ation ma# be$ in"luding but not limited to$ reprodu"ed$ in an# !orm or medium$ stored in a data retrieval s#stem or transmitted b# or through an# means$ without prior written permission !rom the publisher %he in!ormation "ontained herein has been obtained !rom sour"es believed to be reliable at the time o! publi"ation. %he opinions e&pressed herein are sub'e"t to "hange without noti"e. %he publisher dis"laims all warranties as to the a""ura"#$ "ompleteness or ade(ua"# o! su"h in!ormation. %he publisher assumes no liabilit# !or errors$ omissions or inade(ua"ies in the in!ormation "ontained herein or !rom the interpretations thereo!. %he publisher spe"i!i"all# dis"laims an# liabilit# !rom the use or appli"ation o! the in!ormation "ontained herein or !rom the interpretations thereo!.

Membership Sites: How to go about Creating a Membership Site

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How to go about Creating a Membership Site

Broad or Narrow Focus

)hen de"iding on #our sub'e"t matter !or #our membership site #ou "ould either go broad or #ou "ould go narrow. *et me e&plain+

)hile #ou "ould go about "reating a membership website that "arries a broad theme$ the# are o!ten harder to maintain$ and when it "omes to "reating targeted mar,eting "ampaigns$ the more !o"used #our membership site is$ the easier it will be to tap into #our "ustomer base and re"ruit subs"ribers to #our site.

-ver# website begins with a theme. A theme is a spe"i!i" topi" or !o"us that #our membership website will !o"us on.

However$ be!ore #ou "an "hoose a theme or topi" !or #our membership site$ #ou will need to "arr# out a bit o! mar,et
Membership Sites: How to go about Creating a Membership Site

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resear"h$ so that #ou "an "losel# evaluate the viabilit# o! "reating a membership based website within spe"i!i" mar,ets that interest #ou.

/ou want to ma,e sure that #ou "an !ind a 0point o! entr#1$ so that #ou "an generate e&posure !or #our membership site regardless o! the "ompetition.

A Few Things to Keep In Mind

%here are a !ew things to ,eep in mind when evaluating potential topi"s !or #our membership site$ in"luding+

Are there existing membership websites within the market? How can you offer something new to an existing customer base? Do You Have The Ability To Provide uality !nformation And "esources To This #arket That Aren$t Already %eing &ffered? !s Your Theme &r Topic 'onsidered ()vergreen*?

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Are There Existing Membership Mar!et"

ebsites within the

As mu"h as some people !ear "ompetition$ "ompetition is a"tuall# a good thing. 2t means that there is some interest in the topi"3mar,et.

/ou want to build #our membership sites around a viable industr#$ and b# determining whether there are su""ess!ul membership sites alread# "atering to #our mar,et$ #ou will ma&imi4e #our "han"es o! building a membership website that will be widel# a""epted and o! interest to the ma'orit# o! #our "ustomer base.

5or e&ample$ i! during #our resear"h #ou determine that there is a ver# low number o! membership websites that target a spe"i!i" topi"$ it1s a good indi"ation that the mar,et is too small to a""ommodate too man# membership websites.

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)hile smaller ni"he mar,ets "an be pro!itable$ in order to s"ale #our membership website #ou want to !o"us on broader mar,ets.

How can #ou o$$er something new to an existing customer base"

2! #ou have established that a spe"i!i" mar,et is a"tivel# pur"hasing and subs"ribing to similar membership websites$ #ou need to determine #our uni(ue point o! entr#.

How can you create a community of your own that offers something different than what other membership sites are offering? How can you offer distinct value in your own membership program?

/ou need to set #oursel! apart !rom other membership sites in the mar,etpla"e b# !irst de!ining #our 7S8$ and then "reating a membership website that "learl# demonstrates how #ou are Page 9

Membership Sites: How to go about Creating a Membership Site

di!!erent$ how #our members bene!it b# being part o! #our "ommunit#$ and wh# the# should "hoose #ou over the "ompetition.

/our 7S8 "ould be as simple as the deliver# methods that #ou o!!er$ or the !ormat in whi"h #our "ontent is made available.

5or e&ample$ i! #ou !ind a "ompeting membership website o!!ering eboo,:onl# produ"ts to their members$ "onsider o!!ering both eboo, and video or audio based versions o! the in!ormation produ"ts that #ou "reate. Sin"e people pre!er to learn in di!!erent wa#s$ b# o!!ering man# di!!erent !ormats !or #our training tools$ #ou are able to "ater to a wider audien"e while separating #oursel! !rom the "ompetition.

%o &ou Ha'e The Abi(it# To )ro'ide *ua(it# In$ormation And +esources To This Mar!et That Aren,t A(read# Being -$$ered"

;ust be"ause #ou<ve "on!irmed that a mar,et is a viable one doesn<t mean that #ou will be able to "reate a su""ess!ul
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membership site !or that mar,et$ unless #ou have the abilit# to "reate "ontent that #our subs"ribers will be interested in pa#ing !or.

Consider the "osts o! outsour"ing "ontent !or di!!erent mar,ets$ as the more popular a topi" is$ the greater the number o! !reelan"ers to "hoose !rom. 2! #our topi" is too !o"used or spe"i!i"$ #ou might !ind it di!!i"ult to lo"ate (uali!ied !reelan"ers who have enough e&perien"e to produ"e (ualit# "ontent !or #our site.

>eveloping a membership website that o!!ers spe"iali4ed "ontent is a great wa# to develop a 7S8 ?uni(ue selling proposition@ so that #ou "an stand out in the mar,et and attra"t subs"ribers.

Is &our Theme -r Topic Considered .E'ergreen/"

-vergreen topi"s in"lude sub'e"t matter that will still be in demand #ears !rom now. %hese topi"s aren1t based on !ads or

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temporar# hot topi"s$ but rather on stable$ long:term mar,ets that have proven to be viable over a long period o! time.

Mar,ets that are "onsidered evergreen in"lude weight loss$ parenting$ emplo#ment$ !inan"e$ "redit$ health topi"s and even sports or hobbies.

2t<s important that #our membership site is designed around a viable topi" so that #ou "an build a long:term membership program.

A!ter all$ #ou want to !o"us on a s"alable "ommunit# base that "an "onsistentl# grow and ma&imi4e #our overall in"ome$ and i! #ou base #our membership website around a short:term topi"$ #ou will struggle to retain subs"ribers on"e the initial bu44 wears o!!.

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