It takes some work and certainly the right tools to set up a members-only website but the rewards (monetary as well as personal satisfaction) can be huge. Whatever you are passionately interested in or very adept at can be the topic of a members only website today.
One of the first types of membership sties on the Internet was the online dating site. In the beginning, they were mostly unpopulated but as the Internet matured the sites became popular among people from all walks of life.
There are membership sites today that cover just about every area of human interests. Some offer informational or teaching material that is only able to be accessed by site members. Some membership sites are able to be viewed by non members but non-members are not allowed to participate in the activities or post to the message boards on the site. Sites that provide information to find work at home jobs, for example, can see the listing of jobs but cannot apply for the jobs unless they are members of the membership site.
There are membership sites that provide instruction is such things as how to play the drums or guitar for example. The lessons are accessible only to members of the site, although those who are not members can view what subjects are being taught in the lessons.
Why Start a Membership Site?
People are willing to pay for online content. In fact, the “Online Publishers Association” said that pay-for content is emerging as a hot revenue model. Business content, personals/match making, and entertainment are the hottest niches. But even smaller niches, like DVD authoring, sports coaching, marketing services, and dieting are producing profits.
You can sell subscriptions for online content with your own membership site. Selling online content by way of a password protected website has become big business. Not only is it fast to set up, but the start-up and running costs are minimal. Work from home entrepreneurs and big businesses alike are tapping into this new found revenue source.
One of the great things about starting a membership site is you can take your hobby, specialised knowledge or profession and turn it into a profitable business. Your challenge will be finding exclusive content. You can start it part time but it will likely develop into a full time business.
Planning for and setting your site up for autoresponders, automated sign ups, credit card processing, automated cancellations, etc is all part of a successful membership website. Starting and running a membership site can be a lot of fun and very exciting, however you need to know what’s involved in setting one up, and then managing it effectively.
This whole process can seem a bit daunting. However, as complex as this seems, Kjami.com offers a low cost, easy to use software solution. This makes it possible for almost anyone to start and market a membership site at a very low cost.
Free Membership Sites
Basically, a free membership site is a site where the user is not charged a membership fee to use the site but is required to supply their email address, choose a user name and password to enter the site, participate in the discussions and activities. Sometimes free memberships are limited to less useful information or access while paid memberships have full access or access to purchased courses or products within the membership site.
You can start a free membership website with no charge at all to access the site. To gain access to limited information would require supplying an email address, choosing a user name and a password. To gain full access to the site would most likely require payment if the information you provide merits a fee. Some sites never charge a membership fee and rely solely on selling their own product or promoting products produced by others as a source of income.
Paid Membership Sites
All monetised membership sites have one thing in common. They are bringing in steady and constant cash flow for their owners, month after month, from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars and the array of topics is endless.
Some paid membership sites provide mentoring or coaching, others publish useful articles or information in a particular field or product. Still others publish the results of tests and studies or product reviews. Some membership sites provide specialised service or act as a meeting place for people with a common interest and then there are those that provide step by step instructions for such things as painting or playing a musical instrument.
Is Starting a Membership Site for You?
The Internet is the ultimate ‘equal opportunity employer’. Anybody can start a membership business on the Internet. All that is needed is a subject, a website and the tools to build the site. You can start a membership website business but the question is should you?
Many people that decide to start a home based membership website business are destined to fail because their motivation and expectations are completely unrealistic. Before you attempt to start a membership website business you need to do a reality check.
First, if you really think that you can build a couple of web pages, invest little or no money, time or effort and start making an income tomorrow, you are so wrong. Building a business any business takes time. It also takes a monetary investment, a lot of effort and energy, and, above all else, patience, passion for the theme of the website, and a drive for success.
Almost equally important is the need to have realistic economic expectations when undertaking a home based membership website business. A home membership website internet business provides many rewards such as working in the comfort of your own home, avoiding a stressful commute, being your own boss, setting your own hours, no dress code, etc., etc., but anyone that is also expecting instant riches is sadly mistaken.
Study the opportunities of a membership website business carefully. If you have the personal traits required to succeed then select the theme that seems to fit your own particular interests or talents. What is a good choice for one person may be a very poor fit for someone else. The common thread that applies to everyone is that you must passionately believe in what you are doing and anything less than total commitment isn’t enough.
