What is a membership site?
Essentially a membership site is a secured part of a website where users can only access content you provide via a password protected area. One of the reasons to create a membership site is due to its potential in obtaining recurring income. However, that’s not all as membership sites are also great to build an online community, create and build loyalty, maintain relationships, build a list, send newsletters, promotional campaigns, etc. With a membership site you can provide access to exclusive content, such as eBooks, training material, premium tutorials, articles, or you can also have a download area for games, themes and skins (if you are developer), software, and much more.
One of the problems with setting up a manageable membership site is that the available solutions can be complicated for a non tech savvy person and the cost associated with it could be somewhat on the high end. Not to mention that some solutions are available in modules and if you want to upgrade, you will have to pay an extra. The ideal solution would be to have, a powerful yet easy to use membership site software that delivers, is flexible, fully featured and inexpensive. Does that even exist?
Enter Magic Members Plugin. As the name suggest, it is a WordPress membership site plugin whereby anyone who knows how to install a plugin can easily set it up. A WordPress membership plugin that “turns”, any new or existing WordPress site, in to a fully automated membership site following simple and easy to understand instructions. If you ever considered setting up and run your own membership site, this is definitely a good solution, considering the features and support if offers.
Just for you to have an idea of how easy it is, once you have downloaded the plugin, you install it just like you would any other plugin. Upload, install and activate. Once you’ve activated the plugin you will see the admin panel that controls everything you want. You set up the membership levels, payment options, content control, create coupons, etc.… For example, in the admin panel, you can go to the content control option, select download, upload anything you want, select level of access, and you’re done. Easy set up:
Key features of Magic Members WordPress Membership plugin
Magic members WordPress Membership plugin is made up of great features that empowers you to make your membership site perform just about every task you can think of. Some of the key features include:-
Unlimited membership levels
Magic Members membership software empowers you to control access to various levels of your membership site. With your membership site plugin, you will be able to offer particular members specific access to different areas of your site according to their subscription levels. This is a sure way of increasing value for your membership site.
Multiple membership options
Easily set various membership billing options with varied subscription amounts. Your members can pay for their subscriptions on a daily, weekly, monthly and on annual basis. “Standard” members have monthly subscriptions while “Premium” members have annual subscriptions. Open a free gateway, with controlled content if you want.
Wide range of payment modules
Most of the popular payment options are included. Modules include PayPal standard, PayPal Pro, CCBill, 2Checkout, ClickBank, Authorize.net, SagePay, among others. You can use them all or select only what you want to. This feature makes it easy for you to receive subscription payments from your members.
Controlled access to content
Obviously, the key feature and primary condition for a membership site. This enables you to control what different membership levels get access to. Here is an example when creating a new post. Let’s say that this is an exclusive content. Just use you normal WordPress “add new” post and then define the level of membership option.
Integration With AutoResponders
Magic Members has seamless integration with AWeber, GetResponse, Constant Contact, iContact and MailChimp.
Video tutorials to guide you to every step of the way
Training videos, support guides, comprehensive FAQs, and a support staff ready to answer your question within 24 are all in place to ensure that your membership site is up and running smoothly.
And really, a whole lot more. Here you can find out more about all the features that Magic Members membership site plugin has to offer (not aff link).
That’s it? In the near future I will be giving you some examples of different types of membership sites you can create and hopefully will allow you to generate a little more revenue.
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Lye Kuek Hin
Hi DiTesco,
Having a membership helps in encourages interaction between readers and helping each other. It requires a certain amount of readership before we can consider starting a membership site. I have no plans yet but this post will come handy if i decide to set up one in future.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
Lye
Hi Lye. I agree . I know it is hard to establish a membership site, specially if it is a paid one, where no one know about it yet. One way of getting around this when it is the beginning is to offer a subscription trial for “a longer” period of time (sort of like in beta mode). Once momentum is built then I think it can move to the next level. Current “trail” users for example can be offered a full years subscription and only new ones will be charged. This way, it maintains loyalty and if all goes well, after a year they can start paying. In the meantime, you can set up, pay-per-post type of articles where members still access some info for free but has to pay per “whatever”. Anyway, it really is a matter of what your objectives are if it is even worthwhile to turn an existing one or simply create a new one in its entirety.
I have already setup several wordpress membership sites via the magicmembers plugin and it is a pretty easy and straightforward plugin to use with all the features needed to run a succesful membership site.
Hi Andreas. I am glad you are here giving your “second” on this plugin. Just started to use it and taking it for a test drive. Considering that you have experience with membership sites, I will take your word for it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Steve
Magic Members has proven to be a great plugin that allows you to integrate with multiple payment processors as well as create and manage an exceptional membership website.
Hi Steve. Thanks for the “second” on this one. It is always good to know about other people’s experience as it helps to build more credibility for a particular product. Thanks for stopping by
Hi DiTesco,
That is a great post. I have bookmarked it for future. I am thinking of allowing people to download my posts as pdf if they subscribe. This plugin however is a little bit advanced for me right now. I will start simple and move to it.
THanks for sharing.
Ashvini
That’s the right attitude Ashvini. Starting low and then moving up as things get consolidated. The idea to allow people to download your pdf files is awesome and you can still start it by granting free access, providing they subscribe as members. The idea is get as much people to join “the club” as early as possible and then use the “list” for future offerings. Offerinf free stuff via a membership option is great and I’m sure you’ll find that the benefit pays for the investment itself. Thanks for stopping by
Anne Sales
This is fabulously awesome–both the article and the membership plugin. I can see how beneficial it would be for online biz owners. Wonderful thanks to you for sharing this info.
Hi Anne. Yes, I agree with you, this plugin is a real life saver if someone wishes to go the route of creating a membership site. It is so easy to use that “Grandma” is thinking of building a community of exclusive “Senior” people only. Just kidding, more of a metaphor…….. Thanks for stopping by
I agree, creating a membership site is one of the best ways to obtain recurring income. The Magic Members Plugin looks like a very handy plugin to implement.
I love the fact that it’s a WordPress plugin because they are so easy to install and begin using. Thanks for the video tutorials because I think I might try this plugin on one of my membership sites. Thanks for sharing DiTesco.
Great post DiTesco. I’m already converting my tutorials website into WordPress instead of my custom coded template script.
I was thinking of adding additional features, and offering a few language eBooks for a small one-time fee.
So that plug-in should definitely help!
Thanks for sharing
Regards,
Amr
Hi Amr. That’s a great idea. Granting access to your tutorial via a easier interface makes it easy for you to manage and “hopefully” easier for users to navigate through the protected area. Plus, the benefit of having this plugin is that if there is an upgrade of some sort, added functionality, bug fixes, etc. you won’t have to spend time coding and fixing it yourself. Thanks for taking the time to comment and if you do decided to use it. let me know how it goes for you.
Great post, DiTesco!
If anyone ever had an excuse of not making a membership website because they didn’t know how will have to find an other reason.
Your tutorial is awesome with pictures and all but wordpress is a great bloggi… heck, cms that is versatile and can make tasks that would take months in hours.
Now anyone that has something to offer can make a profit by using this simple (simple after your tutorial) plugin.
Hi Alex. LOL. You are exactly right on spot now. Excuses for not having one is a thing from the past and maybe the next “excuse” will be “not sure what type of membership will I create” 🙂
And YES, thanks to WP, all it takes is a little imagination and a lot of creativity. Good thing there are these awesome people that makes this happen. Thanks bud for stopping by
What a great resource, DiTesco. I have been through sites that require password to access a particular section, so that’s how it’s done. I yet to consider my blog to be a membership site, but this might work on the writing projects I’m currently involving. A great way to expand and ensure reader-loyalty, something to plan ahead.
@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
Hi Ching. I’m glad you found this plugin useful. I’m using it in one of my websites (a free trial software site) which allows members to try the products I have over there (most affiliates) to try before they buy. It helps tremendously in building a list and users are satisfied because they get to try a bunch of stuff first before they actually let go of their hard earned $$. Still on baby steps though but looks like it may be promising. We’ll see.
Hi, DiTesco …
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve added it to my favorite bookmarking services so that other people who might be interested in establishing a membership site can find out about this Magic Members Plugin, too.
BTW, I notice you didn’t provide your affiliate link.
I feel you’ve certainly earned whatever compensation you might receive, if I buy this Magic Members Plugin through you when I’m ready to purchase, which will be as soon as my IT guy finishes converting my html site to a WordPress CMS, so I’d appreciate it if you’d publish your affiliate link in your reply.
I do understand why you might choose to refrain from using your affiliate links in your posts. They can make it seem as though the *real* reason you’re recommending something is so you can make money by doing so, when that’s not your intention at all.
A great guy by the name of James S. Huggins — jamesshuggins.com — told me a long time ago that, in his opinion, the best way to handle the fact that you’re an affiliate for something is to say something like this:
“You can get this widget from the company’s link; or, if you feel I’ve earned a small commission for researching it and publishing my findings about it here for your benefit, then you’re welcome to purchase it through my affiliate link. Thanks in advance for your business.”
That way, people can choose for themselves who they want to buy their widget from … the impersonal company who doesn’t care about them, or the great guy on this blog who does.
From my point of view, it’s a no brainer !!!
But there may be a sourpuss or two out there who can’t stand the idea that you might get a small commission for these your many labors, so by providing the company’s link as well as your own, you keep everybody happy.
A refinement on this method would be to offer your prospective purchasers a free report you’ve written containing some more of your ideas on how best to use this new plugin. Just put the optin form for it right in line in your article, and people like me will (a) buy through your affiliate link, and (b) sign up to get your free report on how to use this puppy, and (c) poke around this site to see if there’s anything else they can’t live without !!!
You did a great job on this article, DiTesco, and you graciously responded to all your commenters, and that in itself communicates to your visitors that you’re a person of high standards.
The Law of Reciprocity dictates that your visitors would not only be happy to buy from you, but that they would also feel proud to know you. There aren’t that many people with high standards around !!!
warmest regards …
Elizabeth
P.S.
Now, give me your affiliate link for this Magic Members Plugin !!!
🙂
http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/BD7A3EE2-579C-4D98-A6E5-3BABE193E1AD/
Wow, thanks for the compliment and your nice words. One thing to point out is the “Law Of Reciprocity”. This is indeed very true and sadly it seems that there are many people who take this the wrong way (feeling obligated). I think that it a way, we should just ou thing naturally and expect for no return. The rewards are sometimes not so obvious, but they do come around eventually 😉 Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts, this is truly very inspiring and motivating. As for the aff link, its right there on my sidebar (top) under the search box 🙂
Duh!
Yes, I see it, now … been a snake, it woulda bit me !!!
Just out of curiosity, are you currently using “Magic Members” and I’m just not seeing it, or are you in the process of implementing it?
And you’re welcome !!!
warmest regards …
Elizabeth
🙂
.
Hi Elizabeth. Yes, I am using MM on another website I am taking it for a spin. I decided not to use it here because I don’t really have any content that I think I should be “charging” anyone to pay for. Goes with the trade 🙂 Maybe I’ll do in the future if I decide to “finally” move on with my eBook that has been gathering dust for a while now. Also, I have just started another website that provides “freeware”. I am in the process of implementing it there as there are some people who would be interested in “getting” their hands on it. Once cruising, I’ll let you and everyone else about it 😉
You wrote …
“I decided not to use it here because I don’t really have any content that I think I should be ‘charging’ anyone to pay for.”
hmmm …
Isn’t the idea to create some?
So that you can leverage everything you’ve already got going, here, and use it as a springboard for the 20% of your readership that I can see for myself is standing by, ready and able to gobble up everything of an “extra special” nature that you might be induced to produce?
If you doubt me, just ask them! Take a survey! Find out what they want for Christmas, internet-marketing-wise!
As for your ebook …
That would be the *perfect* springboard for a paid subscription to this site. At least, in my opinion, it would be.
Here’s how you’d do it:
First, wipe off the dust it’s been gathering!
Second, make a plan to produce one section of it at a time, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, about 10-15 pages’ worth. Think of each section as a small report. That way, you won’t get overwhelmed with thoughts of the GREAT BIG EBOOK you have to write.
Third, decide how many sections it will take to completely cover the topic, divide that number by 4, and announce that you have a step-by-step series of weekly autoresponder lessons available by subscription on how to do ABC that will take 3, 6, 9, or 12 months to complete, at a cost of $X a month.
Are you still awake?
Don’t let it escape your notice that, if you do it this way, you won’t need a membership site!
You don’t *really* want to wrestle with a forum, anyway, do you?
(giggle!)
Send me an email. I’ll respond with some more pointers.
warmest regards …
Elizabeth
elizabeth at elizabethadamsdirect dot com
P.S.
What *I* want for Valentine’s Day
is for you to install a preview plugin
on this puppy!
🙂
N.B.
A “bold” button would be nice, too!
🙂
.
Hmm, what I meant was I do not have currently any content that I will feel comfortable in asking for money in return. As for the eBook you are definitely right and have actually provided me with some “inspiration” to move forward. Tips are great and rest assured that I will knocking on your “door”, lol, as soon as I trip to something (which I’m sure I will). Rain check then 🙂
Perfect timing! Thank you. I’m working on blogging strategies for 2011 and you just saved me a ton of work.
Hi Sherryl. You are welcome and I’m glad that you found this tool interesting. I hope you get satisfied, in case you decide to use it. Thanks for stopping by
steven papas
you know I ‘ve been strugling some time now with the thought of turning my blog into a membership one, but I keep postponing it. I don’t know, it might be too early, or I don’t feel ready for such undertaking. What would you suggest to a blogger who recently started out his blog?