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Which Membership Site Will You Start?

Almost every long-term information business I work with eventually gets some type of continuity or membership site in place. They’re just too profitable to ignore!

The only question is which kind of membership site is right for you…and your business?

For many they choose a membership site where new content is added in each month for an indefinite time. The easiest way to set these up is often by using a Wordpress site for content management along with a password protection script to keep the content members only.

Or another type of membership site which is becoming very popular the last few years are fixed term membership sites. Instead of the membership site lasting “forever.” It is limited in time such as the next 12 months only. Once you get through it, the class is finished. You may have upgrades or advanced versions but those are offered separately.

Below is some more information on fixed term membership sites which I pulled from Residual Income Formula…available as a bonus with Overnight Membership Sites (including full membership software).

A Fixed Term site only runs for a specified amount of time. Members remain members for whatever amount of time you specify – usually 3, 6, or 12 months. Once you get your amount of time figured out, you can build lessons around that time frame.

You would deliver original material for the specified amount of time and then the membership would end after the last piece of content has been delivered.

For example, if your niche was on how to improve your golf swing, you could break down the tutorials into a weekly format so that people could get a “course” type style.

If you wanted, you could solely use an autoresponder like AWeber to deliver your messages – meaning people would sign up for your mailing list and you’d send them their weekly lesson automatically.

These types of sites are low-pressure and nice to start out with because of that.

The benefits to running a Fixed Term site include:

- Easy to Set-up
- Low Cost
- Less Content Needed
- Doesn’t Require Constant Updating
- People Feel As If They’re Getting An Inexpensive Class
- Not Tied-In if it Bombs

You can see from the list above why this would be a great way to start out. All you need to do is create content for the specified amount of time (or pay someone to create it for you) and then set the site up so that the content is delivered to each member on time.

Besides being so great for YOU, these sites are also wonderful for both the members and for attracting members.

See, when members are looking at your sales page, they might be put off when they see an indefinite membership fee. They might think, “Man – I’ll forget to cancel that and be billed $19.95 for the rest of my life.”

With a fixed term membership, though, people know there’s a “light at the end of the tunnel.” They won’t be charged indefinitely.

Also, they feel as if they’re taking a class and being delivered quality information every single day, week, or month (whenever you deliver new material).

Conversely, you could go another route – say, delivering recipes on a weekly basis every week for 12 weeks.

If you go with the class-style format, odds are that you’re going to retain members for a longer amount of time than you normally would. People won’t want to quit in the middle because people hate to feel as if they haven’t finished something. It’s basic psychology. They also might feel as if they’re going to miss something if they leave. With a traditional membership, it’s easy to leave and have the option to come back later on.

Quick tip: To help with retention on fixed term memberships, you can end each lesson by previewing what’s coming in the next lesson. This will create excitement and/or intrigue for what’s coming up and it will cause people to stick with the course.

There are a couple cons to this type of site.

The first one is that the membership eventually ends, so you won’t be getting lifetime income from a member.

That being said, since retention is usually higher with fixed term memberships, you’ll probably make more money with those types of customers to begin with – but that’s not necessarily the case.

To think around that, you could easily can turn a Fixed Term membership into a constant income by upselling the member on a more advanced site.

For example, if you have an 8-week course on the Lemonade Diet, toward the end of the course you can try to upsell the member on a Yoga site that has videos for Yoga. It would be a logical transition – first they got their diet in order, now they can go to health.

The other con to Fixed Income membership sites is that you have to constantly market your site to attract new members since every membership only runs for a limited amount of time.

Want to know more about how to set-up and run your own membership site (both fixed term and traditional)?

Check out Overnight Membership Sites and Residual Income Formula available here.

Discover how anyone can create their own automated niche membership sites using free content virtually overnight.

Written by Terry · Filed Under All 

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Comments

10 Responses to “Which Membership Site Will You Start?”

  1. Richard on March 26th, 2009 1:08 pm

    I’m considering this now. I built up a subscriber list and I’m adding to it successfully through PPC. Now I need to decide in the next few days what to deliver next. My sector is technology in ministry.

    If I’m being honest, I’m looking for excuses to not write the eBook. Sigh.

  2. Parth on March 26th, 2009 1:41 pm

    I don’t like the concept of a fixed membership sites. I think its better to create one good site, develop a strong community of a few hundred people and let the steady income roll. Enhance the site with a members only forum so you can communicate wit them. In other words they’re paying for the content, and your advice.

  3. Daniel Howard on March 26th, 2009 2:20 pm

    Hi Terry

    Great content, membership sites or continuity works great for this information businesses. Because all the content is accessible in a members only website. for easy access whenever you want.

    Russell Brunson has just released a new concept called micro continuity it revolves around CD of the month. But is a great business to go in. to earn income month after month.

    There are lots of different types of continuity but has a major effect on your business.

    Danny

  4. Frank Prieto - Marketing for Acupuncturists on March 26th, 2009 2:52 pm

    Terry, this post is great because I’m currently looking for a membership site solution, but I have something else to tell you that may not belong in this section but I think you should know.

    I purchased “The Naked Truth About IM” and I’ve got to say it’s been the best $97 I’ve spent in a long time. You, Glenn and the rest did a great job delivering the goods. Thank you for confirming what I’ve known for the last two years; “It ain’t easy… And anybody that tells you it is, is lying.”

    After two long hard years my info business is just starting to take off. It’s taken hard work, time and money, not to mention acquiring the skill to smell a rat (a lying guru.)

    Thank you for the great content and for the validation. You’ve earned my respect.

    Frank Prieto

  5. Tom Gallagher on March 26th, 2009 3:46 pm

    Hi Frank
    Once again a great article.
    As a virtual newbie, this information is very valuable to me.

    I agree with Parth about going for a continuing membership site, and remember the onus is on you to make it interesting and enjoyable. Your members are indeed paying for the content and your advice. Use feedback and ask the members if there is additional information they would be interested in.

    I totally endorse Frank Prieto’s comments about this business. There is the usual perception about doing this business a few hours per week in your PJ’s and making a fortune..B.S..
    You have to be hard working, dedicate time to it and it does cost you some money, but the end results more than make up for it. I believe you only get out what you put in.

    Thanks again
    Tom Gallagher

  6. dele on March 27th, 2009 11:27 am

    Membership site is good, you just added another twist to it and that running
    a time based membership site.
    It something i never thought of.

  7. AnneMarie Callan on March 27th, 2009 6:46 pm

    Hi Terry

    Righ now, I’m excited because I have actually just created my first full term membership site and at this minute was writing out my plan of how to promote it via ppc.

    Because I had written a book on the subject first, I’m really excited about getting the membership site going. It’ll be for 9 months and I’ve got the plan for each weekly lesson and assignment planned.

    Actually your information was the first ‘true’ internet marketing material I fell upon 4 years ago. Sadly I didn’t follow everything you suggested but I’de definitely recommend you to anyone who wants a great blueprint on how to to build a successful internet business.

    Now, I had better get back to promoting my membership site and I would definitely say to anyone reading your article … if Terry Dean suggests it, you can’t go wrong!

    How is that for a genuine compliment?

    AnneMarie

  8. Mary on March 28th, 2009 9:16 am

    Wow,
    I’m doing a m’ship course with Jimmy Brown…what a small world.
    Am also listening to a 21 series video course by you, Terry , on getting started on the net. You certainly have the gift of teaching.
    I was wondering if you allow the vids to be used elsewhere…ie by me!…How do I find out, other than ask you here?.
    I’d love to be able to use them!
    Regards,
    Mary

  9. Gavin Lively on March 28th, 2009 7:44 pm

    The biggest obstacle in my my mind to running a membership site is the time devoted to it to add value and actually do the administrating side of it….

    I would love to have just a bunch of people I trust run it for me and to administer it.

    I know you are one of the pioneers with membership sites like the old Netbreakthroughs membership site. I’m not sure I am ready to dive into creating a membership site….

    Terry are membership sites your favorite model?

    Thanks
    Gavin

  10. Terry on March 30th, 2009 10:26 am

    Mary: I’m not sure which video series you’re watching. It’s possible it’s one of the video series you’re allowed to use as a buyer of the Internet Lifestyle System product at internetlifestylesystem.com/

    Gavin: Marketing the site is where the money is. Getting people to manage a discussion board or write the content can definitely be done. You have to focus on running it and marketing though.

    Membership sites are definitely ONE of my favorite models.

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