When you installed your membership plugin when you first launched your site, everything seemed to be laid out pretty well, but over time you may have noticed that there are some minor tweaks that need to be made. The problem is that your plugin is making this task a much bigger problem than it should be. There are a number of different ways that your members can out-pace your plugin. Here is a quick look at the two major areas to focus on when deciding whether or not it is time to upgrade and get a better membership plugin.

The first area is your members themselves. There are some membership plugins that were designed to do absolutely everything. Many of them get billed as the set it and forget type plugins that will magically create a membership site out of thin air. Normally they will include a number of feature completely unrelated to your site itself such as landing page generation or affiliate management. The problem that often arises is that over time you realize that there are better plugins specifically designed for those tasks.

This can affect your members and potential members in a number of ways. The first is that your members may not be getting what they want. For example, do they want a members only forum, but your plugin doesn’t support it? Do your members want the ability to customize their profile page but can’t? All of these are fairly small issues that may not drive away customers by themselves. However when these types of problem compound, there is nothing left for your members to do but leave.

The other area that your membership plugin can be outpaced by your customers is on the administrative side. In most cases the problem is that there are some tasks that you need to complete manually. While this may not be a problem while your membership site is just starting out, as it grows all of these tasks take more time. As we all know, the more time you spend doing mundane tasks the less time you are spending promoting your site or developing your community.

Some of the most common examples include manually importing and exporting members lists for email marketing or billing. While these tasks are simple with a small amount of members, they can quickly become a time suck as your site grows.

Another potential problem is that once you decide to change over and use a new membership plugin, your entire site must be reworked. In order to bypass this problem, it is critical that you choose a membership plugin that allows you to integrate it with your current setup. Fortunately there are several plugins on the market that will allow you to do this, most notable the Magic Members plugin.

Most membership site owners are so focused on what to tweet next and how to maximize their ROI on a per tweet basis, that many forget the value of following. Obviously, the goal here is not to convince you that you should never actually tweet. The goal is to open your eyes to how much you gain by sitting back and just following people. On the internet, the general belief is that the membership site that shares the most, gains the most. While there is some truth to this, it is only true when the person leveraging the power of Twitter spends more time listening than talking. Information is a powerful and valuable commodity and you can use Twitter to get it. Here is a closer look at how you can use Twitter to gain valuable niche/industry information that can add value and profits to your membership site.

The key to gathering the right information relies on knowing who to follow. Twitter allows you to make lists of certain people or groups so that you can follow them and using these lists correctly is what leveraging the power of Twitter is all about.

The first thing that you need to do is follow all of your members. This is the best way to find out exactly what they want. You will know exactly what questions they, what products they like, and you will probably find out what some of them are eating for lunch. By knowing what questions they have, you can create valuable content for your members area. By knowing what products are of interest to them, you can promote those products and gain affiliate profits. You could also use your Twitter list to negotiate higher profits per affiliate sale.

The next group that you need to follow is your competition. Most people will set up separate accounts to follow their competitors because you probably don’t want them to know that you are listening in. By knowing what they are saying and doing, you can make sure that you are always a step ahead. Plus, by knowing what they are involved in, you can decide how to angle yourself to benefit from their actions.

The final group to follow is the leaders within your niche or industry as well as related media sources. This will not only be a potential avenue to gain long term partners, but also to ensure that you always know what the most recent stories and information this. There is nothing that will kill a membership site faster than consistently having outdated information.

As you can see, there is a lot to be gained from following the right groups of people. While tweeting will gain your influence and potentially additional members, it is following the right people that really lets you take advantage of the power that Twitter has to offer membership site owners.

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One of the most difficult times of launching a membership site is the final days where you are trying to double and triple check everything to make sure that launch day is a success. While there are details that will vary from site to site, there are 7 main points that must be double checked before you launch a membership site.

1. Content and Styling

This is where the most variability will be from one membership site to the next. While the details will vary greatly, the overall sections will not. The first thing to check is the typography and layout to make sure that everything is standardized throughout the website. Next, you need to double check spelling and grammar, not only within the content, but also the styling. While checking the spelling, consistency (such as tense and phrasing) is something to keep in mind as well. Also double check to make sure that everything is print-friendly, no test content remains, etc

2. Validation

Some people don’t care whether or not their website is standards compliant, however as a general rule, you need to make sure that you meet applicable internet coding standards and get validated. This includes: HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.

3. SEO/Metrics

Make sure that you are meeting all of the on-page SEO goals that you have created such as proper page titles, metadata descriptions, target keyword usage etc You should also make sure that your analytics/metrics are ready to go.

4. Complete a Functional Test

Before your site goes live make sure to do some functional testings. This includes: checking complex functionality, search functionality, browser compatibility, testing forms, testing different screen resolutions, and external links.

5. Security

As with all live sites, you need to make sure that is secure. There are a variety of steps that can be taken such as configuring a backup schedule (and testing it), protecting admin pages, using a robots.txt, doing a penetration test, setting up email alerts, and checking bandwidth and disk space.

6. Performance Tests

There are several important performance tests that need to be run before you a launch a membership site because the first few days will likely be the busiest (at least for a while). Make sure that on your list of performance tests that you include: a load test, image optimization test, speed tests, database indexing, and server-based logging.

7. Finish It Off

There are two more things that should be done before a launch, but are not entirely necessary. You should create your custom 404 error pages as well as a favicon. While neither of the these will stop your membership site from running smoothly, having them in place can boost conversions and raise brand awareness, which is essential right after you open your doors to the public.

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Facebook has quickly become a well known tool for promoting businesses, products, and of course, membership websites. There are a lot of different tips and techniques that can be used, and if you really dig into the details, then it will take years to read and learn everything. However, with so many tiny details that people focus on, they all boil down to 3 basic steps. Here is a closer look at the 3 basic steps to using Facebook for your membership site.

1. Creating and Managing a Profile

Regardless of what you are promoting, the first thing that needs to be done is establishing a plan for creating and managing your membership site profile. This includes things like creating a business account, reading and understanding the rules of Facebook, and installing the right applications. Normally, these applications are designed to accomplish goals like integrating feeds from your blogs as well as other social media accounts to be displayed on your profile. (Keep in mind that if you add your entire Twitter stream, it can overwhelm your Facebook users).

2. Making a Connection and Sharing

The next step is making a connection with others on Facebook. The first thing to do is create a vanity URL, which will make finding your profile easier. You can also use this URL in other places like business cards, email signatures, forum signatures and more. Make sure that your wall is primarily reserved for business activities, not personal ones. You should also share article links to other valuable resources around the web. This will help you establish credibility and build interest in your membership site. When it comes to finding followers, there are a variety of tactics that can be used such as importing contacts, using Find Friends, and much more.

3. Using Groups, Networks, and Fan Pages

Along with your business profile, there are also a number of other places on Facebook that you can make your presence known. The three most common are groups, networks, and fan pages. Normally, you will choose between either a group or fan page. If your membership site is not very well known, then a group will likely be a better choice. Make sure that like your profile page, you are consistently updating your group page with new, relevant information. You can also join networks and industry groups to help establish credibility and get your name out there.

While each of these steps can involve a number of unique strategies and tactics, it is important to not get bogged down in the details to a point where you lose perspective. Fundamentally, all you need to do is creating and manage your profile effectively, find ways to make connections and share quality content, and use additional features like groups, networks, and fan pages.

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It is really easy to get bogged down in the details of launching a membership site. There are so many detail-oriented decisions, after a while the entire process can be daunting, yet a blur, at the same time. Fortunately, there are 6 basic steps that every detail and decision will fall into. By being able to compartmentalize a little, you will be surprised how much easier launching a membership site can seem.

1. Choose a Niche and a Domain
This is the first step and could be a pretty simple one. Before you start anything, it is important to choose what niche you will be targeting and from there choose a domain name. This can become quite a detailed process once you create a plan to investigate and evaluate niches, as well as how you will choose a domain name.

2. The Look and Feel
The next step is to determine what you want your website to look and feel like. This can either be incredibly detailed or remain semi-conceptual. This is because your design may change based upon what CMS and other technology that you decide to use.

3. The Tech
Now you need to decide what kind of technology you will be using. This includes your content management system, membership related software, payment processor, etc. This can often be one of the more time consuming process because you will constantly be comparing and contrasting difference options.

4. Content
Once the framework is up and running it is time to start building your members area. It is important to make sure that you have solid content right away, otherwise your initial members may feel like they are not getting their monies worth. This can also be a good time to start looking at advertising content as well.

5. Testing and Launching
Once your members area is ready to go, it is time to do some larger scale testing. This is often done with a limited time pre-launch. This will allow you to see how well the membership site functions with real members. This is an important time because it will let you know how much will need to changed before a full-scale launch.

6. Start Marketing
Now that you are ready to launch, it is time for you to amp up your marketing efforts. For some people, the product launch phase can last months, while others will do it in less than a week. It real depends upon your individual marketing strategies.

That’s all there is to it. While each step has a lot of detail-work, these are 6 basic steps that you will need to progress through in order to successfully launch a membership site. Keep in mind that while each step is important, the more time you spend on each step, the longer it will be until your membership site finally launches.

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The pre-launch phase is an incredibly important time for every membership site. If you have been involved in the internet marketing niche for any amount of time, you know how overblown a pre-launch can become. Even if you are in a niche that is not really as tolerant of over the top product launches, that doesn’t mean that the pre-launch phase isn’t important. The single biggest factor of whether or not you launch will be a success is how well you establish and build relationships during the pre-launch phase. Here are a few ways to build relationships quickly and effectively.

1. Twitter
Twitter has become a great tool for establishing relationships. While it can sometimes be difficult to determine if someone is following you for a reason or just to try and get you to follow them back, that doesn’t mean that Twitter isn’t worth your time. The best use of Twitter, aside from regularly tweeting, is to use the search tool and monitor what other prominent people in your niche are saying. Those are people who you want to talk to because it allows you to garner some of their credibility simply through association.

2. Google Alerts
Setting up some Google Alerts for related keywords is a great way to see what is being posted on a daily basis in your niche. While some of the results are not that great, some are extremely valuable. Google Alerts will let you know who is active in your niche and where that activity is. This will allow you to establish communication with the people are most active.

3. Free Products
It is always a great idea to give out free memberships or sneak peaks to the most influential people in your niche. If they are excited about or see value in your product, then don’t hesitate to grab a testimonial or endorsement. This is another great way to make a connection as well as gain some credibility for your landing pages later on.

4. Interviews
Never hesitate to ask someone for an interview. Most people like talking about subjects they are passionate about and some really like to talk about themselves. Doing an interview is easier today than every before. You can do over a Skype connection or any means that you would like. The best part is that not only you get to start a relationship with someone, but you also get more content either for your membership site or for a sign up bonus.

5. Other Tools
There are a variety of other social tools that will allow to establish credibility within your target niche. Some of the most popular include:

• Niche Specific Forums
• Linked In
• MeetUp.com
• Facebook
• Active Communities
• And many more!

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It doesn’t matter if you are creating a variety of landing pages or are using a publicly accessible section of your website to promote your membership site, you must make the offer a compelling one. The key to doing this is to improve the perceived value of your product. It doesn’t matter how valuable your membership site actually is if your potential members don’t see any value. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to instantly improve the perceived value of your website.

The first thing that you need to do is make sure that the members see that they are getting a good deal. It doesn’t matter if anything in your members area is sold separately or not, you must attach a value to it. Otherwise there is no way for a visitor know what they are getting. Keep in mind that while you are doing this, it is important to show a perceived value that is between 3 and 5 times higher than what you are charging. If you charge a yearly fee of $100 then your perceived value needs to be between $300 and $500.

If you are having problems identifying particular aspects of your membership site to target as value-added products, then start by taking some of your content and turning it into a few e-books. If you create 5 ebooks and they have a value of $20, then you have already reached the amount that you are charging ($100). Another great tool that can add value quickly is a members only forum. People love to social, but they love to be exclusive even more. A members only forum can quickly boost the perceived value of your membership site.

The next way to create a compelling offer is to minimize the members risk. The best thing to do, if possible, is to offer a 30, 60, or 90 day, 100% money back guarantee. This will significantly boost your conversion rate. While it may also increase your refund rate because some people will inevitably sign up solely with the intentions of asking for a refund at the last minute, the number of legitimate additional members is well worth the hassle.

Creating an affiliate program is another great way to help you create a compelling offer. There are two reasons for this. First, you can reward members who refer their friends. Everyone loves being a member for free and with a few referrals your first wave of members could easily triple the size of your membership in a very short time. Another way that having an affiliate marketing program will make your offer more compelling is because you can leverage the offers that others are making. The best affiliate marketers will tact on their own bonuses to members that sign up through their links. These bonuses simply add even more perceived value to your membership site.

As you can see, there are a number of easy ways that you can increase the perceived value of your membership site and make your offer much more compelling. While all of these methods are proven to be effective, don’t be afraid to use your imagination either.

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When people talk about the different factors that create a membership site, they will often talk about variables such as quality of content and building a sense of community, however it doesn’t matter how great your content is if no one ever sees it. If you can’t get people to take the first step and sign up, then you will never create a successful membership site. Here is a look at some of the reasons that your visitors aren’t signing up.

1. No Call to Action

The sad truth is that if you don’t tell people to sign up, they won’t. Without a blatant call to action, visitors will not take the next step. You should never assume that they will do something if you don’t tell them what to do.

2. Too Many Words

Creating an effective ad copy is an exercise in restraint. It doesn’t matter if you have a long sales page or a short one, you need to say what you need to say as succinctly as possible.

3. Hard Sell

People don’t want to be forced into joining before they are ready. Let your content speak for itself and people will join. You don’t have to push them straight to registration page.

4. First Impression

There have been a number of studies over the years, and they all state that your visitors will decide whether or not they want to learn more about your membership site within the few 5 to 10 seconds. Essentially, this is the amount of time that it takes to scan your site and mentally process it. People judge books by their cover, and they will do the same to your site, whether it is a good idea or not. Make it look good, or they are going to move on.

5. Colors

Have you noticed that most of top membership sites and sales pages all use the same colors? It’s because they work. If your visitors are not attracted by the colors, or worse are turned off by them, then they are not going to sign up. The color of your website is the basis of its first impression.

6. Keep It Simple

One of the worst things that you can do is make your site too confusing. The more options that people have, the less likely they are to take action. Have you even walked into a state fair or a carnival? There are so many different games and rides, that most people spend more time walking around and trying to decide what to do than actually doing anything.

There are a lot of reasons that you may not be getting your visitors to actually sign up for a membership, but these 6 factors are easy to get right and even easier to get wrong.

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While maximizing the profits from your membership sites seems like an obvious goal of any owner, it is even more important in hard economic times. This has lead to major changes in a number of membership sites over the past few years. While some changes hurt more than helped, there have also been a large number of successful ways to maximize your membership site profits. Here is a quick look at some simply ways to make more money, per member, on your membership site, without increasing your prices.

1. Improving Customer Retention

This seems like an obvious way to increase your profits, but many people are focused almost exclusively on recruiting more member. However, placing most of your effort in member recruitment, may not make the most financial sense over the long term. For example, let’s say your membership site has 100 members with an average retention rate of 3 months. This means that you will receive a total of 300 payments. Now let’s assume that you are focusing your efforts on recruiting more members in increase your number of members by 100% – which would be another 100 members. This means you will now receive at total of 600 payments. Instead of recruiting new members, let’s say that you improve you double your retention rate to 6 months. You still receive 600 payments, however you only have 100 members. The point of this illustration is not that you should focus entirely on one approach or the other, but rather that your ultimate goal needs to be maximizing how much money you make from each member.

2. Up Sell/Cross Sell

There are a lot of membership sites that shy away from cross selling or up selling because they don’t want to drive away members. The truth is, once you have established trust from your members, they are much more likely to purchase a product that you suggest to them, rather than resent it. The key is to make sure that they product will provide actual value to them and to not try and sell them something new every day. By finding products that your members would truly benefit from, you are actually helping them out. If they purchase the product and like it, they are even more likely to purchase the next product that you promote them. As long as you keep the interests of your members as a priority and only promote truly useful products, your members will embrace your cross sells and up sells rather than resent them.

3. Make Your Content Count

Once you have created a bunch on content for your membership site, you need to make sure that you are using it wisely. Content lasts forever, so why not profit from it multiple times. You can turn your content into additional information products, create multiple tiers of membership, or even use previous content into “new” content by changing the medium in which it is displayed (turn text to video).

Maximizing the profitability of your website doesn’t mean increasing the number of members because you should be doing that anyways. The key is to make sure that you are getting the maximum amount of profit from each, individual member. It also means that you need to extract the maximum amount of profit from each piece of content that you create.

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One of the biggest reasons that a membership website will fail is because it is not supported by a solid business strategy.  Fortunately, there are a number of small steps that you can take to make sure that you start out with an effective plan of action.  Here is a quick look at some of the steps that you must take in order to run an effective membership site.

1. Create a Business Plan

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is that they never create a business plan.  Even if your membership site is a small part of your overall buisiness, having a business plan specifically for your membership site is beneficial.  One of the most important parts of a business plan that many people never consider is their exit strategy.  If you have no idea where you going, then how do you plan on getting there?

2. Be Pessimistic

While no one like a perssimist, being pessimistic is an excellent way to create projections and strategies.  By over-estimating your potential expenses and expected cancelation rates, you will have a built in safety net for when things actually do go poorly.  If you are creating your projections and plans based upon the “best case scenario”, then you will not have a game-plan for when things go poorly.  While it is great to think positive, there are time when being a pessimist is beneficial.

3. It’s a Long Race

If you are planning on creating a membership site solely to sell it quickly, that’s great.  But if you plan on creating a membership site for long term recurring profits, then you need to remember that it’s a long race.  This means that your plans need to focus on the short-term and long-term alike.  If you can keep your time frame in mind, then the entire process will likely run a lot smoother.

4. Expect to Work

It doesn’t matter if you are doing everything yourself or outsourcing everything, there will always be some work to do.  Running a membership site is not a “get rich quick” scheme, so don’t treat it like one.  Membership sites can be extremely powerful and profitabile, but it won’t happen overnight.  There is a lot of work, as well as ongoing work, that goes into creating a sustainable membership website.

Running a successful membership site is not only very rewarding, but also very profitabile.  Alot goes into creating a membership site which makes having a plan essential.  Here are four tips to creating an effective plan for success: Create a Business Plan for the Membership Site, Be a little pessimistic about your projections, remember it is long race, and always expect to have to work to do.

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