Understanding Membership Software

One of the main problems about setting up a membership site is the software. If you have done any research on this you will know that you have more than enough choices. So just how do you choose the right membership software for your business?

You definitely don't want to rush into buying the first membership software that you see. You need to think about what functions you want your software to have.

Some membership software is very basic and it essentially allows you to give your members access to a basic site. It is used to help set up your recurring membership payment system and then customers log into a word press account.

This type of software may be suitable if you want to use your site as a protected download area for your customers. It is more of a one purchase type system which allows them to return to the site to view their content, or to download it.

Then we get to more advanced membership software that allows you to have more of a members area. This can include having the ability to install a forum or chat room area.

You may wish to have different membership levels such as Bronze, Silver and Gold. This incorporates a different pricing level for each member. Not all software can do this, so think about if this is a viable option for you or not.

Other membership software can be used for selling products and bundles of products. 
These are normally displayed in a listing format and not always as an ecommerce type of site.

Then we have software that is perfect for creating a membership site along with a built in affiliate program. This is a fantastic way to recruit members and allows current members to recommend your products to their friends and get paid. They could technically get their membership for free each month. Your benefit is that it gives you new members without doing any extra work.

Let's do a quick recap of some of the features and benefits that you want from your membership software.

• ·        Variable pricing structure
• ·        Allows for recurring payments
• ·        Can sell products via the software
• ·        Offers tiered membership levels - gold, silver etc
• ·        Does it come with an affiliate program

As you can see buying a membership software takes time, consideration and careful planning. It is definitely not something that you want to rush into at all.