Best software platform for membership sites?

GenerousBoy · 03-01-2011, 10:04 AM

Hey Warriors, I'm in the process of gathering material for a membership site in the IM niche (to begin with) and looking at courses on how to set one up... and not only are they all pretty expensive, there's a lot of conflicting advice as to which platforms are best to work with?

What are your positive experiences of courses and membership software platforms and why? I'm all for taking action, but at the moment I feel I'd be jumping in the dark...

Loren Woirhaye · 03-01-2011, 10:09 AM

Membership software is at heart just a re-billing and password-access
script. Everything on top of that is extra.

There are a lot of good scripts out there. Where you'll encounter
problems is when you're building your site and the script does things
one way and you're saying "but I want it this way". Then you'll
be paying a programmer to make it your way.

My recommendation:

Find a CMS that does what you want in terms of user and admin
features, then you can choose a membership script that works well
with that CMS.

M Thompson · 03-01-2011, 10:10 AM

Personally I like wishlist member, and for added usability pair it with optimize press.

whatever you do build it so it's future proof, my early site is held together with duct tape and spitballs because i didn't envisage the day when it would have 60,000 posts and 2000 members

CyberSorcerer · 03-01-2011, 10:50 AM

A good choice because that's what I'm going with in my new membership which will be opening soon.

But I also use nanocast, DAP, DLGuard in certain situations too. I use all them mainly just to gain experience with them because I teach them all in my course.

I'm sure anyone, or combination, of them would work for what ever plan you have. It's probably more on what people feel comfortable with.

Joe Motion · 03-01-2011, 11:00 AM

Another great option is Digital Access Pass, I purchased it a few years ago and the features just keep coming and coming... they have all the usual features.. dripped content.. upsells.. etc..

Plus I've seen the owner Ravi on here once or twice

polrbearz · 03-01-2011, 12:53 PM

Dr. Ben Adkins (thirtydown) and deep.arora are Warriors who are promoting their own membership site software (Siteman Pro) here in the Forum. Their story was so compelling to me that I bought the software even though I am a couple of months away from using it.

You might want to do a search here and see what kinds of experiences people have had with Siteman Pro. If it makes sense to you the advantage would be support from Warriors who seem pretty involved.

I myself acted impulsively but am still optimistic at how this will turn out.

GenerousBoy · 03-01-2011, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Thompson

Personally I like wishlist member, and for added usability pair it with optimize press.

whatever you do build it so it's future proof, my early site is held together with duct tape and spitballs because i didn't envisage the day when it would have 60,000 posts and 2000 members

Hey Mark, I've heard Wishlist is good. How user friendly is it for a copywriter with just basic html skills?

How does it compare to DAP (if you know of it?).

I'm assuming your reply also implied free plugins aren't the way to go...?

GenerousBoy · 03-01-2011, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Motion

Another great option is Digital Access Pass, I purchased it a few years ago and the features just keep coming and coming... they have all the usual features.. dripped content.. upsells.. etc..

Plus I've seen the owner Ravi on here once or twice

Hey Joe, yes, a friend told me vDAP was v. good. How do you think it compares to WishList?

GenerousBoy · 03-01-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberSorcerer

A good choice because that's what I'm going with in my new membership which will be opening soon.

But I also use nanocast, DAP, DLGuard in certain situations too. I use all them mainly just to gain experience with them because I teach them all in my course.

I'm sure anyone, or combination, of them would work for what ever plan you have. It's probably more on what people feel comfortable with.

Which platform out of those you listed do you prefer from a user-friendly point of view? i.e. set up and day-to-day maintenance as opposed to bells and whistles?

Anonymous Affiliate · 03-01-2011, 01:08 PM

Amember: there's a bit of a learning curve to set everything up, but once you master it it's super powerful and flexible.

Robert Puddy · 03-01-2011, 01:19 PM

Login frequency marketing or LFM for short... Is far better than all of the above

GenerousBoy · 03-01-2011, 01:27 PM

thanks Robert, I'll that one out.

David Chamberlain · 03-01-2011, 01:32 PM

Digital Access Pass...Awesome in my opinion! We switched over from wishlist!

GenerousBoy · 03-01-2011, 01:34 PM

Just checked it out - and you run it. funny. anyway, why not if it's good, right? And it looks good, if not not better than most. all except the hefty price tag. 297 for one site, (admittedly with bonuses) whereas DAP is 97. Why is your own software so much better than the others?

GenerousBoy · 03-01-2011, 01:35 PM

thanks for the feedback David. DAP ahead of Wishlist at the moment...

shermancox · 03-01-2011, 01:35 PM

I set up a membership site using nanacast. It is a solid solution that handles the finance as well as the membership portion. It can even send CDs and DVDs through Kunaki or vervante. There is also a wordpress plugin if you wish that I ain't tried...

I then did version 2.0 of my membership software with clickbank+wordpress+wishlist member. It is a pretty good solution as well although you have to keep your software updated yourself.

I thnk I am going back to nanacast due to not having to maintain the software (no updates etc...) for future releases of my membership site...

Kenrick C · 03-02-2011, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Chamberlain

Digital Access Pass...Awesome in my opinion! We switched over from wishlist!

What about DAP versus RAP in regards to the distribution of 1099s to affiliates?

subhub-mark · 03-03-2011, 03:34 PM

Hi guys,

Just a heads up, if you haven't tried SubHub, we have a 14 day fully functional trial available. You can also PM me for a 25% Warrior discount promo code.

The link is in my signature.

Thanks!

Mark

GenerousBoy · 03-10-2011, 03:42 AM

Nanacast looks very good, but quite expensive to get started on as you have to sign up to a membership scheme. I'm still leaning toward LFM... Anyone else got some recommendations?

scottlin · 04-12-2011, 01:19 AM

I've been messing around with setting up a members site using WP and I hate it. I have 3 WP websites but for some reason i just can't get the hang of it and really dislike using wordpress with it.

Maybe it is because it just feels like you are closing off parts of a site with short codes and it doesn't actually seem like a separate site?? Maybe it is becuase i use WP but for CMS and rarely go near the post side of WP, i really only use pages.

Whatever it is, it annoys the hell out of me.

I even had a really good guy from warriors forum set up his WP membership plugin that is a paid product on my site and he did it all for free and I still don't get it??

I think i might need a separate membership site all together.

Vanfenix · 04-12-2011, 01:26 AM

What about a Forum system - similar to what WF uses?

I've been setting up forums and membership sites for awhile now - you need to write out a list of the features you want , and then find the best solution.

If you need something setup, let me know, I can setup something for you fairly cheap Just PM me.

VanFenix

03-01-2011, 10:04 AM	#1
GenerousBoy GenerousBoy War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 93 Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Best software platform for membership sites? Hey Warriors, I'm in the process of gathering material for a membership site in the IM niche (to begin with) and looking at courses on how to set one up... and not only are they all pretty expensive, there's a lot of conflicting advice as to which platforms are best to work with? What are your positive experiences of courses and membership software platforms and why? I'm all for taking action, but at the moment I feel I'd be jumping in the dark...

03-01-2011, 10:09 AM	#2
Loren Woirhaye Who'm I kidding? War Room Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Easthampton, Massachusetts Posts: 4,554 Blog Entries: 15 Thanks: 118 Thanked 921 Times in 659 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Membership software is at heart just a re-billing and password-access script. Everything on top of that is extra. There are a lot of good scripts out there. Where you'll encounter problems is when you're building your site and the script does things one way and you're saying "but I want it this way". Then you'll be paying a programmer to make it your way. My recommendation: Find a CMS that does what you want in terms of user and admin features, then you can choose a membership script that works well with that CMS.

03-01-2011, 10:10 AM	#3
M Thompson Mark Thompson War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Marbella, Overlooking The Med Posts: 1,224 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 42 Thanked 287 Times in 190 Posts Social Networking	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Personally I like wishlist member, and for added usability pair it with optimize press. whatever you do build it so it's future proof, my early site is held together with duct tape and spitballs because i didn't envisage the day when it would have 60,000 posts and 2000 members

03-01-2011, 10:50 AM	#4
CyberSorcerer Security Researcher Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 537 Thanks: 26 Thanked 113 Times in 88 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? A good choice because that's what I'm going with in my new membership which will be opening soon. But I also use nanocast, DAP, DLGuard in certain situations too. I use all them mainly just to gain experience with them because I teach them all in my course. I'm sure anyone, or combination, of them would work for what ever plan you have. It's probably more on what people feel comfortable with.

03-01-2011, 11:00 AM	#5
Joe Motion Location Independent War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Travelling, SE Asia Posts: 342 Thanks: 93 Thanked 65 Times in 46 Posts	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Another great option is Digital Access Pass, I purchased it a few years ago and the features just keep coming and coming... they have all the usual features.. dripped content.. upsells.. etc.. Plus I've seen the owner Ravi on here once or twice

03-01-2011, 12:53 PM	#6
polrbearz Truth Seeker War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: USA Posts: 211 Thanks: 69 Thanked 42 Times in 40 Posts	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Dr. Ben Adkins (thirtydown) and deep.arora are Warriors who are promoting their own membership site software (Siteman Pro) here in the Forum. Their story was so compelling to me that I bought the software even though I am a couple of months away from using it. You might want to do a search here and see what kinds of experiences people have had with Siteman Pro. If it makes sense to you the advantage would be support from Warriors who seem pretty involved. I myself acted impulsively but am still optimistic at how this will turn out.

03-01-2011, 01:08 PM	#10
Anonymous Affiliate Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1,965 Thanks: 303 Thanked 368 Times in 263 Posts	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Amember: there's a bit of a learning curve to set everything up, but once you master it it's super powerful and flexible.

03-01-2011, 01:19 PM	#11
Robert Puddy Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: , Bristol , United Kingdom. Posts: 4,155 Thanks: 266 Thanked 606 Times in 301 Posts Social Networking	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Login frequency marketing or LFM for short... Is far better than all of the above

03-01-2011, 01:27 PM	#12
GenerousBoy GenerousBoy War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 93 Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? thanks Robert, I'll that one out.

03-01-2011, 01:32 PM	#13
David Chamberlain HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Preston, United Kingdom Posts: 316 Thanks: 136 Thanked 83 Times in 40 Posts Social Networking	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Digital Access Pass...Awesome in my opinion! We switched over from wishlist!

03-01-2011, 01:34 PM	#14
GenerousBoy GenerousBoy War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 93 Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Just checked it out - and you run it. funny. anyway, why not if it's good, right? And it looks good, if not not better than most. all except the hefty price tag. 297 for one site, (admittedly with bonuses) whereas DAP is 97. Why is your own software so much better than the others?

03-01-2011, 01:35 PM	#15
GenerousBoy GenerousBoy War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 93 Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? thanks for the feedback David. DAP ahead of Wishlist at the moment...

03-01-2011, 01:35 PM	#16
shermancox HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 218 Blog Entries: 19 Thanks: 30 Thanked 28 Times in 25 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? I set up a membership site using nanacast. It is a solid solution that handles the finance as well as the membership portion. It can even send CDs and DVDs through Kunaki or vervante. There is also a wordpress plugin if you wish that I ain't tried... I then did version 2.0 of my membership software with clickbank+wordpress+wishlist member. It is a pretty good solution as well although you have to keep your software updated yourself. I thnk I am going back to nanacast due to not having to maintain the software (no updates etc...) for future releases of my membership site...

03-03-2011, 03:34 PM	#18
subhub-mark HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: UK & US Posts: 144 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 16 Thanked 103 Times in 25 Posts Social Networking	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Hi guys, Just a heads up, if you haven't tried SubHub, we have a 14 day fully functional trial available. You can also PM me for a 25% Warrior discount promo code. The link is in my signature. Thanks! Mark

03-10-2011, 03:42 AM	#19
GenerousBoy GenerousBoy War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 93 Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? Nanacast looks very good, but quite expensive to get started on as you have to sign up to a membership scheme. I'm still leaning toward LFM... Anyone else got some recommendations?

04-12-2011, 01:19 AM	#20
scottlin FB Fan Pages/Social Media War Room Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 555 Thanks: 31 Thanked 196 Times in 158 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? I've been messing around with setting up a members site using WP and I hate it. I have 3 WP websites but for some reason i just can't get the hang of it and really dislike using wordpress with it. Maybe it is because it just feels like you are closing off parts of a site with short codes and it doesn't actually seem like a separate site?? Maybe it is becuase i use WP but for CMS and rarely go near the post side of WP, i really only use pages. Whatever it is, it annoys the hell out of me. I even had a really good guy from warriors forum set up his WP membership plugin that is a paid product on my site and he did it all for free and I still don't get it?? I think i might need a separate membership site all together.

04-12-2011, 01:26 AM	#21
Vanfenix Need a Website?Contact Me Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 102 Thanks: 2 Thanked 15 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Best software platform for membership sites? What about a Forum system - similar to what WF uses? I've been setting up forums and membership sites for awhile now - you need to write out a list of the features you want , and then find the best solution. If you need something setup, let me know, I can setup something for you fairly cheap Just PM me. VanFenix