Building a membership site? Here's exactly how I built mine.

[FeliciaSlattery]

Jon!
I just breathed a sigh of relief. I was looking for an independent endorsement of WP Wishlist Member and then I stumbled upon your FABULOUS post. Thanks for the step-by-step directions and links so my team and I can just move fast and get this done.

Like you, I'm a content creator and have loads to add upon launch and will be adding loads more each month. I'll be calling my site a group coaching membership site -- there is added value in the perception (and reality) that I'll be an active part of the forum discussions as well as offering a regular Q/A session for members.

I love the design, look, and feel of your site. It's fabulous!

Kudos & continued success. And THANK YOU for your generous sharing.

Warmly,
Felicia

[Markus Nimocks]

Jon, thanks for sharing this info!

[Ron Killian]

Originally Posted by samstephens

Hi Jon,

There's another interesting lesson for new players in your post: you went out and found the right solution for your project, and you bought it.

A lot of people cringe at spending money on their business. I know some people are having financial issues, but $300 is VERY cheap to start a new business.

I often see people struggling to get things off the ground for months and months (and in some cases, even years later) because of selecting solutions based soley on price (usually free).

Sure, there is good free software out there (such as Wordpress), but as Jon found, selecting the right tools for the job leads to a very smooth launch.

Sam

Oh so true! If people took that advice and actually applied it, sure be more successes. I know I was one of those people for years. What my business could be now if I'd thought that way earlier.

Jon, amazing looking site, I've always been a fan of magazine style theme's and your site is a great example of how well they can be used. Looks like your well on your way. Great post too, sure it will be helpful to many. I've been using Wordpress for my membership sites as well, but like John, using different "parts" to put it together.

[davenavarro]

So Jon -

With the Wishlist plugin, when someone buys a membership on your site, do they automatically have a SimplePress account created?

[IMChick]

Thank you so much for sharing this. Looking for some way to set up a membership site is very frustrating with no tech skills and no knowledge of what you actually want to end up with. It was great to see the finished (and working product)--Your site looks superb.

My membership software journey started several months ago when I bought a popular launch product. Surprise, they were heavily marketing their own membership site software to the tune of US $4,000.00. Gee whiz. So I kept looking and found 6 or 7 other programs, some in the $1 to 2K range, some with renewal licensing, some with restrictions, and of course, Amember. It seemed affordable but didn't speak to my non-techie side, so I did nothing. Now, it looks like you've given me a solution that I don't have to outsource while I'm learning exactly how to do it all.

THANK YOU JON.

[IMChick]

Arrgh-- "Sites that soar" recommended by Jon as the ebook that helped him set up the WP has suspended sales as of a few days ago due to the WP upgrades and the upgrades to Branford that all just happened. The book screen shots aren't the same, and the Branford template is substantially different. The author is evaluating whether to do a rewrite and re-release the book right now. I guess we'll have to wait a few weeks to find out if it is re-released at the end of the month. (sad smiley face with tears).

[jonb]

Hey all, glad you enjoyed the post.

davenavarro - Yes, Simplepress is fully integrated, so new members are automatically signed into simplepress. Very easy.

IMChick - the key thing you need to understand with a theme site is how to set up categories to go with different parts of the page. It's not that complex, but having someone tell you just how to do it makes life a bit easier.
I'm sure there are other ebooks and sites that tell you that. If you do use the older branford theme and run into trouble, drop me a line and I'll help as best I can.

When I'm done launching my site, I do intend to create an ebook/Camtasia video product that explains exactly how I did it, and I'll first post it as a WSO. I'll definitely include a section on configuring the theme.

Jon
cbiclubhouse.com - Where Children's Writers Meet

[SMS]

Funny... I was looking at some mag themes last night & narrowed my options down to Branford, Wynton & Revolution Lifestyle. Initially, it was a close fight b/w the two brothers, but now I am swaying more towards Revolution - primarily becayse of the video widget, and also it looks like it will be easier to customise.

Your site looks great & I'm sure it will be very successful.

Well done for taking action and getting stuck in. I need to follow in thy footsteps .

[Lance]

Originally Posted by IMChick

Arrgh-- "Sites that soar" recommended by Jon as the ebook that helped him set up the WP has suspended sales as of a few days ago due to the WP upgrades and the upgrades to Branford that all just happened. The book screen shots aren't the same, and the Branford template is substantially different. The author is evaluating whether to do a rewrite and re-release the book right now. I guess we'll have to wait a few weeks to find out if it is re-released at the end of the month. (sad smiley face with tears).

I have emailed Aisling and she is working on her update now. She will be making her own version of the Branford theme and will use the latest version of Wordpress as well. In addition there will be videos also! It's *possible* that this new version will be ready by the end of the month!

Originally Posted by jonb

Hey all, glad you enjoyed the post.
When I'm done launching my site, I do intend to create an ebook/Camtasia video product that explains exactly how I did it, and I'll first post it as a WSO. I'll definitely include a section on configuring the theme.

Jon
cbiclubhouse.com - Where Children's Writers Meet

Jon, you could also use your video of how to use Google Reader to become an expert as a bonus to your wso.

Lance

[marktheonlinesurfer]

Thanks a lot for this great post John. It is always great when someone shares with us details on how they achieved their online success. Good luck and Best Wishes!

Mark

[Alan Petersen]

I went through that for my download protection. Bought cheap product, than another one then finally said enough and got DLGuard. I should have saved my time and money trying to find a cheaper solution. So even if software seems more expensive we need to put it in perspective. Is $100-150 worth it for your business. So spend that well instead of trying to come up with a cheaper alternative just for the sake of trying to save $50.

Originally Posted by samstephens

Hi James,

You're absolutely right!

There ARE a lot of products out there that don't deliver, and price isn't always an indicator.

The ones I was talking about in particular were the ones often seen that say "I was a product that does this, this, this, and this, and it has to be free or really cheap."

But as your brought up, even when you buy commerical software, it isn't always the solution you wanted, whether it be poor quality, not matching your requirements, or simply too hard to use.


The issue I was speaking about, though, was the idea of looking for the cheapest tool, not the best tool for the job.

This often leads to extended periods of indecision, and indecision is always more of a business-killer than selecting the wrong tool, then needing to try again.

Does this make more sense?

cheers
Sam

[mywebwork]

Aloha Jon

This is an excellent post and your site looks fantastic - thank you so much for sharing.

One question that I didn't see answered was the one poised about Clickbank and affiliates. I am also in the process of developing a membership site and while I already have the technical details pretty well ironed out the subject of affiliates is what baffles me.

In your business model it seems that you had an existing list of subscribers to promote your membership site to. I will be starting from scratch, and I expect the majority of my memberships to be obtained through affiliates whom will earn a recurring commission on every sale.

I have found software that can manage the affiliates but no good information on integrating it with Clickbank (or Pay Dot Com).

Does the software you used have any capabilities to integrate affiliates or common affiliate processors into the mix?

Once again thanks so much for the great post.

Bill

[jonb]

Hi Bill,

Since I have 1shoppingcart, I really didn't think much beyond that. I suggest you contact Stu Mclaren, the man behind Wishlist, and ask him. wpwishlist.com - Helpdesk

[Calvin]

Over the holidays I did a series of free videos, which show how to set up a membership site for free using Wordpress, and incorporate an affiliate program basically by using PayDotCom as the payment processor.

But that was before I found this thread.

If only you could have started this thread a little sooner, it would have saved me having to go back and redo some of the videos.

Dang it!

For what it's worth, the free videos are below, but I will most likely be updating them soon.

pushbuttonsuccessformula.com

Keep up the great work.

Calvin

[benzbaby]

Thanks for sharing...spent quite a few pennies on a membership script a few years ago and it was so complicated I gave up...this is much easier and appreciate all the steps you showed. Are you able to add video, audio or forums with this method?

[k0zm0zs0ul]

Thanks for this post Jon! You motivated me to get my own membership site up and running, and now it's well on it's way to being ready to launch!

I used Your Members wp plug in and Simplepress Forum on the recommends of a friend though, wpWishlist was a bit out of my range at the moment. Anyway thanks for the great post and motivation to get in gear.
Regards,
Cori

[Mickswebsites]

Great looking site, thanks for the insight.

Mick

[SlowhandJohn]

Thanks a lot for information!

I'm also putting new membership site together and I'm really interested:

-Can I integrate WishList Member or this method to any affiliate program?

Plan A) is to use:

1. WorldPress Magazine theme for content production,
2. PayPall as payment proserssor
3. Secure it with aMember
4. Create affiliate program with JROX JAM
5. Use aWeber with mailing list

Does anybody know better solution? Any tips?

- John

[jonb]

Originally Posted by benzbaby

Thanks for sharing...spent quite a few pennies on a membership script a few years ago and it was so complicated I gave up...this is much easier and appreciate all the steps you showed. Are you able to add video, audio or forums with this method?

Yep, I use Viddler to host my videos and I embed them into the site. A bit further up this thread I link to instructions on how to make them private.

As for audio, I use this Wordpress plugin to make my mp3s playable within posts: 1 Pixel Out Audio Player Wordpress plugin

[gorri]

Thank you so much for this awesome and helpful post!

[Markus Nimocks]

Thanks Jon! Great post, much appreciated. The Viddler embed trick is kick-butt...I'm launching my membership site in a couple weeks and that is really, really an awesome trick.

btw, how can Warriors get a view of this Google Reader video mentioned above? Someone mentioned it as a bonus for a WSO - heck that sounds like a WSO in and of itself!

[AffiliateMax]

Originally Posted by IMChick

Arrgh-- "Sites that soar" recommended by Jon as the ebook that helped him set up the WP has suspended sales as of a few days ago due to the WP upgrades and the upgrades to Branford that all just happened. The book screen shots aren't the same, and the Branford template is substantially different. The author is evaluating whether to do a rewrite and re-release the book right now. I guess we'll have to wait a few weeks to find out if it is re-released at the end of the month. (sad smiley face with tears).

Dry your eyes IMChick, the new version of the book is out now.
Just about to order a copy myself - at $17.00; I think it's a no brainer.
It's at: WordPress themes made easy - Sites that Soar!.

[ProEFI]

Wow, great thread.

How easy was it to integrate a forum?

Thanks
Andrew

[kolaios]

jonb, WOW!!! thanks a lot!!!

Questions:
- Can you manage have different levels of membership access to the forums?
- Can you modify the text on the Whitelist plugin to other languages?

ONE OF THE BEST POST ON THIS FORUM!!!

THANKS A LOT!!

Sebastian

[Steve888]

Thanks for sharing! Great information. I am planning on setting up a member site soon but was planning on using amember. Now I have another way to do it thanks to you. I will try and compare and evaluate the differences, advantages/disadvantages

[SexySarah19]

thanks for this post, i was wondring how membership istes were built

these sites are all all the well known marketers are into these days, gary conn, josh spaulding and quite a few others

makes sense when you think about it

sarah xxx

[ryanthetrafficguy]

Thanks for the post- i think I might try membership sites soon. Sounds like you're doing well.

[wmakara]

Great post and great looking site.

It's amazing what WP can do nowadays. I didn't even know you could find a magazine template let alone how to incorporate a membership site on WP.

Great work will keep this in mind if I ever chose to go down the membership site avenue.

Cheers
Wendy

[Patrick25]

Hi Jon,
thanks for your great post. I have never seen something so detailed. Its not easy for me but even I as a blind person could get $300 together to get started.
You have had a big atwantage because you have allready a newsletter and a lot of members on it.
So great decision.
But I think with the right WSO here even someone with no list like me;-) could start well.

I was thinking about wishlist member. Now I defenitly buy it to give it a try.
The only thing I would like to know is if there is an password generated for each member or do they all share the same passwort?
Some wp-membership scripts dont have that. They have 1 Passwort for all members witch I think is very bad.

So, Again thank you Jon for posting your setup. I am 27 so may be to old to write a childrens book:-)

[Simplweb]

Originally Posted by jonb

My total cost was about $300 and the thing works better than I could have ever dreamed.

Jon

Hi Jon,

Serious question here....

How long did all this take... and how much do you value your time at?

[davidorich]

thanks man, you've saved me a lot of time. i love your site.

[Samuel Lee]

Thanks for your post John, sounds like a really good membership site! I liked your technique, you sought out and found the a perfect solution for your project, and you purchased it directly. You can use free software sometimes to get things up and running but when you choose the right tools to begin with it can always enable you to get the job done quickly and efficiently leading to a smooth launch. Nice post and good luck!

[Alex Sol]

Jon!
You just solved so many problems for me! Thanks so much with such detailed post!
Can I send you money for this

Thank You,

Alex

[alexei_aus]

very good post

[iplusgold]

Exceptionally good post! I've been walking through the membership site setup process for a while now and there are defiitely some gems of wisdom is this small thread.

Thanks Jon!

[phish3rz]

Just a quick question, on average how do you advertise this site? and what sort of revenue are you making per month?
Many thanks,
Congratulations to your success.

[Carol Owens]

Thank you for this great post. I took a peek at your website and think it is excellent! I too am considering a membership site and you've given some great information to check out!

[Scott Burton]

Originally Posted by samstephens

You're absolutely right!

There ARE a lot of products out there that don't deliver, and price isn't always an indicator.
<snip>
But as your brought up, even when you buy commerical software, it isn't always the solution you wanted, whether it be poor quality, not matching your requirements, or simply too hard to use.

The issue I was speaking about, though, was the idea of looking for the cheapest tool, not the best tool for the job.

This often leads to extended periods of indecision, and indecision is always more of a business-killer than selecting the wrong tool, then needing to try again.

Does this make more sense?

It's true indeed that price does not = quality, and the best product for Business A is not always the best for Business B, even when there are huge similarities in the business.

I don't want to name any names on this, but I guarantee if I named the company behind a particular application just about everyone would have heard of them. Huge name in the computer industry (Probably not the company you think I'm talking about either).

They released a comprehensive business application which has all kinds of features. It costs a freaking fortune, and the company is involved in every level of the implementation for their clients, and are available to customize components for their clients (at least within reason)

Yet in the environment I've seen it most, to collect some of the data that should be retrievable from this expensive application, it is necessary to track some of the data by hand in another application, it reduces the productivity of the worker, requiring more time to document than to complete much of the work being documented.

Once a company has bought this product, they have to MAKE it work for them, or they've wasted huge amounts of money that they won't be getting back.

The result is lower productivity, unhappy workers, difficulty tracking some of the data the system is supposed to provide, over complicated reporting, and the need to go back to the manufacturer of the software to have half the reports one needs written, because the reporting script interface essentially requires customer programming to execute a new report.

Searching for the best results for the cost is useful, but price and quality do not always go hand in hand.

[SteelDanno]

Your sign up page with the "See this? *latte photo*" had me chuckling.

A quick congratulations on your success and willingness to share.

*salute*

Peace.

[jonb]

Originally Posted by SteelDanno

Your sign up page with the "See this? *latte photo*" had me chuckling.

A quick congratulations on your success and willingness to share.

*salute*

Peace.

Thanks.

The latte works, 'cause it symbolizes how easy it is to spend money on nothing in the course of a day. Instead, spend it with me and get a whole month's worth of great stuff. The visuals bring it home, I think.

Jon

[peter gibson]

I think I commented on that squeeze page way back in this thread. If not I should have. I have yet to see a more compelling call to action. It's just brilliant in showing anyone with even the slightest interest in Jon's site topic that getting a membership is flat out worth it.

I could have landed there with absolutely no intention of anything but clicking through, seen that pitch and signed up. It just makes sense - in a no nonsense kinda way

If there was some kind of award available for best copywriting, that page would get my vote for sure.

[jonb]

Originally Posted by peter gibson

If there was some kind of award available for best copywriting, that page would get my vote for sure.

Thanks, that's very kind.

Is there a cash prize?

[dremy154]

Originally Posted by jonb

Thanks, Peter. I spent 20 years writing sales copy for others, but it's always harder to write it for myself! I agonized over that copy for days, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

Wow! Thanks for the simple, detailed breakdown of how you were able to do all this at such a bargain.

Also, thanks to all the other members that contributed to Jon's end results; without you, he couldn't have even made this post, which is VERY useful to anyone considering starting a membership site; especially if on a tight budget!

I have one question: If my host supports multiple domain hosting, and I want to create more than one membership site, does the license allow for multiple uses?

[stevenh512]

Originally Posted by jonb

DLGuard is a great option, and Sam was fantastic about answering my questions. I'm sure I'll be incorporating it into something I do in the near future.

Have to agree with you there. I can't recommend DLGuard enough for anyone who needs secure download delivery or simple membership management. Sometimes there's a delay in Sam answering my questions because of the time difference (I'm in California, he's in Australia) but he's always really helpful.

[optimuswarrior]

Great post. So many things I want to comment on!!!

Originally Posted by jonb

two other quick things to mention: Wishlist integrates seamlessly with 1shoppingcart, making it exceptionally easy to sign up new members and have them instantly integrated into the site, with full recurring billing. It's really hands-off.

I've been emailing Wishlist's customer support over the weekend/before I saw this thread. First, they have been VERY helpful and responsive.

Regarding 1shoppingcart, they said: "It is true that 1ShoppingCart is not fully integrated (meaning you have to manually cancel the subscription in WishList Member if payment is stopped). We are trying to work with 1SC to obtain full integration but we can not give you a timeframe of if/when this will happen."

I wonder how is it NOT fully integrated? In the payment? Affiliate? Can anyone shed some light?

I currently use paypal and found an affiliate add on to paypal PHPAFFILIATE I don't know if it will do the trick, but it looks promising.

However, if 1shoppingcart has lower fees than clickbank and can do everything clickbank can do AND do easy affiliates... I may just start an account with them.

Ryan

[optimuswarrior]

Originally Posted by jonb

thanks Sam.

And may I point out that the only other option I seriously considered was DLGuard -- but it turned out not to be quite right for my precise setup (I'm linking the membership site to my older site which had some software incompatibilities).

DLGuard is a great option, and Sam was fantastic about answering my questions. I'm sure I'll be incorporating it into something I do in the near future.

I was thinking of somehow integrating DLguard with Wishlist on Wordpress because it will protect links to my content (preventing piracy/content sharing).

DLguard actually has a membership feature as well. Probably not as comprehensive as Wishlist.

Does anyone here use both yet?

[optimuswarrior]

Originally Posted by jonb

Hey all, glad you enjoyed the post.

davenavarro - Yes, Simplepress is fully integrated, so new members are automatically signed into simplepress. Very easy.

IMChick - the key thing you need to understand with a theme site is how to set up categories to go with different parts of the page. It's not that complex, but having someone tell you just how to do it makes life a bit easier.

Two things.

I want to use a forum with my membership site. I would prefer phpbb or vbulletin as most people are familiar with these layouts. Simple registration and login and you're off to the races!

This will be free and open to everyone. I may have a section just for paid members, not sure yet. Can this even be done like this?

But with the worpress forums.... first they look too unpro, too much going on because of the blog. Second, people will have to sign up with a blog account first to get on it. Sounds and LOOKS complex for the common internet user. Especially those who don't know nor want to blog.


ALSO, can you explain the importance of using categories within your membership site with Wishlist? does it somehow make it easier or something?

Ryan

[jonb]

Originally Posted by optimuswarrior

But with the worpress forums.... first they look too unpro, too much going on because of the blog. Second, people will have to sign up with a blog account first to get on it. Sounds and LOOKS complex for the common internet user. Especially those who don't know nor want to blog.


ALSO, can you explain the importance of using categories within your membership site with Wishlist? does it somehow make it easier or something?

Ryan

First off - the forums. I think Simplepress actually looks clean and professional all the way. here's a screenshot of my forum:



As for categories, that's not necessarily related to wishlist as much as it's about giving your members an easy way to find things. Also, if you're using a magazine style theme like I am, you need the categories to tell wordpress where to put certain types of content.

The only wishlist aspect of this would be that you could protect certain categories from non-users or members from other levels.

Jon
The CBI Clubhouse - a Community for Children's Book Writers Writing Picture Books, Easy Readers, Young Adult Books and More!

[Fernando Veloso]

Jon

Thanks for the thread. Inspiring

One question: does the plugin protect your ebooks? Or other stuff you have there for your members?

[Joseph Park]

Jon,

That was a real content with value. Two thumbs up!
My membership site was on aMember and that was superbe, too.
I was thinking of how to go about doing it with my wordpress
blog and you just provided THAT solution right in front of my eyes.

THANK YOU!!!