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How do you find the right components for this?

by rbarnhart1
2 replies
I've searched the forums here to find an answer to this, but I can't seem to find anything definitive. I would like to create a membership site, but I'm having trouble figuring out exactly which components I need. I'm new to this whole process and I hope someone can offer some advice.

Before anyone responds to this post....please note that I am not looking for a sales pitch or a recommendation on a specific plugin or solution. I've already looked at tons of options including the top membership plugins (DAP, Amember, etc...). And there in lies the biggest part of my problem.

There are tons of options and components available. Some of them work together and some don't. Some provide good functionality, others not so much. There needs to be a map or a guide that says: "If you want to create this type of site, use this set of plugins (configuration A, configuration B, etc.)....but, watch out for this other configuration because it doesn't work." What I mean by "configuration" is: a set of plugins that work together to provide a certain set of functionality.

The reality is, there isn't just one plugin that does everything. Just within the niche of membership sites: you need a theme, a sales mechanism to sell the membership, a membership manager, a content protection component, a forum, a drip component, an affiliate manager, and more. Some plugins provide a lot of these functions....but no matter what, you are going to have more than one and whatever plugins you do choose also have to integrate with a theme.

So how do you know which plugins work together? How easy is it to get your money back from these plugin companies if their plugin doesn't work with your configuration? What do you do a year from now, after your site is established and fully dependent on the plugins you have installed and one of them breaks (I'm assuming your site would be ruined, because you might be able to find a replacement plugin or you might not...who's to say whether it would provide exactly the same functionality and integrate with all of the previous content you have in place)?

For those of you who have a successful membership site: do you have a list of fully working configurations that could be used as a guideline? Have you had any experience with plugins failing after your sites been established...and if so, what steps did you take to resolve?

Any help or advice with this will be greatly appreciated.
#components #figuring #find #options #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    You are like somebody in my family, LOL: "I am sooo worried NOW that something wrong might happen a year from now..." - that's nuts!

    Seemingly, you were looking only at CMS+membership extensions combinations. And the more gizmos you want (e.g. + a forum) the more 'components', as you call them, you have to deal with.

    FYI: there are specific membership scripts, not tied to CMS software.
    Are they a better solution? - Not necessarily.
    Are they more expensive? - In most cases they are.
    Can they go wrong a year from now? - Everything can go wrong a year from now.

    You have this employee mentality "There needs to be a map or a guide that says:... etc. etc."
    No, there doesn't NEED to be. As a business owner YOU need to take the risk and make the decision for yourself.

    As an advice: do NOT try to implement every toy in your site before launching it. Because you will never launch it. Period.

    Start simple! (KISS theory, anyone?)
    Add features as you go.

    Once everything came together and working - do NOT mess with it; I mean with the technical part. Just leave it as it is, and let it make money.

    I would start with one CMS and one plugin. Whatever they do together should be enough to get you started. Set it up. Add content. Drive traffic. Have fun!
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    • Profile picture of the author rbarnhart1
      @Istvan Horvath

      First, thank you for your response and advice. I do appreciate it.

      However, I do take issue with this comment:

      You have this employee mentality
      No, I am thinking exactly the opposite. You don't start a business without planning for the future or knowing what the risks are. Sure you can go in blind and hope for the best...but why would you do that?

      Anyway...having said that...let me ask some questions and also try to fill in some details.

      Seemingly, you were looking only at CMS+membership extensions combinations.
      No, actually, I've looked at quite a few options, including Wordpress and Joomla for the CMS...multiple plug-ins for both, and external scripts such as Delavo.

      The problem that I see is if you build the membership with a bunch of third-party plugins...you are essentially handing control of your business over to a third party. Yes, I realize that you have to do that to some extent. If Wordpress dropped off the map tomorrow...a lot of people would be dead in the water (until and unless they found a new alternative).

      But, there is definitely good business-sense in limiting who controls your business and to what extent. So, I don't think I'm too far out of line trying to figure out what works, what doesn't, and what provides the best options for the future.

      do NOT try to implement every toy in your site before launching it.
      I agree with this completely...but on the other hand...

      I would start with one CMS and one plugin.
      ....that part I just don't understand. If that were true...what is the one plug-in? What if I want to use Optimize Press as my theme but it doesn't support said plugin? Even if it does...there is something missing in this idea. You're basically saying just get out there and start...don't worry about the other stuff.

      What if I rented a brick and mortar space, loaded the shelves with products...but didn't buy an alarm system? That's the best analogy I can think of...but why would I try to do it all with just one plug-in...if it clearly doesn't provide what is needed?

      Here's the configuration I'm looking at, based on the research I've done so far:

      • Wordpress
      • Optimize Press or Profits Theme
      • Delavo (free version, for the ecommerce)
      • WP Instant Points (which also comes with Devmem, for managing the memberships)...the points program helps build retention and value
      • bbForum
      In that configuration, I know that all of the individual components work together (because they are either from the same company or they were specifically designed to work with the others). What I don't know is if the 2 Delavo plug-ins (WP Instant Points and DevMem) will work in either Optimize Press theme or Profits theme.

      I'm guessing they do...but I don't want to guess if someone else already knows the answer. Which ties into this....

      No, there doesn't NEED to be. As a business owner YOU need to take the risk and make the decision for yourself.
      If that's true, what is Warrior Forum for? Why are there coaches and mentors?

      I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I'm not understanding what you mean. If someone has used this combination of themes and plug-ins, what's wrong with asking? Why should I just guess and hope for the best (or "take the risk" as you say)?

      Please don't take this the wrong way...I know you're trying to help and I do appreciate that. But, you make it sound as if I should have just picked the first combination of theme and plugin that works together and hope for the best. Trial and error is an expensive business proposition.

      Can they go wrong a year from now? - Everything can go wrong a year from now.
      From a certain point of view, I agree with that...but let me clarify my point. In 1997 I bought Microsoft Office. I was able to send email, create documents, build spreadsheets. I had Office 97 until 2007...at which time I knew I needed to upgrade. There were lots of new versions of Office up to 2007...but my original software still worked and did everything I needed it to do. In fact, now I'm using Office 2010....so I've had the same basic capability and functions for 14 years.

      So, if I buy a script instead of plugin...and it works today, barring unforeseen catastrophic events...that script is going to work 5 years and maybe even 10 depending on how quickly technology moves forward. People who bought Delavo all those years ago still use it today. Yes, they've probably upgraded, but they still had basically the same core functionality and could do all of the basic stuff through the whole process.


      But, if I buy a plug in from Joe-the-Plugin-Creator....if he stops updating his plugin and Wordpress updates their system...now my site doesn't work and I've got to find a new solution....which could interrupt business, cause me to lose customers, etc. That's not worrying about the future...that's real-world possibility that any business owner would try to plan for.

      Please let me know if all of this makes sense. I'm just trying to dig through all of the clutter that's out there and figure out what actually works.
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