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The best membership experience?

by Justin Says
13 replies
I have a question just for you.

What's the best membership experience you've ever had.

When I say this, I'm not saying "who" or "where".

But rather, when you go into a membership area (paid or free), what makes that membership area great?

Is it the...
  • Ease of access to training
  • Community spotlights
  • Customizable experience
  • Organization

I really want to know what you feel about this and why you would continue to go back to a specific system/program/membership area.

P.S. Please do not share any links to other membership areas, the idea here is just to get the understanding of what you like and what makes you enjoy your experience.
#experience #membership
  • Profile picture of the author PvPGuy
    As a customer, as long as there is nothing off-putting, I don't really pay much attention to the design features. I just care about content.
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  • Profile picture of the author shane_k
    Originally Posted by Justin Lewis View Post


    I've been apart of plenty of membership areas, but I'll keep my experiences to myself.

    Well that is a great way to end a conversation quickly, lol

    Do you really think people are going to want to share if you are unwilling to yourself?
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    • Profile picture of the author Justin Says
      Originally Posted by shane_k View Post

      Well that is a great way to end a conversation quickly, lol

      Do you really think people are going to want to share if you are unwilling to yourself?
      I'll be more than glad to share my experiences, I just didn't want to make my original post too long winded for those that don't have the time to read but would like to share their thoughts.

      In my experience the biggest thing to me has always been either the dashboard (what you land on when you first login) and what it entails and the overall community behind it.

      Originally Posted by Greedy View Post

      if someone takes time to get the details right in design, chances are they'll take the time get the details right in design.
      Hehe. I just wanted to point out that you repeated yourself But I get what you mean.

      If they devote a bit of time to design and make sure it's right, then the content is likely to have as much care. I agree if that's what you originally meant.
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  • Profile picture of the author Greedy
    Depends on the niche for me.

    I'd only join a membership forum or blog for something like IM.

    I look at design a lot, if someone takes time to get the details right in design, chances are they'll take the time get the details right in design.
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  • Profile picture of the author weigemeiser
    I am a simple person. When I join a membership site, the only thing that I care about is the training. Everything else is icing on the cake for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author joaquin112
    The value. If the site offers more value than what I'm paying, I will be a customer for years.

    The design and copy influence how many new customers you acquire, but customer retention is determined by the value you provide.
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  • Profile picture of the author MKCookins
    - Top rate customer service 24/7
    - Easy step by step process on how to navigate the site
    - Very valuable information and always updated constantly
    Adding to one before.. I feel I get way more value then I pay for
    - Forum where can communicate with other like minded people
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  • Profile picture of the author Malcolm Thomas
    The valuable information that the website has, as well as the price point, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author dancaron
    I think what makes content effective is the efficiency of the results it creates. For instance, if it's losing weight, you'd rather do it in weeks rather than months. In addition, I would say keeping the registration process clean and the interface easy to navigate.
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  • Profile picture of the author Benny L
    Occasional freebies are good... it keeps me coming back.

    Light-handed moderation is awesome. One forum I'm on doesn't blink when you recommend other competing products. The idea is that you are all here together trying to learn the most, so if a "competitor" covers an aspect better than the forum owner, the competitor gets recognized and mentioned. That doesn't drive people away from the forum, it actually makes them more keen to keep coming back... because the forum is GENUINE, people giving the best tips possible.. even if it's not yours. So I know it's not marketing hype, it's authentic and legitimate help, no holds barred.

    I'm not saying to allow affiliate marketers to add in their own links necessarily, but do allow the mention of competing products that are also good. If you allow that, even though the person may buy a competing product, he will remain loyal to you because your forum is where he was permitted to find that gem of information. And sure, if you keep tabs on this, at some point, you may create your own product to take business away from that competitor.. but that's only possible if you appreciate those early defectors and keep them within your fold.

    Prompt, helpful customer support is also important. And it should err on the side of "the customer is always right". I got my account locked three times at one site when I wasn't doing anything bad.... it was just the way I accessed the product that threw up a red flag. I always emailed support, explained the situation, and they opened my account up promptly. I HATE feeling like a con artist just because I decide to access something on my mobile phone, or change browsers one day, or use a friend's computer to show him something on the site (How do you think real-life referrals happen?)

    At the end of the day, even if I were a con artist, the fact that I sought out your forum and sought to remain a participant there makes me your client, makes me your potential sales lead for your next product. Definitely err on the side of being inclusive, rather than exclusive.

    Me "being a bit of a dick" and recommending a competing product to someone who already bought one from you doesn't make me the enemy... it makes me someone who is unbiased and also willing to help others. All you need to do to capture the market is probably make a competitive add-on product yourself. But until/unless you do, keep the best interests of your community at heart,
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  • Profile picture of the author paulmanuel
    When i join a membership what i look for is design and the training there has to be some good training and the rest is all extra.
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  • Profile picture of the author TopOfTheMornin
    I look for up-to-date content and value. Its also nice if its easy to navigate around the site. Nobody has lots of time and it should be easy to find stuff.
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    • Profile picture of the author glennshep
      I think that it goes without saying that the content needs to be good. But all the good content in the world counts for little if the subscriber can't find it or gets infuriated trying to navigate through a jumble of confusion.

      The best experiences I've had is when, of course, the content is great, the site is laid out in a clear, easy-to-navigate way and the support is good. On the subject of support, it needs to be clear as to how to make contact and that the support system is actually working. There's nothing worse than trying submit a support ticket and you either get a 404 or you're taken to the support for someone else's product! Then, if there is an alternate way to make contact you find that your message bounces or is just ignored. When you do manage to get a support reply you don't want to have to feel that you're fighting just to get your point across because the person at the other end seems unable to actually read what you have said and seems hell-bent on just working through a sequence of generic responses (can you tell I've had these experiences? lol)

      I find it's also a plus if the site has a good community area, perhaps in the shape of a forum or Facebook group.

      I hope that's useful buddy
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