How to Start and Run a Profitable Membership Website

You have decided to make a living online, but you arethey work and they create a win/win situation for
still a bit stuck on where to begin. Someoneboth owners and members!
mentioned Adsense, CPA, and a host of other waysSo, how then, do you go about setting up a
to get started and you feel overwhelmed. Why notmembership website, whether free or paid?
stick with a proven business model that has workedGetting a Domain Name
for a countless number of Internet Entrepreneurs:The first thing you need to start a membership
Membership Websites. Whether you know it or not,website or any other kind of website for that matter
you actually belong to a membership website already.is a domain name. Getting a domain name is not
Do you have an account on Facebook, MySpace ordifficult and it certainly isn't expensive. There are no
Twitter? There you go, you belong to a membershiptwo websites with exactly the same name. A domain
website.name is unique. It is your address on the Internet.
So, how can you catch in on the new found crazeYou can go to any one of a thousand different
for membership websites all over the World Widewebsites to get and register your domain name.
Web? By starting your very own membershipSome examples of sites are GoDaddy, Register,
website. Why should you start your own website?Networksolutions, etc. Getting and registering a
You need to start membership websites becausedomain name will cost you no more than $10 for a
they are the rave of the Internet these days, and ifyear.
you don't start your own membership website, you(*Note: It is better to register a domain name for 2
may be leaving a lot of money on the table.years because the search engines see domains that
People love membership websites because they likeare only registered for one year as fly-by-night
the fact that the membership site has a limitedoperations.)godaddy.com/register.com
membership. They like exclusive! Membershipnetworksolutions.com/
websites rarely allow foul language of flaming andSo let's allow $20 for getting and registering a domain
people like that. On open websites there is notname.
usually a monitor that forbids bad behavior or badHosting and Website
language and is no administrator is there to enforceNow you need to build a website. There was a time
the rules.back in the distant past when you only those who
In starting a membership website, you could eitherwere technically inclined and HTML literate could build
use the free model or the paid model, or aa website but that is just simply no longer the case.
combination of the two.There are WYSIWYG (What you see is what you
In the free model, you don't require members to payget) website building software programs offered that
any fees to join your membership website. All thatcost only a few dollars.
they are required to supply is their name and emailThe Website Tonight software that is offered by
address, and probably other contact information likeGoDaddy costs between $4.99 and $12.99 per month
street address, and phone number. The main purposedepending upon the plan that you choose. There are
of starting a free membership website is to build ansite building programs out there that cost less and
opt-in list that you can later market relevant productsthere are those that cost more. So let's say that you
to. Of course, even in a free membership website,are going to take the middle of the road, so to
you must still supply relevant content to keep yourspeak, and spend $120 for a website building
members happy, so that they won't unsubscribeprogram.
from your list.By the way, the GoDaddy program includes hosting
The other business model for membership websitesand free email accounts as most website building
is the paid model. This model is the most lucrative, asprograms do.
members pay you a recurring fee (usually monthly)Building Your Members List
to be a member of your web site. It is here that youYou need an autoresponder. There are dozens and
have the opportunity to actually start profiting almostdozens to choose from. GetResponse is one and
immediately.Aweber is another. The cost of an autoresponder is
Now let's talk about the advantages of actuallysomewhere between $0 and $20 a month. We don't
owning a (paid) membership website and there arerecommend using a free service.
many, many reasons. One of the main reasons canUsually free autoresponder services include their own
be summed up in just two beautiful words; recurringlogo with each message you send and the number of
income. Every single month the very same peoplemessages that you can send is also usually limited. A
pay you. You don't have to sell them anything,paid service doesn't cost that much so go with a paid
they're already sold.service. We will say that you are going to spend
Recurring income adds up fast, too. For example; ifabout $10 a month for an autoresponder.
you have a membership website that charges $29.95That means that your cost for a year will be $120.
per month that means that over the course of oneYou now have a domain name, a website, hosting
year you will make $359.40 from EACH MEMBER andand an auto responder.
with NO additional overhead expenses. It's like aMembership Software
money tree!Now you need a membership script. There are
Additionally, the owner of a membership websitemembership scripts that cost big bucks and there are
does NOT have to scramble for website contentmembership scripts that cost little bucks. You can get
constantly. The members supply all of the contentgood membership software for under $200 at:
that is needed and they PAY the website owner toOK...You have everything you need for your
do it! What's not to like?membership site. All you need to do now is advertise
A membership website is a site that members findand let the search engines and other relevant
safe, interesting and satisfying and a membershipcommunities know that your membership site is now
website is a site that the owner finds profitable,ready to take new members. Now you are the
cheap to run in both time and money. Membershipproud owner of your very own membership website!
websites are the wave of the 21st century because