How to Choose a Membership Platform

Apr 27

You’ve got a website, Facebook account, email marketing, course videos, but what’s the best place to host your membership? Can one platform do it all?

The simple answer is - It depends.

Let’s dig in. I’ll take you through a step-by-step process to send you in the right direction.

First, clarify how this membership fits into your business model.

Is it a free membership to bring people into your higher ticket offers, like one on one coaching packages? Or is the membership your flagship offer?

Second, what is your budget for building and hosting your membership?

Rather than focusing exclusively on cash on hand, you may want to consider the potential ROI of this investment. If you have 20 people ready to join at $500/month you will be able to recoup your investment quickly.

Third, what are your needs for this membership platform?

Are you hosting courses inside it? Is it important to you that the courses be on the same platform? Are there different membership levels? Different pricing and payment options?

Fourth, audit your current software (your tech stack).

What apps are you using, what are they doing for you and how much do they cost? A spreadsheet can help sort this out. Are there any apps you really dislike? What features are missing from your current tech stack? Do any of the apps have overlapping/redundant features? Make a list of the apps you would be willing to give up and the ones you are committed to staying with.

Fifth, what needs to integrate with what?

This is a huge factor in the current state of the tech world. We all use zillions of apps and if they talk to each other things are much more manageable. If they don’t… y’all got issues. Make a list of how the apps need to communicate and Google ‘Does ___ integrate with ___?’

With this information, you should have a clear understanding of what you want from your membership platform. That should give you some benchmarks in order to make a decision about which membership platform to use.

To learn more about specific membership platforms, check out my blog post ‘Which Membership Platform is Right for You?’.

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Sarah Berkeley

I am a front-end web designer, photographer, and conceptual artist. I hold an MFA in Art & Design from the University of Michigan and a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I started my career as a UI/UX designer in New York City. Later, I moved to Berlin, Germany to pursue my art career and live a more bohemian lifestyle. After three years in Berlin, I returned to the United States for graduate school. Following my MFA, I began teaching web and graphic design, photography, and video the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Nebraska Wesleyan University and Metro Community College.

In 2018 I left my tenure track position at Nebraska Wesleyan University, to pursue The Unknown! That year I did my first triathlon, founded an artist residency program at a state park in Iowa, performed in Seattle and hiked the 273 mile Vermont Long Trail. In the subsequent years I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail and half of the Continental Divide Trail. Following clues that appeared during the downtime led me to founding Expansive Media. I am super excited to be able to combine my tech and art skills through Expansive Media. I am also able to incorporate my passion for well-being and community by working with clients who make the world a better place.

https://www.expansivemedia.co