Starting a membership site should be an exciting time. You have an idea and you’re about to turn it into a thriving community with recurring revenue. You know what’s NOT exciting, though? Thinking about the tech setup and which platform to choose. 🥴
The million-dollar question: with ALL the platforms out there, how do you know which one is the right one?
The platform you choose will serve as the foundation for your membership experience but also, any other courses or programs you put out into the world. The right platform can help you streamline your membership operations, offer a seamless member experience, and contribute to your long-term growth plan.
So, if you’re in the midst of starting a membership and are wondering what platform is right for you, you’re in the right place. In this blog post, you’ll learn key factors to consider when choosing a membership platform and a few of my top recommendations.
Let’s dig in!
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Membership Site Platform
Ease of Use
Your membership site platform should be user-friendly not just for yourself but for your members. Anything that’s overly complex or has confusing navigation is going to be an easy out. This is why I tend to recommend platforms that are pretty popular – it’s likely that people already have courses or programs inside those platforms so they already know their way around it.
To really dig deep into how it’s set up in the backend, you’re gonna have to get the trial and play around. It’s so hard to know if it’s user-friendly just by looking at the features on the homepage. You have to go in and set it up. Once you’ve gotten familiar with the settings and making sure it even has the functions you need, you can set up a mock product.
Throughout the process, ask yourself: Is the setup process clean and streamlined? Is it easy to manage content, members, and the settings?
If not, it may not be a good membership platform option for you!
Flexibility & Customization
Having a membership site platform that is customizable gives you the chance to brand it which gives members a seamless experience with your brand. If they find you on social media, head to your website, and sign up for your membership, your branding should flow between all of that.
Being able to customize the look and feel of your membership site as well as tailor the functionality to your liking will help you create an engaging experience.
Membership Management Tools
Effective membership management is NOT to be taken lightly. Look for a membership site platform that offers functionality like assigning user roles and permissions, flexible pricing options, and an automated subscription experience.
I’ve managed memberships where the majority of it was done manually. This was a few years ago, but it’s now 2024 and it doesn’t have to be time-consuming any more! 👏
Consider this my little caveat: when managing members, you will do some tasks manually. I recommend that even if your platform offers you the capability to automate everything. It’s way too easy for people to slip through the cracks.
That said, things like manually granting access to the membership, manually sending emails, manually checking in … those are things of the past. 👋
Content Hosting & Delivery
Would you believe it if I said that some membership site platforms DO NOT let you host the content right on the platform? Which means if you wanna add videos to your membership, you’d have to use a different tool like Vimeo or YouTube and embed it into your membership site.
If that doesn’t sound like something you wanna do then you also need to make sure the platform you choose offers hosting capabilities. I recommend making sure your platform can handle video uploads and downloadable resources at minimum. If you need live streaming functions, that would be something you would look into.
You’ll also want to consider the delivery options. If you need content to drip out on a schedule (usually for group programs but some memberships need this as well), check into that as well.
Community Building Features
Lemme just say that a lot of membership site platforms are majorly lacking the community-building arena so take this platform consideration with a grain of salt.
Your membership should have a community feel because it’s an exclusive experience. Look into a platform that offers a way to feature members in member directories, offer discussion forums, and/or gamification.
You might choose to use an outside community platform for this part. You could host a member directory in Airtable and use a Facebook group as the discussion forum. Some platforms offer ways to gamify the experience but it’s probably not a make or break situation so I wouldn’t choose your platform based on this factor alone.
Sales & Marketing Integration
If you need a more “all-in-one” platform that not only offers the membership hosting but also landing pages, sales funnels, email marketing, checkouts, and affiliate management, you’ll want to consider those types of platforms.
If you have those set up elsewhere, then you can get by with just integrating them either directly if the platform offers that or through a tool like Zapier.
I’m a big fan of having a lean tech stack but I’m also a big fan of not making things more complicated. If you have a setup that’s working fine for you, it’s totally fine to integrate platforms together.
Analytics and Reporting
With your membership, you’ll likely want a way to keep track of your numbers because that’s going to tell you if you’re hitting the goals you set for yourself. But if you’re like many creative business owners, numbers might make you panic, so if that’s the case, I highly recommend checking out my pal Rebecca – she’s the metrics girlie you definitely wanna sit with.
Ideally, your platform should give you some detailed insights like progress reports, revenue you’re bringing in, email click rates, and member engagement.
Knowing just a few basic metrics will allow you to figure out some more in-depth metrics like your profit margin, churn rate, etc.
Scalability for Future Growth
You might be thinking in the now, but when choosing your membership site platform, you wanna broaden your horizons and think about the future of your membership and your business. Will the platform you choose grow WITH you or will you be forced to migrate down the road?
If you are planning to add more programs to your repertoire, consider a platform that allows you to expand your content and offerings without hitting limitations.
Customer Support & Resources
If you’ve ever had to deal with Meta’s customer service (or lack thereof), then you are well aware of the frustrations that come with having a lackluster support center. 😫 Sure, they have a million articles but when your situation is a bit more complex, you need real human support.
Don’t underestimate the importance of responsive customer service because you may find yourself in a confusing situation and all you want is to talk to a person, not AI.
It’s for this reason you’ll likely want to choose a platform that offers live support. I have used Kajabi and Podia’s live chat and email support and I’ve been very pleased every time. Sure they use AI to try and help you out first but it’s easy to connect to an agent. Some of the more complex issues have required Kajabi to transition the chat to email so they could look into the question further, but they are good at getting back within a day or two.
And as an introvert who hates phones, I love having the option to live chat or email. 😆
Membership Site Platform Recommendations
There are so many platforms out there that it’s hard to keep up and you might feel overwhelmed at the thought of narrowing down a few platforms to try. I’m not an expert in all of them but the point of this article is not to convince you to go with my favorite. It’s to help you make a decision based on the key factors and your business needs.
Here are some options to consider:
Pricing below is based on the monthly plans. You can usually save a bit if you go with a yearly plan.
Some of the links below may be affiliate links which, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
Kajabi
I’m a fan of Kajabi when you need a more robust platform. It’s an all-in-one platform that offers website and product hosting (courses, memberships, podcasts) complete with forms, sales pages, checkouts, and email marketing. You also get event countdowns (if you have a flat deadline for enrollment), tags, and automations.
Kajabi is a spendier platform, but I find it super easy to use. I know, easy for me to say as a Kajabi Techie. I haven’t always been a Kajabi Techie – I specialized in it BECAUSE of how easy I found it. It didn’t take me forever to navigate it when I first started using it, which was the biggest thing. Now I happily build out client programs in Kajabi.
Plans start at $149/mo – get 30 days free with my link!
Podia
I personally use Podia for my own shop because I don’t need everything Kajabi has to offer and it’s a wallet-friendly option. It definitely has some lacking features but for very basic needs, it works well. Right now, I create my sales pages right on Podia instead of integrating with my website. Like I said, I like a lean tech stack.
Podia is also semi-all-in-one because it also offers features like a website, sales pages, checkout pages, and email (though they recently changed their email plans so definitely consider that).
Plans start at $39/mo
MemberSpace – WordPress
If you’re a WordPress user, you might want a membership site plugin instead of a separate platform. I’m testing MemberSpace out. I’ve been a WordPress user for yearrrrs and I’m curious about the plugin options.
Plans start at $39/mo with a 5% transaction fee
Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks has an emphasis on the community building. A lot of membership owners like Mighty Networks because it offers a community right there instead of having a separate Facebook group.
I can’t speak to the member experience, but it’s worth a look.
Plans start at $99/mo
Other Mentions
If none of the above fit what you’re looking for, some other popular options include Teachable, Thinkific, ThriveCart, or AccessAlly (WordPress).
How to Decide Which Membership Platform Is Right For You
Ultimately, choosing the right membership site platform is based on your specific needs and priorities. It’s easy to get swept up in the bells and whistles but if you don’t NEED them, you’re likely going to be paying more for features you don’t use.
Assess Your Needs (Current and Future)
What do you need in a platform right now? Determine what your non-negotiables are to help you narrow down the platforms you’re considering.
Also consider your long-term goals for your membership and business. Is it worth it for you to pay more for a platform that will grow with you versus having to migrate months down the road? That’s up to you to decide.
Consider the Member Experience
Again, don’t overlook the member experience. The platform you choose impacts your retention rate more than you realize (no pressure or anything). Stick with a platform that’s easy for members to navigate and also one that’s easy for you to organize in the backend.
Consider Your Budget
I don’t believe cost should be a sole deciding factor in this but of course you’ll need a platform that you can afford right now. Consider not only the monthly or yearly fees but also the transaction fees. Like I mentioned with MemberSpace, they have a low monthly cost but they also take a fee for each transaction.
Additional Support for your Membership
While the PERFECT membership site platform does not exist, the RIGHT platform for you does. It’s a delicate balance between your current needs, future goals, and member experience.
