Membership Site or Password Access? by Gihan Perera

Many infopreneurs provide some sort of password-protected access to their Web site, so they can offer additional resources to audiences, clients and members. Some also think about expanding this to a full membership site. Which of these is better for your business? It depends on a number of things.

Broadly, the password access happens in one of two ways:

Password Access: Let's use this phrase to describe a simple password on your Web site that gives people access to a hidden page of information. For example, you might give your audience a password so they can download the slides or handouts from your presentation.
Membership Site: A more comprehensive Web site with on-going value. In this case, you usually charge members a monthly fee for access to the site.

Here are the pros and cons of the two options.

The second option sounds better, doesn't it?

All other things being equal, of course the membership site seems more attractive for you. This is very nice work if you can get it, because you generate on-going income from a single sale.

However, before you jump right in and start promoting this to all your new clients, consider these potential limitations:

It's more difficult to sell, because you're asking your customer to make a commitment to an on-going payment.
You have to keep up-to-date with your area of expertise, because your members are expecting you to give them current information, not out-of-date information. On the other hand, if you simply sell them access to a members-only area, you're not promising that the information in it will remain current at all times.
You have to keep devoting time to the site, to keep your members satisfied.
If you only have a few members, you might not be happy with what you're getting paid for your time.
Regardless of how good your membership site is, members will leave from time to time, so you have to keep bringing in new members.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't build and promote a membership site; it just means you should think carefully about it.

Consider the simpler password access instead...

Instead of trying to create an on-going income stream from each sale, you can simply increase your fees by bundling in more value to your presentations.

For example, with a corporate client, you can sell them access to your "Members Resource Centre", which is a password-protected area of your Web site. Again, the same applies to coaching clients, public seminar attendees, workshop participants and others who buy you.

You still generate more income this way, but it's not on-going income. However, that might be better for you when you weigh that up against the on-going efforts to market, manage and maintain a full membership site.


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