Those are the questions many people ask when setting out to create a membership website, along with a need to understand the many differences between unmanaged standalone software and a managed service. The differences are extremely important and as such, it is worth spending a little time understanding what they are before choosing the right solution for building your membership website.
Membership Software
Membership software, in its unmanaged form, usually comes as a paid-for web download, which is usually installed as either a plugin for a CMS e.g. WordPress, Joomla or Drupal, or as a full solution in its own right which you would install on your server.
You will need to choose the CMS platform to use and select a reputable web host, as well as take responsibility for maintenance, backup, security and upgrades to the membership software you select.
The development of the membership software is effectively frozen in time when you make the purchase. This is fine until you need to upgrade. Usually, the software company will charge additional money for upgrades and leave you to implement the changes, so that they are not responsible for any problems, system conflicts or lost data.
If you have reasonable technical skills this process is usually not a problem. However, if you have no or limited technical skills you should not tackle upgrades yourself. This does mean however paying for a developer to upgrade the software for you.
The big advantage of buying your own membership software is that you ‘own’ a full working copy of the software, so if anything happens to the company that created it, for example, they go bankrupt, your site will continue to run. In the medium term, you would still have to look for an alternative solution because there would be no one to provide upgrades or support.
The alternative to using unmanaged membership software is to use a fully managed membership software service. This is where a company undertakes to provide its customers with a fully operational web-based membership service, using hosted, managed and supported membership software, ready for the publisher to use.
Many people use managed services without even realizing they are doing it. For example, services such as Hotmail, Gmail, eBay, and iTunes are all managed services.
When you sign up for a managed membership site service you are usually given a user id and a password. You can log in through a normal web browser and immediately start building and managing your membership website. There are no downloads and no installation or upgrade issues.
The big advantage with a managed service is that the company providing it takes care of all the boring (but vital!) technical issues such as hosting, security, design integration, payment processing integration, bandwidth provision, daily monitoring, and upgrades.
For non-technical people, this is a dream come true! When you use eBay, you don’t want to worry about what version of the software they are using!
It leaves the publisher (you) to focus on creating content and looking after their customers.
The downside is if the company providing the service runs into trouble, you could lose your website.
Therefore you must research and choose an established and reputable company, with a large client-base, such as the SubHub Membership Platform.
How do prices compare between Unmanaged membership software and a Managed membership Service?
This question is a bit like how long is a piece of string. However, in general membership software tends to be an expensive upfront cost and then requires irregular lump sum payments over the life of the software, to pay for upgrades and support.
Managed membership software services tend to be less of upfront investment and then require fixed monthly management fees to pay for the hosting, upgrades, maintenance, etc. On a like-for-like basis, there may be little difference in the costs, but there is a big difference in the amount of work that you will be required to undertake! Also for new businesses, a managed service enables you to spread the payment out over the year, whereas membership software is fully paid for upfront when cash is tight.
In Summary
Highly technical people may feel more comfortable with owning a membership software license and being in control of the administration and maintenance of their membership website. They may prefer buying an unmanaged membership website software package.
Non-technical people should go for the managed membership site service, so that they can leave the technical and maintenance issues in the hands of the experts.
Joan Magat
We believe that everyone should be able to publish digital content and make money without being dependent on ad networks or giant platforms, or wrestling with complicated publishing solutions.
One of the questions we get asked most frequently at SubHub is "what are the good membership site ideas?"
The answer is very simple: whatever your passion is.
You can create a membership websitebased on any type of business, but the one thing you don't want to do is choose one just because you think it might make money.
There is no way your website will generate paying members if you are not passionate about the subject of your membership business.
Yes, you can't just be passionate about making money!
There are dozens of successful membership sites in the niches below, which clearly suggest that there is money to be made from these subjects. But keep in the mind that the owners of these sites are truly passionate about what they do, and truly want to help others. So before you start, just make sure with a quick check that you also fall into that category!
Having said all that, however, just because you're passionate about your membership business idea doesn't mean it will be easy to be profitable, either. Let's face it, successful membership website niches are also competitive. There will be competition in whichever niche you choose. Your job is to show your potential members how you are different from the competition.
Here are just a few examples of membership website ideas to inspire you, from SubHub clients who at one time were just like you - trying to determine how to start a membership business. They have since developed their audiences and built successful membership websites.
If you want some SubHub examples, check out our Case Studies.
Subject #1 - Fitness and Yoga
Fitness and self-care are evergreen subjects. They will always find a willing audience happy to pay for advice. Meditation and self-growth classes are excellent candidates for evergreen courses.
If this is your niche, you can go with a combination of audio files, videos, checklists, e-books and any number of other resources for your members. Audio files can be uploaded or embedded.
Business coaching is big business these days, especially online business coaching. If you have expertise in digital marketing of business services or products, this could be your niche.
Online magazine subscriptions are another way to monetize your expertise. Membership levels might include a free newsletter round up of the latest publications, access to current editions, and access to archives.
Community development through associations and non-profits organizations is a huge industry as people of like interests come together to exchange information and learn from each other.
Investment tips are a great use of a membership website, and something very much in demand. You can share reports, performance spreadsheets, trade examples, screen shares, videos, personal coaching and more. SubHub's built-in forum lets your subscribers hold discussions to discuss tips and investment methods.
Nutrition and diet is a subject that always commands attention. Similarly, stress management and self-improvement/personal empowerment niches offer a huge opportunity to start a new membership business.
Online training is one of the most burgeoning fields on the internet right now. SubHub's course editor makes it easy to set up drip or evergreen classes to share your expertise, whatever niche you are in.
We all know that educational budgets can limit the abilities of teachers and educators to do what they would consider their best work. Membership models can supplement those efforts with materials and coaching help.
Conclusion
Of course, you do NOT need to write about one of the subjects above to create a successful subscription or membership website. With global reach and a deep knowledge of where your customers can be found, even the most specialist subject can become a successful membership site.
Paid-for content revenues are growing across the world.
There has never been a better time to start a subscription or membership website.
More and more bloggers, small businesses, publishers, and organizations are realizing the benefits of running membership model businesses. They also know that to make such a business a success, they need subscription management software.
Whether you are providing mostly free content, paid, or a combination of the two, you'll need a robust subscription management platform to make it simple and easy to use for both yourself and your members.
We'e put together the following checklist of subscription management software features you'll need to ensure your subscription business model has the best chance of thriving from the start.
Our subscription management checklist is divided into two sections:
Part 1 - Front-end features that your website visitors and members will expect and appreciate
Part 2 - Back-end features to make your job as Administrator as easy and fun as possible
Comprehensive List of Subscription Management Software Front-End Features
Integrated Login and Password Access
There should be clearly visible link to a login page with fields for username and password. The benefit of having a subscription website is the option to protect some (or all) of your content from the view of non-subscribers. This usually means placing the subscription-only pages in an area where they must be accessed through a login page. This sounds simple enough, but the challenge is how to link password protection to the subscriber database and the content management service. With full integration, you have control over who has access to what and for how long.
Integrated Payment Processing
Even if you don’t plan to charge subscribers, you'll need a subscription management software with integrated payment processing because you never know how your site will evolve. Good subscription software will integrate with PayPal and Stripe. Other payment processors are becoming popular with website visitors, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, so you'll want to plan for those integrations in the future if not now.
Multiple Subscription Levels
The subscription software or service you choose should enable you to assign content, subscribers, and password protection to multiple subscription levels. You don't necessarily have to offer multiple tiers right off the bat. In fact, for some business models, it only makes sense to offer one, all-access subscription plan. But again, you don't know how your business will evolve in the future, and you will want to be able to offer a simple tiered subscription model for potential members to choose from.
Free Trial Subscription and Paid Subscription
The most successful subscription websites offer limited-access, time-restricted, free trial subscriptions to all premium content, and long-term full access to this content with paid subscriptions. You should ensure that your subscription software has this flexibility. It gives potential subscribers an option to try before they buy.
Multiple Currencies
Even the simplest subscription site requires multiple payment plans and support for multiple currencies. For example, a site with bronze, silver, and gold subscription levels that offers monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription plans to customers paying in Dollars, Euros, or Sterling potentially need 27 different payment plans. Your subscription software should have the flexibility to establish and manage multiple payment plans. More advanced software should allow you to receive live foreign exchange data as well, but this is only important if you want all of your subscribers around the world to pay exactly the same amount at all times.
Automated Customer Messages
Your subscription software should have the capability to send customized, automated email messages to your subscribers when they join your site. For paid subscription sites there are legal requirements to send customers an invoice, cancellation policy, and your contact details. Apart from being a legal requirement, it's just common sense that after signing up for anything, purchasers want and expect an automated confirmation email, welcome email, and to be directed to a thank you page on the website after they submit their payment.
Customer-Controlled Subscription Management
Once your website grows to dozens, hundreds, or (hopefully) thousands of subscribers, it will be impossible to manage renewals manually. Your subscription software should be able to fully automate the process of renewing subscribers’ accounts, automatically take payments, notify you if a credit card fails, send out renewal reminders, and suspend the passwords of those who don’t renew their subscriptions. Even more important, your software system should allow subscribers to manage their subscriptions on their own, without intervention from you. They should at a minimum be able to cancel their membership on their own, and possibly upgrade or downgrade to a higher or lower tier as well.
Showing “Teaser” Content
A useful functionality for your website is to show your visitors the titles of all your articles along with brief descriptions, and once they click on an article they are prompted to subscribe to view the entire content. Your subscription management software should be able to work this into your site.
Forgotten Password
Since it is common for subscribers to occasionally forget their passwords, your subscription software should be able to automatically verify users and email new passwords to them. If you choose to do this manually, you will waste a lot of time and end up with very frustrated subscribers.
Comprehensive List of Subscription Management Software Back-End Features
Now that you've ensured you can implement the front-end features your audience will love you for, let's continue by making sure you have all the back-end features you'll need to easily create and manage your subscription service.
Simplified Control Panel
The more time you spend on administrative tasks, the less time you have to build your online business. To minimize the time you spend on administrative details, make sure that your website has a single, simplified control panel from where you can accomplish routine tasks – like adding content, changing payment plans, accessing your subscriber database, and viewing your web stats.
Content Management System
Content management must be at the heart of your website, and a content management system (CMS) can help you easily add text articles, images, and video clips. The CMS should also allow you to edit your site’s navigation. As an online publisher, you need to have complete control over your site’s content without having to know HTML or any other technical web coding.
Customizable Design
You may want to be able to constantly adjust your website’s design. You should have access to a design interface where tweaks can be made or even completely changed. The most flexible way to manage your website’s design is using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), so make sure the website software or platform you choose allows CSS.
Image Library
Images are an important part of your website, so your CMS should have the capacity to manage images so they can be inserted into any page with clear labeling (alt-tags) and can also be linked to content within your site or third-party sites.
Multimedia Content
Multimedia content is the biggest advantage that an online publication has over its print competitors, so make sure your website is enabled to publish content in multiple formats (text, images, audio, video) even if you don’t plan to use them all immediately.
Member Database
At the heart of all subscription management software is a database that collects information from subscribers. The quantity of information collected will vary from one site to another. For example, a free subscription site may only collect email addresses, while an expensive business site may collect additional data. This could include name, address, company, position, or association subscription. Regardless of what your short-term plans are, I highly recommend that you choose a subscription software that allows you to customize the amount of personal data you can collect. The subscriber database should also have a search feature and be easily customizable.
Enable Multiple Revenue Streams
Most successful subscription websites have multiple revenue streams, so don’t focus only on charging subscription fees while ignoring other revenue-generating opportunities like:
- adding affiliate links related to your site’s subject matter; - selling physical or digital products via an online shop; and - promoting and selling offline events.
Consider the different ways you can generate income from your website and make sure the functionality can be enabled or added later to make it possible (for example, a shopping cart, adserver, event booking form, etc).
Download Library
Most content websites provide their subscribers with downloadable reports, e-books, software programs, video clips, or audio files. Your website should make it easy to upload and manage downloads.
Search Engine Optimization
Your website must be easy for search engines to index, and any good web developer should be able to optimize the code to make it easy for Google and other search engines to find and index all the pages on your site. The best subscription website should be highly optimized from the outset so you don’t need to worry about anything other than adding quality content.
Relationship-Building Features
As your site begins receiving visitors, you need to establish relationships with them to encourage them to keep coming back. The most useful applications for building online relationships are email newsletters, RSS feeds, forums, comment fields under articles, and member profiles. The best subscription website should have these applications integrated. Some subscription software will come with additional plug-ins so the applications can be added.
Reporting and Analytics
In addition to connecting to Google Analytics, your membership software should feature a built-in analytics dashboard. In order to make informed decisions, you need to have access to valuable insightful data. Your reporting should track and measure your website's key metrics like signups, logins, enrollment, engagement and churn.
Monitoring, Maintenance, and Backups
A common mistake made by new website owners is that they underestimate the work involved. This includes managing, hosting, security, maintenance, data backups, and upgrades to the site. They often use free open-source software on a cheap host to launch their site. But that usually results in a lot of down-time, lost data, and wasted time. Non-technical people should avoid managing the technical, security, and back-up side of their website because these tedious tasks can consume a great deal of time for very little gain. You should either use a fully managed subscription service or a development company that can handle this work for you.
Support
Even though support is the last point on this checklist, it should be one of your highest priorities. As the owner of a subscription website, your time is the most valuable resource you have. You should focus your energy on creating content, marketing, and managing your subscribers, not worrying about hosting, bandwidth, backup, upgrades, and fixing bugs. You need excellent support from people who have an understanding of the technology as well as the online publishing field.
Conclusions
Running a subscription website is one of the most exciting business opportunities on the internet today. There are tons of resources available so that you won’t have to reinvent the wheel to get started. Everything you need to be successful is available to novices and experts alike. If you invest time and thought into the early planning phase, you can quickly have a thriving online business.
Refer back to this checklist while shopping for subscription management software. Look at a hosted and fully managed subscription website service (like SubHub). A full-service platform can accelerate your launch and make your day-to-day work a pleasure.
Membership Platform is being used by more and more bloggers, small businesses, publishers and organizations, to add subscription functionality to their websites and blogs.
Some want to introduce free membership, to restrict access to certain parts of their site. Others want to add paid membership, so they can charge access to premium content. Either way, they will need to look for membership platform or services to make it happen.
What are the features a membership platform should have
The first thing to say is if you haven't already got a website, it is much easier to build it from the outset with membership platform integrated rather than trying to bolt-on membership software to an existing site later.
This checklist of features, which is based on four years experience of building free and paid membership sites, should help you make sure you get what you need.
I have split the list into two parts. Part 1 - The list of features your membership platform should have Part 2 - The features your website should have if you are creating your membership site from scratch
The features your website should have if you are creating your membership site from scratch
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, it is much easier to start a website with membership already integrated. Adding third-party membership software to an existing website or blog is never seamless or completely secure.
Membership Platform Checklist
Feature #1 - Integrated Login and Password Access
The key to running a membership site is being able to protect some or all of the content from public view. Usually this means placing the premium pages in a members area, accessible via a login page. This sounds simple, but the challenge is in linking password protection to the member database and the content management service. Only with full integration will you have control over who can see what and for how long.
Feature #2 - Member Database
At the heart of all membership platform is a database which collects the information from your customers. The amount of information gathered varies from site to site. Free membership sites may only collect email addresses. High priced business sites may collect a lot of detailed data, including name, address, country, company, position, association membership, etc.
Irrespective of what your immediate requirements are I would recommend that you ensure the membership software you use allows you to choose and edit the amount of personal data you collect.
The member database should be searchable, exportable and easy to customize.
Feature #3 - Integrated Payment Processing
As with the database functionality, even if you don't plan on taking payment for membership at the outset I would recommend that you choose membership software that has payment processing integrated. You can never be sure how your site will evolve.
Good membership platform will integrate with PayPal and also offer you a choice of at least two other payment gateway providers in more than one country (e.g. Authorize.net, Stripe, SagePay, etc). The latter will allow you to use your own merchant services account and credit card processing to sign up members.
Feature #4 - Multiple Membership Levels
Many membership sites have more than one level of membership e.g. bronze, silver and gold. The membership software you choose should enable you to easily assign content, members and password protection to multiple membership levels.
Feature #5 - Trial, Free and Paid Membership
There is rarely a single type of membership. A good membership site may have free membership with limited access, time-restricted trial membership to all of the premium content and paid membership for long-term access to the premium areas of the site. Make sure you have this same kind of flexibility.
Even simple subscription sites can require multiple unique payment plans. For example - a site with bronze, silver and gold membership levels, offering monthly, quarterly or annual subscriptions to customers paying in US dollars, Euros or Sterling potentially needs 27 different payment plans!
The membership platform you choose should provide the flexibility to easily set plans up and manage them. More advanced services will give you the option to link prices to live foreign exchange data. This is only important if you want all your customers around the world paying exactly the same amount all of the time.
Feature #7 - Content Security
One of the biggest problems of adding third-party membership platform to an existing website is protecting the content on your existing pages. Plug-in software usually puts a login screen between the existing content and the website visitor. Savvy internet users can usually find a way around these barriers. Often it is as easy as typing the URL of a protected page into the browser.
Website platforms that have fully integrated membership management can build a wall that completely encircles your content making it impossible for hackers to get to it.
When reviewing membership software ask how protected your content will be and under what circumstances could it be accessed without authorization.
Feature #8 - Automated Customer Messages
When a customer signs up for membership to your site they should automatically receive one or more email messages confirming their details and welcoming them. For paid membership websites there are legal requirements to send customers an invoice, cancellation policy and your contact details. All of these emails should be customizable and fully automated within the membership software.
Feature #9 - Automated Renewal or Membership Suspension
Hopefully, your site will attract hundreds or even thousands of members. They will all join on different days and will have different renewal dates. Some will be monthly, others annual. Managing renewals manually quickly becomes a full-time job.
The membership platform you choose should fully automate this process. It should automatically take payments for monthly customers and notify you if a credit card fails. It should send out reminders to annual customers and suspend the passwords of people who don't renew.
Feature #10 - Showing 'Teaser' Content
A common practice for membership websites is to show all website visitors the title and a brief description of every article. When the visitor clicks to read more the rest of the article is hidden, with instead a custom invitation to subscribe displayed. This is a very useful functionality which will increase your sign-up rate.
Feature #11 - Forgotten Password
Many of your members will forget their password. The membership software should have a way of automatically verifying who a user is and emailing out a new password. If it can't do this you will end up wasting a huge amount of time manually sending out passwords to your frustrated customers.
Feature #12 - 'SSL Certificate'
Google Punishes Insecure Sites. Google's Chrome browser will mark HTTP websites with no secure SSL certificate as 'Not Secure'.
Also, SSL certificate is a requirement for any website that accepts payments. if you have an eCommerce site and you plan on taking credit card payments you need to have an SSL certificate installed.
Feature #13 - Member Chosen Passwords
Some of the basic membership platform automatically generates random passwords for subscribers and then does not provide a way for them to change the issued password to something that is more memorable. If your users are forced to use a password you have given them, research has shown they will log in less often and will be less likely to renew when their subscription runs out.
As mentioned in the introduction to this article, it is much easier to start a website with membership already integrated. Adding third-party membership software to an existing website or blog is never seamless or completely secure.
If you are starting a website from scratch, these are the additional features it should have:
Feature #14 - A Simple Control Panel
The more time you spend undertaking administrative tasks, the less time you are spending building your online business.
To minimize tedious admin tasks, you should ensure that when your website is up and running you have a single control panel, from which you can undertake all of your routine tasks, like adding content, changing payment plans, accessing your member database and looking at your web stats.
Unfortunately, when you add third-party membership software it is almost impossible to add the membership administration interface to an existing control panel. However, if you go with an all-in-one membership website service you should get this single dashboard.
Feature #15 - Excellent Content Management
A content management service/system (CMS) enables you to add text articles, images and video clips to your website, without needing any technical skills.
As an online publisher you must have complete control over adding, editing and removing your content, without having to know about HTML or any other kind of web coding. The CMS should also allow you to edit your site's navigation.
Content management MUST be at the heart of your website.
You will want to continually tweak and change your website design.
You, or your designer, should have access to a design interface where tweaks can be easily made, or a completely new design can be added. Today the most flexible way of managing your design is using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Make sure whatever website software or platform you choose allows CSS.
Feature #17 - Image Library
Images are an important and often overlooked part of a good website.
Your CMS should have the capability to manage images so they can be inserted into any page, with clear labeling (alt-tags) and the ability to make them link to other content or third-party websites.
Feature #18 - Multimedia Content
Today it is expected that an information-driven website will have content in multiple formats including text, images, audio and video. Even if you don't plan on using these formats today, make sure your website is enabled to publish them in the future.
Multimedia content is one of the most important advantages that an online publication has over its print competitors. Use this advantage.
Feature #19 - 'Plug-In' Functionality
When you start your membership website you can never be sure how it will develop. Therefore you need to have the ability to easily add new functionality as it is required. Better still, consider using a managed service which is continually being upgraded with the latest features. Then all you need to do is turn them on when you need them.
Many website owners, who are focused on charging a membership fee for access to premium content, ignore other revenue making opportunities such as:
showing advertisements on free content pages
adding affiliate links related to the sites subject
selling physical or digital products via an online shop
promoting and selling offline events
Most successful membership websites have multiple revenue streams. Consider other ways you can generate income from your site and make sure the functionality can be enabled or added to make them possible (e.g. a shopping cart, adserver, event booking form, etc).
Feature #21 - Download Library
Most content websites provide their readers and members with downloads. These could be reports, ebooks, software programs, video clips or audio files.
Your website should make it easy for you to upload and manage downloads, so they are accessible to your site visitors.
You must have a website that is very easy for the search engines to index. Any web developer worth his salt will be able to optimize the code to make it easy for Google and the other search engines to find and index all the pages on your site.
Any good managed website platform should be highly optimized from the outset, so you don't need to worry about anything, other than adding great quality content.
Feature #23 - Relationship Building Applications
Once you get visitors coming to your website you need to start building a relationship with them to encourage them to return.
The most important applications for building online relationships are:
email newsletters
RSS feeds
forums
comment fields under articles
member profiles
Good platforms will have this stuff integrated. Some membership software will have additional plug-ins so it can be added.
You should be able to easily access all the information about how your website is performing in a single web statistics report. This should include the number of visitors and page views; the time spent on the website and most popular pages; where your traffic is coming from and much more.
Only when you have this information at your fingertips will you be able to understand how your site is performing and the needs of your customers.
You can integrate web statistics software on your server (e.g. AW Stats), or plug in a third-party service like Google Analytics.
Feature #25 - Monitoring, Security and Backup
New website owners underestimate the hassle involved with managing hosting, security, maintenance, data backups and upgrades. Often they use free open source software on a cheap host to launch their site. This usually results in downtime, lost data and hours of wasted time trying to sort out technical problems.
Non-technical people should avoid managing the technical, security and back-up side of their website. This tedious stuff can consume a lot of time for very little gain. Either use a fully managed service which includes all this stuff or use a development company who will do it for you.
Feature #26 - Future-Proof
You need your website to grow with your business, so the design, functionality and scaleability should be flexible enough to meet your target audience's changing needs. If you are buying software you need to understand how often it is updated, how much the updates cost and whether the new releases are backward compatible with the software you have.
Feature #27 - Support
I have put support last, but it should be amongst your highest priorities.
When you are running a membership website your time is the most valuable resource you have. You need to be able to focus on creating content, marketing and managing your clients - not worrying about bandwidth, hosting, backup, upgrades and fixing bugs.
Good support, by people who really understand both the technology and online publishing is vital to your success!
Conclusion
Online publishing and running a membership website is one of the most exciting business opportunities on the Internet today. It is still in its infancy, but established enough that you will not have to reinvent the wheel. Everything you need to be successful is available and accessible to novices and experts alike.
Put time and thought into your early decisions and you should quickly have a thriving business built around a future-proof website.
Use this checklist to review any membership software services you are considering. Also take the time to look at hosted and fully managed membership site software, such as that offered by SubHub Membership Website Builder. We can accelerate launch and make the day-to-day running of the site a real pleasure.
Ready to transform your knowledge into an online business with a membership website but don’t have the time or skill to build it yourself? Our design service could be the solution.
YouTube is one of the most effective platforms for attracting, engaging, and converting potential members to your membership website. With billions of users and an ever-growing appetite for video content, leveraging YouTube can help you build brand authority, drive traffic, and grow your membership.
Kate Faulkner, founder of PropertyChecklists.co.uk, has created a valuable resource for aspiring property developers and professionals. By offering an array of detailed checklists, expert advice and access to a trusted network of service
Tony Eyers launched his membership website to offer online harmonica lessons to share his passion for music while providing value to both beginners and seasoned players. By offering a combination of free content
Using a membership website to sell your online learning materials allows you to support teachers with fresh resources while generating recurring revenue and showcasing your expertise.
The principles of promoting a membership website haven’t changed much over the years. It requires innovative strategies that attract and retain paying members. What does change are the tools and tactics. In this article, we’ll talk about how to leverage the latest cutting-edge tools and trends to maximize visibility and engagement in 2025.
SubHub’s membership website builder allows you to easily build and launch your own online knowledge business and earn an ongoing income from it.
Users love all the built-in functionality, intuitive editor and 5-star customer support they receive.
The SubHub platform includes everything you need, all-in-one place, to create a website that can accept payments from users who subscribe to gain access to your member-only content. It delivers all the functionality to succeed in creating any type of membership website. Get started building your site with our free 14-day trial.
Easily customise your homepages to convert visitors to members
After selecting one of our ready-made homepage templates, you can easily customise it to suit your brand and content. You can delete any unsuitable section from any template and replace it with one relevant to your design. A large selection of layout options can be found in the section’s library.
Build custom pages using the landing page editor
Our new landing page editor lets you create specific marketing pages. Depending on your hosting plan, you can create from 5 to 30 additional pages using the robust design capabilities of the landing page editor. But there’s need to be limited to using this editor just to create landing pages. You can also create highly styled content pages too.
Create unlimited membership plans and multiple levels
With SubHub, you can create unlimited subscription plans and membership levels to effectively segment your audience and the content they can access. Your members will only be able to access the content they are paying for.
Accept secure payments with trusted payment gateways
SubHub’s seamless integration with the trusted payment gateways, Stripe and PayPal, lets you securely accept recurring and one-off payments from members for subscriptions and course and store purchases. SubHub does not take any percentage of your sales. You can offer discounts, free trials and set up automatic renewals.
Easy to use content management system
Easily create and organise your content using the CMS. Your pages can contain images, audio, videos, PDFs and more. It can be published to be viewed publicly or access can be restricted to members only and even members who purchased specific subscription plans.
Create and sell unlimited online courses
Selling online courses are all the rage. With SubHub’s course editor, you can quickly create courses to sell as individual products or to include as part of a paid membership plan. Start transforming your knowledge into an income stream!
Check out the course sales page design on STEMsmart which lists all their educational courses for preschoolers.
Sell store products for an additional revenue stream
The built-in store lets you sell physical products and digital downloads. With the pay-per-view functionality, you can sell access to one off member-only content.
LovePrayTeach uses their store to earn additional income by also selling their member content as individual downloadable lessons.
Grow and nurture your online community
Grow your community engagement with features that promote communication. SubHub’s built-in member forums, commenting, event calendar and member profiles help to foster member participation.
Translate your website labels into your language
The language settings menu allows you to translate any hard coded English word into the language of your choice. Alternatively, you can replace a word with your own alternative.
Our advanced search filter lets students find the perfect fitness class
SubHub's advanced search filter lets your students customise their search experience so they can find the most suitable fitness or yoga class that meets their specific criteria at any moment.
The advanced search filter is available with every SubHub website. You just need to enable it in the control panel.
A 5-star support team that always exceeds expectations
Our team delivers personalised support and always goes above and beyond client expectations. We don’t send scripted replies but thoughtful information along with screenshots and bespoke video tutorials so you always feel comfortable and confident using the SubHub platform. Our support team never receives anything less than 5-star reviews.
Take a tour of SubHub's membership website solution - see everything that's possible and more
https://youtu.be/n6ISbNCMeEI
Need help building your website? Our design service could be the solution for you!
Your member homepage is one of the most important pages on your site. It's where members land each time they log in, and it should be designed to keep them engaged, help them easily navigate your content, and encourage them to remain active subscribers.
Resizing images in bulk is essential when optimizing photos for websites, social media, or storage. Instead of resizing each image manually, using bulk processing tools can save time and effort. This guide will walk you through three popular methods: Adobe Photoshop, Picsart, and Imageresizer.com.
1. Resizing Images in Bulk Using Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a powerful tool that allows you to resize multiple images at once using its Image Processor feature.
Steps to Resize Images in Bulk Using Photoshop:
Open Photoshop and go to File > Scripts > Image Processor.
Select the folder containing the images you want to resize.
Choose the destination folder where resized images will be saved.
Under File Type, check Resize to Fit and enter the desired width and height (e.g., 800x600 pixels).
Select the file format (JPEG, PSD, or TIFF) and adjust quality settings if needed.
Click Run, and Photoshop will resize all images in the selected folder automatically.
Pros: ✔ High-quality output ✔ Supports batch processing with additional adjustments (e.g., sharpening, color correction) ✔ Saves time when handling large projects
Cons: ✖ Requires a paid Adobe subscription ✖ May have a learning curve for beginners
2. Resizing Images in Bulk Using Picsart
Picsart is a user-friendly tool with bulk resizing capabilities, available as a desktop app or online editor.
Steps to Resize Images in Bulk Using Picsart:
Open Picsart (either the desktop app or the online version at picsart.com).
Click on Batch Editor in the tools menu.
Upload multiple images by selecting or dragging them into the editor.
Choose the Resize option and set your desired dimensions.
Apply the changes and click Export to save all resized images.
Pros: ✔ Simple, user-friendly interface ✔ Free version available ✔ Additional editing options like cropping and filters
Cons: ✖ Free version has limited features ✖ Web-based version may be slow for large batches
3. Resizing Images in Bulk Using Imageresizer.com
Imageresizer.com is a free, web-based tool that allows you to resize multiple images quickly without downloading software.
Steps to Resize Images in Bulk Using Imageresizer.com:
Yoga continues to thrive as one of the most adaptable and accessible fitness practices, making it an ideal discipline for online instruction. With minimal equipment and the flexibility to practice anywhere, transitioning from an in-person studio to an online membership-based platform is easier than ever.
Lower Overhead Costs – Eliminate expenses associated with running a physical studio.
Flexible Income Streams – Generate passive income through on-demand classes, memberships, and live sessions.
Personalised Learning – Provide students with an extensive library of yoga sessions categorised by style, duration, and focus, allowing them to tailor their practice.
Deborah Stanley, founder of ThriveYoga, successfully launched her online yoga studio with these benefits in mind. She leveraged the SubHub membership platform to create a seamless experience for her students. We spoke with her about her journey, insights, and tips for building a thriving online yoga community in 2025.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led to you to setting up your site?
I've been a yoga teacher for 12 years and I wanted to offer my classes online so my pupils could practice at home and people who couldn't attend my in-person classes could enjoy the benefits of yoga whenever they wanted to.
Why did you decide to use SubHub and how long did it take for your website to be online?
I wanted a membership site that did everything - hosted the website, managed the members, linked to the payment method, that I could update and add to myself and offered support and back-up when I needed it.
How involved were you in developing the website, and did you have any experience in creating a website before?
I was involved in building the website from scratch and worked closely with the developers to ensure the site worked as I needed it to. I have created a very basic website for my in-person classes before.
How hands on are you with updating your site? Do you create everything yourself, do you have any staff, or do you outsource?
I create everything myself. I write a weekly blog and add a weekly video myself. I don't have any staff, except a slightly more tech-savvy and willing-to-help husband.
How much time do you spend updating your website?
I don't make many changes to it apart from writing my weekly blog and setting up my weekly video. How do you interact with members and what’s the key to keeping them happy? I keep in contact with them via my blog, newsletters and social media. A variety of different classes and different information about yoga keeps people happy, plus a smooth-running, straightforward membership process with no surprises or glitches so they can view their videos whenever they want to.
How has SubHub enabled you to grow?
I am able to teach yoga to many more people than I could in my in-person classes and potentially make more money from doing so.
What kind of content is most popular on your website and why do you think that is?
The videos - people join Thrive Yoga to practice yoga with an experienced teacher who offers varied classes suitable for all abilities.
How have you grown your email subscribers and how do you manage them?
I have not done much advertising yet but some members have found me through word-of-mouth, the Thrive Yoga Facebook page and Google search. I manage them via Mailchimp.
How important is your website for your business?
My website IS Thrive Yoga. Without it I can't offer the videos or the membership.
Now that you've created a website, how do you make money from it?
I sell a monthly membership package.
From your experience, what are the basic steps somebody needs to take to setup and develop a successful website?
Help from an expert - it is extremely time-consuming if you don't know what you are doing. To develop it you need to be consistent with what you are offering in a clear and easily-understandable way.
What advice would you give to somebody thinking of starting their own website with SubHub?
I would say that if they don't have any experience of putting together a website or membership site then getting everything done 'all under one roof' with SubHub rather than trying to piece individual bits together using lots of different providers saves time, sanity and money. SubHub has yoga membership website temples that you get started with.
What can people expect from your site or company the next 6 or 12 months?
Melody White launched Sacred Space Online to provide comprehensive support for yoga teachers and students. Her vision was to create an online platform offering teacher training resources, expert sequencing guidance, and a full studio of yoga classes based on Samdhaana Yoga’s healing movement patterns. After extensive research, she chose SubHub for its affordability, support and ease of management.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led to you to setting up your site?
This website has long been the dream and vision of Melody White, founder of Samdhaana Yoga and owner of Sacred Space yoga studio and Sacred Space Online.
Her vision was to create a site that provided:
1. Full online support for our in-house Yoga Teacher Training programs.
2. Online resources for yoga teachers to learn how to masterfully sequence yoga classes and to understand patterns of movement and the energetic aspects of the yoga practice
3. A full online studio of yoga classes, all of which are founded upon Samdhaana Yoga's healing patterns of movement, and which build precept upon precept, allowing our site members to evolve their own yoga practices seamlessly, at their own pace, from beginner to advanced; along with specialized yoga videos to address using yoga to maintain a healthy back, reduce stress and anxiety, and more.
Why did you decide to use SubHub and how long did it take for your website to be online?
We thoroughly researched all of our options for creating a subscription-based website. We needed a beautiful robust site that we could manage on our own, but that also offered us support when we need it, all at an affordable price. SubHub was by far the best option for meeting our needs. The process took 6 months only because we had to put the project on hold for several months - had we not, it probably would have taken about 2 - 3 months.
How involved were you in developing the website, and did you have any experience in creating a website before?
We had SubHub custom design our site. We had a very clear vision of how we wanted the site to look and function and SubHub's team did a brilliant job of bringing that to life. We also created all of our written content and a substantial library of videos before we started the process of creating the site. I have managed a number of websites before, but I've never done the technical side of creating a website.
How hands on are you with updating your site? Do you create everything yourself, do you have any staff, or do you outsource?
We are 100% hands on, from writing our content to filming and editing our videos.
How much time do you spend updating your website?
I spend from 1 to 3 hours per week updating the website. It's always evolving and we're always adding new content.
How do you interact with members and what’s the key to keeping them happy?
We interact with members through social media, monthly e-newsletters and by promptly responding to any questions or comments they email to us. The key to keeping them happy is to be extremely responsive to their needs and wants. For instance, we created our Yoga for Runner series of videos at the request of some of our clients who are runners.
How has SubHub enabled you to grow?
It enables us to reach people worldwide, far beyond what we would ever be able to do with our physical yoga studio (which is located in a town with a population of just 10,000).
What kind of content is most popular on your website and why do you think that is?
Our Online Yoga Classes and Specialized Yoga videos are the most popular content on our site because we offer something for everyone, from 5 minute Workday Quickie routines to full classes (Beginner, Foundations, Vinyasa, Power Hour, Restorative). We also have a lot of free content, no subscription required, so that people can dip their toes in the water before taking the plunge and subscribing.
How have you grown your email subscribers and how do you manage them?
Our email list has grown gradually and organically over time as our physical studio has grown. Our website subscribers are now being added to that list. We are very consistent in communicating, sending out an e-newsletter on the first of every month, as well as emails about special events or to highlight specific features of the website. Our goal is to keep people informed without pestering them with too many emails.
How important is your website for your business?
Our website is absolutely essential for the growth and future of our business.
Now that you've created a website, how do you make money from it?
We make money through subscriptions to our online yoga classes, as well as separate subscriptions that provide teaching tutorials and other resources for yoga teachers.
What has been the most effective way to drive traffic to your website?
This is an area we are constantly working on and experimenting with. So far, Facebook and Facebook ads have been the most effective tools for us.
From your experience, what are the basic steps somebody needs to take to setup and develop a successful website?
1. Decide what the main purpose of your site is.
2. Think about what kind of experience you want your site visitors to have.
3. When you're online, pay attention and identify sites that you like and dislike. This will help you decide what features to include or avoid when you set up your own site.
4. Create as much of your initial content (written and otherwise) as possible before you begin the process. This will help tremendously in thinking about how to set up your site to best deliver that content.
5. Get professional help in areas where you or your team do not have the skills needed. For instance, if writing is not your thing, there are many talented and affordable freelance writers who can help you. First impressions really matter. For us, it was well worth paying to have SubHub custom design our site.
6. Be prepared for some bumps along the road, but keep going! What advice would you give to somebody thinking of starting their own website with SubHub? Take advantage of SubHub's excellent support - schedule a phone call to ask questions and then start a free trial so you can learn more.
Final thoughts
Building a successful website requires careful planning, clear goals and a strong user experience. By defining your site's purpose, researching design preferences and preparing content in advance, you can streamline the development process. Seeking professional design can ensure a polished final product. While challenges may arise, persistence is key. For those considering SubHub, start by opening a free trial and leverage their outstanding customer support to help you build your website.
Eric Tyson is the best-selling author of personal finance guides Let’s Get Real About Money and Personal Finance For Dummies (the first non-computer title in the ‘For Dummies’ series.) After working as a management consultant for a number of Fortune 500 firms, he started offering personal financial advice back in 1990.
Since then, his work has featured in hundreds of local and national publications, while he has also lectured at the University of California and even appeared as a guest speaker at the White House.
In 2008, with traditional print media on the decline, EricTyson.com was launched in an effort to reach a wider audience. We asked him a few questions about running the website.
How and why did you get started?
Over the years, I have seen many otherwise intelligent people make major mistakes in managing their money. Additionally, much of the personal finance writing and reporting I see is biased, jargon-laden and, in some cases, filled with bad advice.
For example, rather than telling people the hard truth - that one must live within one's means as a prerequisite to building wealth - many publications offer unrealistic ‘get rich without taking risks’ hype.
I came to realize that I could reach many more people and a more economically diverse audience through writing and I began my website out of concern that I wouldn't be able to continue to reach folks through traditional newspapers.
I don’t accept endorsement deals or fees of any type from companies in the financial services industry. As such, readers can be assured that they’re getting real, honest, independent advice.
Did you face any problems in the beginning?
Given the unfolding financial crisis in 2008, I had plenty to write about. Over the years, I've been able to cover timely topics in many areas of personal finance and the business has continued to grow naturally.
Few people realize the enormous conflicts of interest that exist when small publishing enterprises (websites, local newspapers, magazines) give away its content for free and generates revenue from advertising.
Whenever I go to a ‘free’ site, I spend time thinking about what the agenda is. If they accept advertising, this creates a major conflict of interest.
In order for me to continue offering impartial advice, I have to charge my members.
The subscription model works well, with my members paying an annual fee of $19.95 - which is tax deductible! This allows me freedom to provide objective expertise, free of commercial interest, as I offer insights on breaking news stories, archived articles, exclusive book excerpts and much more.
How do you interact with members and what's the key to keeping them happy?
Our annual fee is modest and we allow a free-look period for folks to make sure that getting expert personal finance insights and information is for them.
Members get priority when it comes to answering questions, and I receive letters and emails from folks all the time. I enjoy these interactions because it allows me to understand what folks are thinking about and struggling with. While you can't make everyone happy all of the time, if you offer good information at a fair price along with good service, you will generally keep people happy.
Final thoughts
Using a subscription model, Eric ensures his content remains free from commercial influence, allowing readers to access expert insights with confidence. The SubHub platform has helped streamline the technical side of his business, enabling him to focus on delivering high-quality financial guidance. Through affordable memberships and direct interactions with subscribers, Eric continues to grow his audience.
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Herself360 is an online magazine that supports and encourages women everywhere offering them a space to connect through stories. Herself360 fosters a community where women can find inspiration, advice, and solidarity.
Co-founded by Cathie Briggette, Herself360 is a magazine-style membership website designed for women who "embrace, engage, and support each other." Covering a wide range of topics—including lifestyle, finance, news, fashion, food, and wellness—the platform remains committed to amplifying women's voices and championing empowerment.
Herself360 is a relatively new venture, and was launcSince its launch in January 2018 on the SubHub platform, Herself360 has evolved into a thriving online space where women can exchange experiences, find valuable insights, and build meaningful connections.ed in January 2018 on the SubHub platform.
A brand new online magazine
Cathie and her co-founders knew they wanted to create an online media magazine with a membership option. But they didn’t want to build the whole website from scratch by themselves, so they turned to Google to research their options, and there was SubHub.
Cathie says, “I loved the pricing structure [of SubHub] - that was really good. Because we had no members whatsoever, I liked the way that the pricing tiers worked: so as we started out it was not so much and then we got bigger the price got comparably bigger. I really like that. I liked the examples that you showed because a lot of them were of what we were thinking about doing, so that was helpful too.”
No pressure
Cathie also appreciated our low-pressure sales approach. She says, “I did a trial and Louise was the one who got in touch me. She was just so helpful and easy to talk to. At the time I wasn't quite ready to make a decision but she was ready to wait for me. She was right with me all the way through all of us [the co-founders] making the decision, and she made it easy to make that decision. That made me feel much more comfortable.”
Speedy setup
Cathie took advantage of our Speedy Setup Service, which got her new site up and running in a month, and meant that her and her team were able to concentrate on doing all the other tasks a new business requires, without having to worry about their website.
Cathie says, “It was kind of bumpy in the beginning - we didn’t have a logo yet and we hadn't picked our font and our colours – but the support was really good. Jean was our main person to get in touch with, and everything that we were looking to do she just made it happen.
“I think the biggest thing with us was that we were a start-up company and there was only three of us. We had a whole bunch of other things that were going on, so it was really great that we could throw stuff at you guys and then you could start building it in the background while we were trying to get the rest of our stuff together.”
Marketing savvy
Initially Herself360 was open to everyone, with none of the articles pay-walled behind a subscription. Cathie and her team were keen to use all of their content to generate interest and awareness – a canny marketing strategy.
Cathie says, “We wanted to get people into it first. To see what the site was about, understand what it was we were doing, and be interested in it before we locked it all down.”
Herself360 has now done just that – a few articles are still available on the site to be read by anyone, but the majority of the content, and the community, has been transferred to a members-only area. The site continues to grow, and reaches over a thousand women every month. A wonderful achievement after only six months online, and we’re sure they’ll continue to go from strength to strength.
A bit of advice
Finally, we asked Cathie if she had any advice for someone who wanted to set up a membership site. She said, “I would say you should try SubHub. They're really good - they're very easy to use and their customer service is excellent. The people over there are very easy to talk to and understand what it is that you're looking for and how you want it to show up. The SubHub platform is very comprehensible, and so far everything is just been really easy to do.”
As a membership website owner, your primary task is to write content for your members. This is especially important if you are collecting recurring payments from them in return for fresh content. So obviously, you want every article you write to shine!
Writing the perfect article may sound like a daunting task, but with a little planning and some best practices, you can craft content that captivates your members while imparting real information or advice. The steps here are a great start. The only missing piece is to make sure all your content has your distinctive stamp on the voice, tone, and flavour of your articles.
Know Your Audience
This should be easy since your members have already committed to you. Therefore, they already know, like and trust you. But before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), take a moment to think a little more deeply about who they are, their habits, their needs and wants. You may even know some of them personally. This is a golden opportunity to tailor your piece to answer a question you know they have, or to speak to a particular segment of your group.
Questions to ask yourself:
What does my audience care about?
What problems are they trying to solve?
What kind of tone will resonate with them (formal, conversational, humorous)?
For example, as a nutrition expert, your membership is varied. Some may be vegan, some paleo, some who like everything! They are each going to have slightly different problems day to day. You could answer questions like “is there such a thing as too much protein?”, or “how many carbs is too many?” The list is endless!.
Start with a Strong Hook
First impressions matter. The opening of your article should grab your member’s attention and make them want to continue reading. A strong hook could be:
Examples:
A compelling statistic: “Did you know that over 90% of Americans fail to meet daily vegetable intake recommendations?”
A question: “Are you struggling to understand what ‘eating clean’ really means?”
A personal story: “Last year, I decided to cut out processed sugar. The first week was tough, but the results were life-changing.”
Structure Your Article with Care
A well-structured article keeps readers engaged and ensures your points come across clearly. Follow this basic structure:
Introduction: Introduce the topic and explain why it’s important (e.g., “Why meal prepping saves time and money while improving health.”)
Body: Break down the main points into easily digestible sections, using subheadings and bullet points.
Conclusion: Summarize key takeaways and provide a call-to-action (e.g., “Start your journey to better nutrition by trying these three simple meal prep tips!”).
Using subheadings, lists, and short paragraphs also improves readability, especially for online content.
Write with Clarity and Confidence
Good writing is clear, concise, and confident. Avoid jargon and unnecessary fluff that might confuse or bore your members. Instead (continuing with our nutritionist example):
Use active voice: “Include leafy greens in your meals” is stronger than “Leafy greens should be included in meals.”
Be concise: Replace long explanations with direct, impactful sentences.
Explain complex concepts: Use examples, such as describing how fiber aids digestion by comparing it to a “broom” sweeping out your digestive system.
Add Value with Examples and Data
Readers appreciate actionable advice and real-world examples. Back up your points with data, case studies, or personal experiences. For example:
Share meal plans, recipes, or client success stories to make your points relatable.
Share a success story or cautionary tale to illustrate your point.
Example: Rather than saying, “Fiber is important for digestion,” say, “Studies show that increasing dietary fiber can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 30%.”
Include a Call to Action
Never leave your readers hanging. A strong call to action (CTA) directs them on what to do next. Whether it's subscribing to your newsletter, leaving a comment, or sharing your article, make your CTA clear and compelling.
This is also a great place to upsell your members. Perhaps you are introducing a new program or challenge. Invite your members to apply to get a free pass or fast action discount.
Example CTA:“Ready for the next level? Join my new 90-day no-carb challenge for free!”
Use Gripping Headlines
Your headline is the first thing readers see, so make it count. A good headline is clear, intriguing, and gives a promise of value. Tools like CoSchedule Headline Analyzer can help refine your titles for maximum impact.
Instead of “Nutrition Tips,” try “7 Science-Backed Nutrition Tips to Transform Your Health.”
Use power words like “Ultimate,” “Proven,” or “Life-Changing” to add impact.
Use Subheads and Bullet Points
Breaking up your text with subheads and bullet points makes it easier for readers to scan and digest your content. This is especially important for online readers who tend to skim rather than read word-for-word.
Use subheads to introduce new sections.
Use bullet points for lists or key takeaways.
Inject Personal Stories and Opinions
Adding personal stories or opinions makes your article more relatable and engaging. Share your experiences, challenges, and insights to build a connection with your readers.
Example: Offer opinions on debated topics, like plant-based diets or intermittent fasting, to spark discussion.
Edit Ruthlessly
This is a phrase that you sometimes here from editors and publishers. What they mean is that you should be ruthless with your editing. You many have just written the cutest, most creative title in the world for your article. But does it tell your member what the article is about?
Consider a cute headline like “You Say Potato, I Say Potahto!”, or “Do You Want Fries With That?”. Do these tell you what the article is about? Not really. It’s usually a good idea to err on the side of the obvious. Something like 5 Ways to Ditch French Fries for Good – With No Regrets”. Now you have a headline that is still engaging but is also more explanatory.
Your first draft is rarely perfect. Once you’ve finished writing, you should also take the time to edit your article. Look for:
Spelling and grammar errors.
Sentences or sections that are unclear or repetitive.
Opportunities to improve flow and readability.
Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor can help polish your writing, but don’t underestimate the value of a second pair of eyes. Ask a friend or colleague for feedback.
Final Thoughts
Writing the perfect article isn’t about following a rigid formula; it’s about understanding your audience, communicating clearly, and providing value. And don’t forget to be authentic in your writing. Use your writing voice to spark or deepen your connection with your members. They want to hear from you, in your unique style. So give the people what they want!
It's a fact that website design styles evolve rapidly from year to year, reflecting changes in technology, user behavior and aesthetics. Just think about how far websites have come since the early days of the late 1990's and early 2000's. Back then, websites were packed with dense information, featuring clunky elements like left side navigation, small text, minimal images and definitely no video. A quick trip to the Wayback Machine can offer a glimpse into that era’s chaotic, cluttered, and often confusing designs.
Here is a snapshot of microsoft.com from way back in 2002:
By today’s standards, those early websites are hard to imagine as functional, especially with modern design's focus on clarity, simplicity and seamless navigation. The emphasis now is on user-centric design, where every element serves a clear purpose and enhances the user experience. We’ve come a long way - and aren’t you glad?
Now here is microsoft.com in 2025:
Now let's explore at a few web design trends shaping 2025. There won't be a huge change from last year but there are some impactful innovations redefining what websites can do and how they look.
Trend #1: Bold colors, simplistic hero sections and dynamic interactions
In 2025, the shift toward bold simplicity continues to redefine website hero banners. Instead of traditional background images with overlay text, bold solid colors paired with striking typography and subtle animations have become the hallmark of modern design.
Subtle motion effects or gradient animations give your hero section a dynamic feel.
Large, bold typography paired with clean layouts ensures clarity and accessibility.
Strategic micro-interactions, like hover effects or interactive call-to-action (CTA) buttons, engage visitors without overwhelming them.
This trend aligns with the continued focus on minimalism and extreme contrast, but with added interactivity.
The goal is to capture attention instantly while making navigation intuitive. This approach eliminates the distractions of complex visuals, ensuring your core message stands out. It’s not just visually appealing - it’s functional and user-centric.
Trend #2: Story-centric design
Storytelling remains an essential element of web design in 2025, but it has evolved into a more immersive and interactive experience. Websites now guide users through tailored narratives.
Video-driven narratives: Include fullscreen videos or interactive video segments that walk users through your brand’s story, creating emotional connections.
The essence of storytelling hasn’t changed: it’s still about showing the customer’s transformation. However, the delivery has advanced, making the journey more compelling than ever. Pair these stories with testimonials, infographics and explainer videos to deepen the connection and emphasize real-world results.
Trend #3: Membership, courses and monetization
As creator-driven economies continue to thrive, websites are evolving into comprehensive hubs for monetization. In 2025, membership and course platforms have reached new levels of sophistication, offering seamless integration with diverse revenue streams. By uniting these monetization methods on a single platform, you can provide a versatile and engaging experience that caters to the varied needs of your audience, fostering loyalty while maximizing income potential.
Offer Tiered Memberships: Provide different membership levels with varying benefits (e.g., basic, premium, VIP) to cater to a wider audience.
Skill-Based Training: Develop in-depth courses on a specific skill or topic that appeals to your target audience.
More website owners are moving away from Facebook groups and other social media platforms to house their communities. The shift away from social media giants continues to gain traction in 2025 as creators and businesses reclaim control over their communities. Websites now serve as fully-equipped hubs for interaction and connection.
Built-in Forum: Many membership platforms now include built-in forums. SubHub's forum feature allows segmentation by member group, enabling restricted access for premium memberships or separate forums for different groups.
Member Directory: Members can create profiles with photos, videos, and text for others to search and view.
The takeaway for 2025
Website design in 2025 revolves around clarity, connection, and control. Bold visuals, immersive storytelling, monetization tools and community-building features will let your website deliver both a memorable experience and measurable results.
AI Tools in some ways are nothing new. Much of the marketing software that has been available for several years could be considered AI. But in the last couple of years, AI tools have come to mean something more useful and elaborate, especially when it comes to marketing.
As a membership website owner, you probably already spend a lot of time on marketing, so you know how important it is to a thriving business. Consistently getting new members to join your website is the most important mission you have, apart from consistently providing value to current members. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help. By using AI’s capabilities, you can create personalized experiences, fine-tune your marketing, and keep your website fresh and engaging. Here are 3 smart ways to harness the power of AI to keep your business growing.
Speak Directly to Your Visitor with Personalized Marketing
Everyone responds better to a personalized communication than a generic one. AI can look at data from social media, website activity, and even search habits to create tailored marketing messages. When your messages feel personal, people are more likely to pay attention and consider joining.
AI Tools: Facebook or Google ad campaign account, AdRoll to retarget ads based on user interactions with your website, Mailchimp to create personalized email campaigns, Google Analytics to track website visits.
Example: Dynamic advertising tools can be used to recommend your membership site to people based on their browsing history or preferences. For instance, if someone recently searched for "online fitness programs," an AI tool like AdRoll or Facebook retargeting ads could identify this and display an ad for your fitness-related membership site, highlighting its most relevant features. If the person seeing the ad clicks on it and ends up contacting you or signing up for something on your website, you can use the same information to target relevant emails to them. Google Analytics can track the process and record the conversion as well.
Find the Right Audience with Predictive Analytics
AI can help you figure out who is most likely to become a member by analyzing patterns in user behavior. This means you can focus on the people who are most interested in what you offer. AI-driven customer relationship management (CRM) tools can help you create targeted campaigns that really resonate.
Tools:Mailchimp for personalized email campaigns and audience segmentation, HubSpot CRM to identify the leads most likely to convert based on behaviour, Google Analytics to track user behaviour and identify engagement patterns, Pipedrive CRM.
Example: Customer relationship management tools like Pipedrive use AI to help you understand what your website visitors are doing and how you can use that information. It can grade leads by which are more likely to convert, and allow you to send personalized email campaigns and follow-ups.
For instance, someone who visits your pricing page multiple times and opens every email you send may be more likely to join your site. These tools can also remind you to follow up with leads at the right time, such as after they’ve completed your free trial but haven’t subscribed yet.
Let’s say you’re a nutrition membership website. AI tools can tell you if visitors are engaging with your website in the morning, in which case you could offer a “daily breakfast menu” to entice these potential members.
Turn Visitors Into Members with Chatbots
AI chatbots can answer questions, guide visitors through your site, and even help them sign up—all in real time. This instant interaction can make a big difference, especially if you have your chatbot offer free resources, like eBooks or webinars, to showcase the value of your membership.
Tools:There are multiple chatbots available, and most are easy to implement on your SubHub website. Simply add the provided embed code to your site and watch the magic happen! Popular chatbots are Intercom, Tidio, Drift, and ManyChat.
Example: Chatbots are smarter than you think. They can actually do a lot more than just tell your visitor to leave an email address and someone will get back to them. For instance, let’s say your membership website sells professional development courses. When a visitor lands on your site, a chatbot can ask a short series of questions. Based on the answers, the bot can direct your visitor to a particular article, course, or webinar. They can also handle common questions in real time. For instance, a visitor might ask “What’s included in the membership?”, “Can I cancel anytime?”, or “Do you offer discounts?” Your chatbot can provide instant, consistent answers, improving user experience and reducing bounce rates.
There you have it—three powerful ways to harness AI to attract and convert visitors into members, plus strategies to keep them engaged and coming back. No tool is foolproof, and AI doesn’t replace your expertise. But it can help you unlock your website’s full potential, making it more efficient and engaging at the same time. Start small, experiment with tools, and see how AI can elevate your membership website.
BONUS CONTENT: Quick Video - How to Install Tidio Chatbot into Your SubHub Website
