Whether you sell products or services, it is worth considering how a membership option could add value to your business.
What are the benefits?
There are several benefits of turning occasional customers into members:
- Increased brand loyalty from feeling part of the “club”
- Predictable and repeatable revenue stream
- Increased lifetime customer value
- Better information about customers and their purchasing habits
- Improved likelihood of referrals
Who else runs a membership style scheme?
You may be old enough to remember being a member of Blockbuster or your local video club. Netflix has taken on that mantle, but still wants you to subscribe to a monthly fee to tie you in. Other examples of membership style schemes include:
Johnsons the Dry Cleaner. Their Priority Club is £19.95 for 12 months and then gives you a 10% discount on cleaning, a book of vouchers, Express Drop Off and a free garment carrier. If that is enough to tempt you in, then Johnsons are able to keep in touch, they know you are likely to use them for your dry cleaning and they hope your membership will auto-renew 12 months later. You’re in the club!
Starbucks Rewards. Register your card, top up with cash, then use it to buy your Starbucks coffee and get Stars, which add up to rewards such as free drinks and extra espresso shots. You can also download the Rewards app to enhance the experience. Starbucks know that the card increases the chances of you driving past a Costa Coffee to the next Starbucks.
If you shop at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s or even Waitrose, there’s a good chance you’ve joined their loyalty scheme to benefit from special offers in exchange for detailed information on your shopping habits.
What’s available for WordPress?
So, whether you have a product or a service, there’s likely to be a way to create a membership option. And it’s even easier online, thanks to MemberPress, the WordPress plugin which provides the technical structure to start a membership site, collect payments and provide the member experience to your customers.
How soon can I have a membership feature on my website?
It’s quick to set up, too. A few weeks ago, I had a call from a client who was setting up a Book Club and wanted to enrol members. The only snag – it needed to be live within 48 hours to sign people up at the launch event. Working together, we created the site and Book Club had 25 paying members within the first week.
The key to a successful membership scheme is to make an attractive initial offer and then provide ongoing value to your members. With a bit of thought and planning, you’re likely to have plenty to keep your members engaged and keep your business top of mind.
What’s next?
There’s more about the features found on MemberPress on our dedicated Membership websites page.
If you want to explore how a membership site might work for you, let’s have a chat https://www.routetoweb.co.uk/lets-talk/
