One of the greatest benefits of selling digital products through your own website is that your site can serve many purposes—a gallery for your art, a retail bookshop, an event space, a calling card for your consulting work—at the same time. And unlike third-party marketplaces, where your work competes with many others’ creations for attention, you get to exercise control over the look and feel of your content, helping you stand out from the competition and build direct relationships with your customers.
One way that more and more creators are showcasing their digital content and growing their relationship with followers is by creating membership sites. A membership site is a section of your website that you set behind a paywall. The only people who can see and engage with your gated content are site visitors who have paid for access. Squarespace offers an easy way to make membership sites with Member Sites. Member Sites allow you to offer your followers exclusive access to the digital products they want while building a steady income stream for yourself.
Read on to learn more about how to create a membership site, connecting with members, and how to market your members-only content.
Setting up a membership section and charging for access
Before figuring out how to start a membership site, first decide whether this format is right for your business:
Are your site visitors more likely to buy one product at a time?
Can you regularly create new content for members to enjoy?
Do you have an online following who may want to become paid members?
If you are interested in selling access to gated content, come up with a value proposition for potential members. What will your content provide—like exclusive advice, behind-the-scenes content, or extra information—that makes them feel like the fee is worth it?
Next, figure out what types of content you would post in a member site. A few options are:
Writing: blogs, e-books, email newsletters
Visual art: photography, digital artworks, design templates
Video: instructional videos, online courses, live webinars
Audio: podcasts, audiobooks
Finally, determine how you will charge for access and set a monetary value for the content in your membership site. You can research how much other creators in your field charge depending on factors like what they’re selling and their experience level. Someone with a private stock photography library will charge differently than a yoga teacher with online classes, for example.
Web providers, such as Squarespace, give site owners the ability to charge a recurring fee—like a monthly subscription—or a one-time fee for lifetime access to the gated content. You can even offer one rate for monthly access and a discounted rate for annual or lifetime subscriptions.
Strengthening your relationship with members
One of the greatest benefits of membership—for both you and people who pay for exclusive access to your content—is that it allows you to build a closer relationship with your followers. Your members believe in the quality of your work and want you to succeed.
Include ways for your audience to have exclusive access to you in the Member Site:
Create a blog to share exclusive lessons, tips, or ideas.
Share members-only videos, newsletters, or podcast episodes.
Host virtual or in-person events just for members.
Create an online form for appointment scheduling, so members can set up fee-based coaching sessions, or a contact page for members to ask you direct questions via email.
Set up a private group or chat that only members can join and monitor it yourself. These groups also build a sense of community among your followers.
Remember to monitor your site analytics. These metrics help you see the most popular topics and types of content on your membership site. That way, you can create more of the content your followers want. If you have a social media following or private member group, use it to survey your audience on what they’d like to see.
Marketing your membership site
As you’re thinking through how to create a membership program, the last element to consider is how you’ll market it to new and existing members.
The digital products you post on your membership site won’t show up in search, so you need to help people discover your work. Post samples of your digital products in the public parts of your site, such as short versions of your instructional videos or teaser episodes of your podcast. You can also post samples on third-party sites such as YouTube, Spotify, or online art marketplaces, so people will find them when searching for similar products. Or, share teasers with your followers on social media to build anticipation and convert more of your audience into subscribers. Be sure to link to your website in descriptions and social media posts.
Don’t forget to remind current members of the value of their membership. Post announcements of new digital products on social media. Start an email newsletter to send to your membership list. It takes less work, after all, to retain paying members than to find new ones, and subscribers who are excited about your content will be more likely to share it with others and expand your audience.
Learn more about how to sell your art and digital photographs on your website