Don't Make These 7 Common Mistakes When Setting Up Your Membership Site

In theory, Membership sites sound great, but nearly everyone falls into the trap of making one of these common mistakes.

1 - Lack of clarity

You have probably got a load of great ideas, and just know you have what it takes to bring in the members but you need to cast a cold eye over who your target group is. A membership site needs a clearly defined niche with a bi enough potential market in terms of numbers to make it profitable, and therefore worth your while.

You might have a great idea, but does it have legs? Can it keep on running after the initial idea has launched? Many membership sites are problem solving, but if that's all you do then there is no reason for that member to keep on paying once they have the result they want.

Sites with good longevity offer support so before you even set it up think do think clearly about what you want it to achieve and how you can deliver that.

2 - Rushing in too soon

Once you know what you want from your site, you need to find the right audience in a suitable niche. You can't assume that because you think it's a great idea that others will too.

Your first step is to allow enough time to develop a list and make good relations with your chosen customer database and prospects. Don't just rush in but take time to think it through. If you have a database ready to go hold back until you have tested whether or not they will buy into your site.

Never, ever, assume and charge ahead based just on your own enthusiasm.

3 - Quality not quantity

If you have been working in your niche some time, you will already have a bank of information that you want to draw on. However, that is not necessarily effective as some of the information will be out of date and not relevant to the niche right now.

It also isn't enough as membership sites are places for interaction and that is what people are looking for. They want to share their passion for the subject, archived information just isn't enough.

4 - Making it difficult for the members

How quickly and easily can people navigate the site? Too many sites confuse and make it difficult for people to find information - and if that happens they will quickly leave and you will lose members.

If you don't have a simple layout and carefully planned information structure that makes a no-brainer to get to what they want quickly you are making life hard for them and potentially disastrous for you. So study some of the best sites and learn from them.

5 - Not offering enough up front

Prospects landing on your page are curious, but if they can't find real, good information without actually joining up you are going to annoy and frustrate them.

Don't assume they can navigate around on their own, give them guidance and direct them to free stuff to attract them to stay on the page. They say a visitor needs at least six touch points on your site before they start to trust you, and buy from you, so give them free articles, a video or tour of the site to get them at least to join your email list.

Don't forget that when they sign up for emails to give them a bonus there too.

6 - Quality is King

A common mistake is to give people tons of information thinking that will satisfy or impress them. Well unless it is highly relevant to that niche you will just annoy them because what they are looking for is high quality material, not just quantity.

The quality of what you offer attracts people willing to pay the market rate, but they are paying for the right amount of good information not too much low grade information

7 - What's the USP?

Membership sites are all over the Internet so what makes yours different? The whole point of your USP (Unique Selling Point)is to make you stand out clearly from the others.

People need a compelling reason to buy into, and stay with, a membership site and you need to have a service or product that offers something different, or more than, the competition such as a DVD tutorial or unique service to the members.

If you want your Membership sites to be successful, and make you real money, then you must avoid these frequently made errors.