Two level membership website model

I occasionally take on new clients that want membership websites setup. Many people want a membership website because of the appeal of continuity income or just as a mechanism to deliver all of their digital content securely. The problem is that few people have a firm grasp on how membership websites work or how they should structure their content, offer, etc. to be most effective.

To answer the question of structure, offer and content I’ve put together the video and a PDF below showing one of my favorite models. I’ve seen components of this model used tons of times by loads of people, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a single diagram that outlines the entire process and helps you plan your content, email lists and so on. I hope this is useful. Here’s the video:

Click the full-screen button on the video so you can follow along better…

In this video and PDF I can’t possibly tell you everything you need to do, but here are some of the most important concepts to keep in mind.

• List segmentation is crucial (separate lists for prospects and buyers (thanks Jeff Walker))
• Free content should be an extract of the most valuable gems you offer in your paid content (thanks Eben Pagan and John Reese)
• your autoresponder sequence should focus on consumption of your content, whether paid or free
• Use downsell and retention (before you go) sales letters to increase margin

Download the PDF here:

My current favorite platform for membership websites is WordPress using MemberWing and Aweber. It’s a no brainer for me since I can have a new membership website up and running in an hour, with all the bells and whistles.

There are other models that I can put together if there’s enough interest. This one is super easy and can work very well since it uses reciprocity by giving them access up front to your best material and reducing their risk since they get to see some of the content before buying. One other model that I really like is the 30-day free trail, or $1 trail. Frank Kern is a master of that model and I recommend you follow one of his launches to get an idea. Mike Filsaime is also fantastic at the upsell/downsell on offers like this.

After you’ve watched the video and read through the PDF, let me know what you think and if you have any questions by posting a comment below.