Membership sites are just what their name indicates . these are sites where you
are asking people to become members of a site and in return you are providing
them with a host of value-added services. These people are the members of the
site, which is something of the sort of an Internet club where they enjoy special
privileges. On most membership sites, the members are provided with some free
offers and downloads and they get privileges on various affiliate sites too. Many
social networking sites are also membership sites. There, you become a member
so that you can gain access to network with other people. There are dozens of
game membership sites too, where the reward of becoming a member is that you
can play games . which could be free online versions or downloadable versions
that you can get at a lower price.
The basic concept of a membership site is that you keep your goodies hidden
from the general Internet public and allow them access to it only when they have
taken the membership action that you ask them to. This action could be filling up
an online form, with or without payment, writing an email to you to express their
desire to join the site and so on. Even if you don.t actively ask for payment, you
are building a relationship. You are generating a list of leads, to which you can
promote your other commercial efforts.
However, you must know that membership sites do take a lot of effort. You have
to have a unique concept to make your membership site a hit and you have to
make constant efforts to provide high-quality stuff to your members. They are
going to be disappointed otherwise and you are going to lose all the potential you
have built up. A failed membership site is a big disgrace in the Internet marketing
world. It can eat into your other prospects too.
However, if you have the passion and the zeal for it, go right ahead and build a
membership site. You will soon be hobnobbing with a lot of people having your
similar tastes and interests. And, you will be making a good amount of money
through it too.
