Why Membership Sites are the Wave of the 21st Century?

Membership websites are the wave of the twenty-first century not for one reason but for several reasons. One reason is that the whole world has become computerized. Another reason is that membership sites make people feel safer and more protected.  Yet another reason why membership websites are the wave of the 21^st century is that people like to communicate freely with their peers.  There are other reasons why people love membership websites but one thing is for sure; membership websites really are the wave of the 21^st century! Members of membership websites love them but the owners of membership websites REALLY love them!

We’ll talk about membership website owners in a bit.

Right now let’s talk about why people do love membership website.

We who live in the twenty-first century live in a computerized world. Even those little old ladies who have never sat in front of a computer screen in their lives and probably never will do use computers.  They would never agree that they use computers but anytime they make a purchase in a brick and mortar store, they ARE using a computer when they use their credit card.  When they buy gasoline, the pumps that the gasoline is delivered from are computerized. There are computers in their cars. We all use computers every single day in hundreds of ways.

There is a prevailing fear of identity theft that seems to grip the land. Especially those who are not really computer savvy are concerned about identity theft and general online safety. This is one place where membership websites have an advantage over others. People FEEL safe when they pay to be on a website.  They feel more secure than when they are out there surfing on the free web. People like the feeling of security but safety is not the only reason for the explosion of membership websites today.

Back in the distant past when the Internet was relatively new, communication was a one-way street. Those who owned websites communicated with the visitors to their website but visitors were essentially mute. Then the dot-com bubble burst and things changed dramatically. What we call Web 2.0 was born.

Web 2.0 is interactive. Communication is no longer a one-way street. Communication has most definitely become a two-way street. Website visitors don’t want to just be talked TO they want to respond. They want their say. They want to put in their ‘two-cents’ worth, so to speak. People love two way communication!

Back during the days of Web 1.0 people did have blogs. You might not have heard of them. The old blogs were basically on-line journals that could be read by those who were invited to read them but the reader could not post to the blog. Boy! Has that ever changed!

Today you can not only read blogs but you can post to them provided that you are a member of the website. And, what do people discuss on these membership sites? The answer is everything from soup to nuts! The pros and cons of every subject imaginable are debated. And people love it!

People love membership websites, too, because they like the fact that the membership site has a limited membership. They like exclusive! Membership websites rarely allow foul language of flaming and people like that. On open websites there is not usually a monitor that forbids bad behavior or bad language and is there to enforce the rules.

Now let’s talk about the advantages of actually owning a membership website and there are many, many reasons. One of the main reasons can be summed up in just two beautiful words;

Recurring income.

Every single month the very same people pay you. You don’t have to sell them anything, they’re already sold.

Recurring income adds up fast, too.

For example; if you have a membership website that charges $29.95 per month that means that over the course of one year you will make $359.40 from EACH MEMBER and with NO additional overhead expenses. It’s like a money tree!  Additionally, the owner of a membership website does NOT have to scramble for website content constantly. The members supply all of the content that is needed and they PAY the website owner to do it!

What’s not to like?

 A membership website is a site that members find safe, interesting and satisfying and a membership website is a site that the owner finds profitable, cheap to run in both time and money. Membership websites are the wave of the 21^st century because they work and they create a win/win situation for both owners and members!

The Different Types of Membership Sites

There are membership sites and then there are membership sites. There is an old saying that nobody knows exactly where it originated that says, “Different Strokes for Different Folks”. The old saying simply means that as individuals we have different needs and different expectations for most situations in life and membership websites aren’t an exception.

That principle applies to both membership website owners and membership website members. There are many different kinds of membership websites. Some will appeal to some people and others will appeal to other people no matter which side of the fence you are standing on. There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all membership website. Let’s discuss the various options for membership websites.

Web 2.0 Websites

One type of membership website that you are very likely familiar with is the Web 2.0 sites like YouTube and MySpace. These are social networking sites that provide tools for an interactive network of friends and include such user-submitted things as personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos.

Some of these social networking membership websites have come under fire recently because they have been shown to be play grounds for predators. Since these problems have arisen there is more scrutiny of members than there has been in the past. These sites are not likely to just ‘go away’ any time in the foreseeable future because they are very, very popular…not to mention profitable.

Playing on Exclusivity

Then there are paid exclusive sites like  Seriously Simple Crypto Biz in a Box (which instructs members about the inside secrets of making money on the Internet with Bitcoin), Golf sites (which are owned by professional golfers and offer instruction that isn’t readily available free on the Internet), etc. These exclusive membership websites are designed for specific people and appeal to a group of like-minded individuals who are seeking instruction or information that can only be had on exclusive membership websites.

They call the Internet the ‘information super highway’ but these exclusive membership websites really do make the information super and the information that is provided is far superior to just the regular stuff that everybody gets for free.

Getting Free Members – Going for Volume

Not all membership websites are paid-for membership sites. Another kind of membership website is a membership that is free. One such site is Gorilla Marketing. There is no charge for the membership to this site.

The objective of a free membership website is to acquire the names and email addresses of people who are interested in a specific topic in order to build an opt-in list. Still this IS a membership website and unless a visitor joins the site, they do not have access to some really good information that is not otherwise available.

Community-Driven Membership

Yet another kind of membership website is what is known as a “community site”. Sometimes membership in a community site is free and sometimes it is paid. 

https://easycashcode.com/is an example of a community membership website.

The idea of a community website is that there are a group of people who are all interested in the same basic topic but who go about accomplishing success in various ways. They get together at a community website and exchange information and ideas. Sometimes community websites will offer one-on-one training above and beyond the cost of membership in the community website.

One Thing All Membership Sites Have in Common

Membership websites of all kinds have one thing in common. They allow for interaction between members. The old Web 1.0 was a one-way street but in this brave new world, communication flows in both directions.

You will notice that on all of the various types of membership websites there is a blog or a forum that affords a place for members to communicate not only with the owner of the membership website but also with other members.

The communication opportunities afforded by membership sites is one of the biggest reasons that membership sites are so very popular today and probably will be popular as far as the eye can see. People want to hear but they also want to be heard. They want to learn but they have information to share with others as well. Membership websites provide a place for the sharing of ideas and information.

There are different kinds of membership sites and different people will like different kinds of membership sites. If you are considering starting your own membership website, the good news is that there will be people who will like it and want to be members.

Membership websites are popular and membership websites are profitable. Recurring income is a very good thing!

In our next Article, we will discuss Ideas and Inspirations on Membership Themes That You Can Use.

Looking forward to speaking soon.

Best regards

Pete