7 Unique Membership Site Ideas To Inspire You

The truth is membership sites keep gaining popularity, as it is an awesome way to optimize recurring revenue streams. But, the question is how to make sure it is successful. 

If you are a course creator looking to make a membership website, then you are in the right place. Throughout this article, we will review the Top 7 Unique Membership site ideas to inspire you. 

What do you need to do before starting a membership site?

Before starting a membership site, it is vital to take into account a few key factors that will affect your success. For instance, a sense of community within your platform. As far as membership sites are concerned, the central idea is community. So, if you focus your efforts on building a community of members, then your clients will consistently stay with you. Naturally, through word-of-mouth, they will also bring in new ones along the way. 

Another key point to consider is your audience. Before choosing a membership site type, consider whether or not your target will be interested in it. If you have a well-defined audience, then you can proceed. 

It is also essential to choose a membership plan and pricing model. Most popular models include monthly fees and annual plans. You can, in fact, offer 3-month and 6-month subscription options. Besides the timing of the subscription, focus on membership plans and user access based on it. On the pricing page, clearly define what users will get from each plan and how much it will cost. 

7 Membership Site Ideas for Inspiration

As far as we are clear on everything else, let’s finally review the top 7 membership sites to inspire you. 

#1 Exchange Skills Website 

The first idea for a membership site we wanted to include in our listing was the Exchange Skills Website. Now, these are perfect to encourage communities of people specializing in a wide variety of areas to exchange their skills. All they need to do to get it is sign up for your website and post content. 

Exchange skills websites are beneficial in multiple ways, some of which include the following: 

• Connects people seeking particular skills to experts in these areas. 
• It is a popular and well-tested membership model. 

Example

A good example of such a skill exchange website is B-School by Marie Forleo. It is a membership-based program (single membership program) that gives its members unlimited access to the entire entrepreneurial learning resources catalog. 

However, the main benefit of the school is exclusive community access where members can exchange skills with one another. This model motivates learners to engage with one another during the learning process, exchange skills, and stay motivated throughout the whole journey. The membership can be paid once or $199 for 12 months. 

#2 Expert Membership Hub

The next one on our list is Expert Membership Hub. 

For instance, a good example of such a platform, which is also quite successful, is MasterClass. It comes in handy with an annual membership option, which gives members unlimited access to a wide range of online courses. 

So, what can you learn from MasterClass memberships? 

First of all, MasterClass offers three membership plans designed for different types of users. So, the first key point is diversified offerings. 

The plans the platform offers are quite affordable. The plan for 1 device that is accessible only online costs $10/mo. The plan with access for 2 devices and offline mode costs $15. Finally, the plan with offline access and 6 devices (premium) costs only $20/mo. When it comes to pre-recorded courses, users prefer accessible memberships, so take this into account. 

Finally, all memberships offer over 200 courses across 11 different categories. So, the product range is quite wide and suitable for different niches. You can also offer multiple courses across different categories to make more sales. 

#3 Learn with Others 

Another idea for your membership website is to create a learn with others site. Essentially, your focus should be on building a community of learners. If you use this approach, focus on incorporating forums, Q&A spaces, and live group sessions for the members. 

For instance, there is a platform called Fully Booked VA. Here, Gina Horkey offers a cohort-based learning experience for the students and two membership plans. There is a plan that gives lifetime access to all the resources and a monthly membership, which costs $49/mo. 

Her services are centered around teaching students how to find clients as virtual assistants. She offers a variety of courses and focuses on a group learning approach. 

#4 Wellness Collective 

If you are into health and wellness, then opening a wellness collective membership site is an awesome idea for you. Wellness is a huge industry that covers a variety of niches, from mental to physical wellness, from fitness to nutrition and mental health. So, you will indeed be able to pick a few niches most suitable for you and your target audience. This will allow you to scale your business. 

A good example of such a membership site is My Trainer Phil. It is an affordable membership hub that offers both group and 1:1 training options. The collective membership plans have changed over time. Currently, it is a 30-day wellness challenge that costs $80. This is an efficient tactic to reach and get more clients over time while making sure customers don’t get bored. You can implement this tactic in your membership offering. 

But, besides the collective membership option, Phill also provides memberships for 1:1 training that are in the higher-end price range. Well, let’s learn from Phil’s membership plans. 

Phil clearly presents what each membership plan offers. He also uses multiple power words in the descriptions that catch customers’ attention, such as “unlimited,” “satisfaction,” and “guaranteed”. He makes sure to present what he offers and its benefits, allowing customers who think about purchasing a membership plan to be more confident in their choice. 

So, make sure to have clear and concise messaging as well as incorporate some persuasive writing techniques (such as features as benefits) when describing what each plan offers. 

#5 Creative Academy

If you are on the more creative side of the world, then consider making a Creative Academy. You can teach all sorts of visual and fashion skills over there and make the website’s courses member-exclusive. 

With an academy approach in general, you will be able to attract course creators and students, increasing your revenue stream. 

Well, let’s take a look at a good example of such an academy, Create Academy, a membership-based platform connecting learners to instructors. 

This academy membership provides unlimited access to all the resources, expert instruction, and regular new content. There is only one membership option available, and it is billed annually ($17/mo). Also, Create Academy offers 15% off the first year. 

If you are planning to offer only one membership plan, then make sure to display all its benefits and features upfront so clients know what they are getting. Besides, you can learn from Create Academy and provide some percent off during the first year to motivate clients to make a purchase. 

However, we recommend offering more flexible subscription options. For instance, both monthly and yearly. 

#6 Tech mastermind 

One more membership website idea that has a huge potential to scale is to host a tech mastermind membership. Younger generations especially are interested in high-tech and learning on-demand tech skills. So, if you offer educational materials regarding tech,  programming, AI, ML, and so on, you will definitely find clients. 

As with any other membership site, the key here is to maintain a sense of community and offer different membership plans suitable for different levels and needs. To do so, you need to conduct proper audience research. 

Here is a more specific idea for you. The Tech Crunch platform has three main membership plans. It provides all the tools and resources necessary to build a successful tech start-up. 

What can you learn from it? Well, first of all, it is niche-specific - tech startups. Secondly, as you can see, they offer deals for plans. For instance, the first month of the first plan costs $9, then it will go up to $15. 

The annual membership plan also highlights how much users will save yearly. This is a powerful move to motivate clients to make a purchase decision. 

So, if you are offering different plans with the main difference being a month or yearly-based options, then make sure to highlight how much clients will be able to save with an annual membership. It also offers more perks for those who subscribe annually, such as exclusive community benefits TechCrunch has. 

#7 Financial club 

Build a financial club membership site. You can teach people about investments, personal finance, and so on. Besides offering courses, you can also create forums where learners can share their experiences, collaborate with others, and grow their practical skills in finance. 

When it comes to financial clubs, your membership variations can range anywhere from investment clubs to wealth management ones. Pick the one option you are most interested in yourself. 

A good example of a membership site focusing on finance is Dave Ramsey's Ramsey +. He is a personal trainer who offers a membership for his courses aimed at helping his students stay on top of their finances. His membership comes in handy with access to a variety of resources (including courses), a mobile budgeting app, and access to Financial Peace University resources. 

What is outstanding about Ramsey’s membership? 

Good diversity of offerings within the membership. Ramsey offers not only courses and PDFs but also offers access to FinancialPeace University and a budgeting app. These diversified offerings allow users to find something that resonates most with them. 

Where to start?

It is time to conclude our inspiring guide to membership site ideas. If you are wondering where to start, then we have got you covered. 

Uteach is an all-in-one platform for course creators/coaches who want to create and grow a membership site. It comes in handy with a variety of useful tools such as course & website builder, membership, live functionality, built-in SEO, and marketing automation. Most importantly, it is a cloud-based platform that will allow you to scale your business easily. 

So, take advantage of the free 14-day trial run period and test the platform. It is time for you to monetize your knowledge and maximize profits.