Creating Membership Sites with WordPress

Introduction

Membership sites create recurring revenue by offering exclusive content, community, or services to paying subscribers. WordPress makes building membership sites accessible with powerful plugins that handle registration, payments, content protection, and member management.

Membership Site Models

Content Library

• Exclusive articles, videos, courses
• Archive access
• Regular new content
• Example: Premium tutorials site

Community Access

• Private forums
• Member directory
• Networking features
• Example: Professional network

Software/Tools

• Member-only tools
• Downloads
• Updates
• Example: Design resources site

Coaching/Services

• Group coaching
• Q&A access
• Personal support
• Example: Business coaching site

Membership Plugin Options

MemberPress ($179/year)

Best for: Robust features, serious businesses

• Content protection
• Coupons and prorations
• Course builder
• Integrations

Restrict Content Pro ($99/year)

Best for: Simple, clean memberships

• Unlimited memberships
• Payment gateways
• Member emails
• Integrations

Paid Memberships Pro (Free/Premium)

Best for: Budget-conscious, flexible needs

• Free core functionality
• Add-on system
• Community support

LearnDash ($199/year)

Best for: Course-based memberships

• Course creation
• Quizzes
• Certificates
• Progress tracking

Setting Up MemberPress

Installation

1. Purchase from memberpress.com
2. Download plugin
3. Upload via Plugins > Add New
4. Activate

Initial Configuration

Settings > General:

• Currency
• Account page
• Login page
• Thank you page

Settings > Pages:

• Create required pages
• Pricing page
• Account page
• Login page

Creating Memberships

1. Go to MemberPress > Memberships
2. Add New
3. Configure:
   • Name and description
   • Price
   • Billing type (one-time, recurring)
   • Trial options
   • Access permissions

Setting Up Rules

1. Go to MemberPress > Rules
2. Add New
3. Protect content:
   • Specific pages
   • Categories
   • Custom post types
4. Assign to memberships

Payment Gateway Setup

Stripe:

1. Settings > Payments
2. Add Stripe
3. Connect account
4. Test transactions

PayPal:

1. Add PayPal
2. Enter credentials
3. Configure webhook

Content Protection Strategies

Page-Level Protection

• Specific pages require membership
• Simple for static content

Category Protection

• Entire categories restricted
• Good for blog content

Partial Content

• Teasers visible to all
• Full content for members
• Uses shortcodes

Drip Content

• Content released over time
• Based on join date
• Encourages retention

Pricing Strategies

Pricing Models

Monthly Subscription:

• Lower commitment
• Ongoing value needed
• Higher churn

Annual Subscription:

• Discount vs monthly
• Better cash flow
• Lower churn

Lifetime Access:

• One-time payment
• No recurring revenue
• Good for defined content

Pricing Tips

• Research competitors
• Start higher (can lower, hard to raise)
• Offer annual discount
• Consider trial periods
• Multiple tier options

Tier Examples

Member Experience

Registration Flow

1. Choose membership
2. Create account
3. Enter payment
4. Access content

Account Page

• Current membership
• Payment history
• Profile editing
• Cancelation option

Email Communications

• Welcome email
• Receipt email
• Renewal reminders
• Content updates

Reducing Churn

Content Strategy

• Regular valuable content
• Email engagement
• Community building
• Exclusive benefits

Technical Approaches

• Dunning (failed payment recovery)
• Pause option vs cancel
• Win-back campaigns
• Exit surveys

Engagement Tactics

• Onboarding sequence
• Monthly highlights
• Member challenges
• Live events

Common Challenges

Challenge: Low Conversions

Solutions:

• Better sales page
• Free trial option
• Money-back guarantee
• Social proof

Challenge: High Churn

Solutions:

• More valuable content
• Community engagement
• Improve onboarding
• Exit offers

Challenge: Technical Issues

Solutions:

• Quality hosting
• Plugin compatibility testing
• Professional support

Frequently Asked Questions

How many members do I need to make money?

Depends on pricing. 100 members at $29/month = $2,900/month.

What's a good churn rate?

5-7% monthly is average. Under 5% is good. Under 3% is excellent.

Should I offer a free trial?

Often increases conversions. 7-14 days is typical. Monitor for abuse.

Can I migrate members from another platform?

Yes, most plugins support import. Plan carefully for payment migration.

Key Takeaways

• Membership sites provide recurring revenue
• Choose plugin based on your specific needs
• Content protection is flexible and powerful
• Pricing strategy affects success significantly
• Member experience and retention are critical
• Regular valuable content reduces churn
• Start simple and expand features over time

Next Steps

Define your membership model. Choose appropriate plugin. Plan your content strategy. Set up payment processing. Launch with founding member pricing.

Meta Description: Learn to create WordPress membership sites with recurring revenue. Covers plugins, content protection, pricing strategies, and member retention tactics.

Keywords: wordpress membership site, membership plugin, recurring revenue, content restriction, subscription site