How to Start a Subscription Website

1. Contact a webmaster or web design company for assistance setting up an e-commerce or pay website. This job requires detailed, intricate web design knowledge, so if you are not experienced, it is best to look for the assistance of a professional. Webmasters can set up all of the code for subscription sections including payment pages and password protected pages.

2. Sign up for a merchant account through a bank or other service provider. These accounts enable you to accept credit cards through your subscription or e-commerce website. Michael Eagar, an internet business professional, says you should make sure that you will have sales before signing up for a merchant account because these accounts have fees regardless or whether you are using it or not. Merchant accounts require annual fees in addition to a small fee, usually 1 to 2 percent of each sale.

3. Set up an account through a free provider like Google Checkout or PayPal if you are not sure if you will be able to sell subscriptions. Michael Eagar notes that these providers are free until you make sales. Then they will take a percentage of those sales. Free provider percentages are slightly larger than those charged by merchant account providers, but those fees will be smaller in the end because of the annual costs with merchant accounts.

4. Verify that your website is secure so that customers will feel comfortable subscribing and providing their payment information. Several companies such as big names like McAfee and Norton sell products that certify your site as secure. These companies integrate code into the site to scan for viruses, trojans or pop-up problems that could harm a user's computer or steal their data.