How to Start a Turnkey Membership Web Site

Developing a Plan

1. Decide on a topic for your turnkey membership Web site. Write down all the subjects you're interested in, narrow the list to several you're really passionate about or that you want to work with, and choose from that list. Some topic suggestions for turnkey membership Web sites include gardening, Internet marketing, self-help, mental health, exercise and fitness, parenting, and even pet care.

2. Think of the features and benefits you could offer members and write this information down so you'll have a concrete plan. Some benefits for members could possibly include a members' only forum, podcasts, free e-books, personalized resources and even discounts on products.

3. Start developing the products and services that members will receive by joining the turnkey site. If you're offering e-books, start writing the content. If you're offering podcasts, start by making presentations and recording them. Outsourcing these tasks is a possibility if you need technical or expert help; using freelance Web sites such as Guru.com could be a help.

4. Decide on how much you'll charge.Think of the value that you're offering members and put a price to it. For monthly membership fees, between $15 and $30 is a good starting price point for a basic membership Web site. Free membership Web site models can also be used, if desired.

Building Your Membership Site

5. Search for membership Web site scripts on the Internet and compare them to decide on the best one to help manage your site. There are many free and paid membership scripts available that will help instantly set up your site. EasyMember Pro is an example of a paid script; MembersGear is an example of a free script.

6. Download the turnkey membership script to your desktop and then upload it to your Web hosting service. Technical assistance can be obtained from your Web hosting service.

7. Customize your turnkey membership Web site by modifying the logo, design, background and layout. If you lack the necessary web design skills to complete modifications, contact a freelance web designer to help.

8. Customize the membership features of your site by integrating payment gateways such as Paypal, setting up membership levels (i.e., basic, gold, or bronze levels) if available, uploading membership content, and enabling member profiles. Specific features of each turnkey membership script and how to set it up can be found on the script vendor's Web site or in a manual that you received when you signed up.

9. Test your turnkey membership Web site by creating a 'dummy' membership. Complete the steps necessary to sign up at your site by paying for a membership and logging into the members' back-end to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Getting Members

10. Advertise your turnkey membership Web site on forums and message boards that are devoted to the topic of your membership site. For example, an Internet-marketing membership Web site should be advertised in an Internet marketing forum such as Digital Point or even the Warrior Forum. Many forums allow member signatures that can be used to advertise your membership site.

11. Create a blog for your membership site and post news, information and announcements about your turnkey membership offerings. In time, this blog should gain organic search-engine traffic if correctly search engine-optimized and marketed.

12. Post advertisements for your site on free classified-ad Web sites like Craigslist, use social bookmarking sites to popularize your membership site, and create social networking profiles in Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites that allow you to discuss, post and announce your membership site to friends.