So I just did a Q&A session with a small business owner about the difference between membership software (plugins). I thought it would be a good idea to share it with you…
Q) All these membership options have upfront fee but which option is cheaper in the long run?
KM: I wouldn’t suggest you to opt for the ‘low-priced’ option. If this is the case, there are quite a number of membership software that are available for free.
With the fee, you are actually paying for the updates of the software plus support from the developer.
It boils down to what type of membership you need, how complex it is, and the features you want. You only need ONE software that is reliable and can get the job done for you.
Q) Have you seen a stability difference in these different membership software? Is one software more reliable than the others? Which one do you like best?
KM: There are plenty of options out there, frankly I’m not familiar with most of them. One thing that I know is there are always bugs to fix, and features to improve. All membership software are the same. Just look at WordPress Versions, it keeps on updating till today.
E.g. When WishList Member just launched, the software was pretty unstable. Lots of issues encountered. But today, their software has greatly improved. (New version has been released regularly to add new features/integration or fix issues/bugs encountered)
What I’m trying to say is there’s NO “perfect” membership solution out there. What you really want is – a plugin that has stood the test of time, and comes with great support.
Q) Can you do autodrip using Wishlist Member based on the membership levels?
KM: It depends on how complex your membership site is. WishList Member can do dripping for a simple model. E.g. 1 level, release content every month for 12 months.
Even though WishList doesn’t support the autodrip functionality, you can still set it up “manually”. I.e. create a membership level for each month, and then “upgrade” their membership access on a monthly basis (based on a simple membership model).
In my opinion, DAP works the best when it comes to dripping content automatically.
Q) What is the best and easiest way you have seen to host video?
KM: There are really many ways that work. However, you only need ONE that able to deliver the content to your members. Some of the services which I’m familiar…
- YouTube – You can make the video unlisted, only people with the URL can watch.
- Vimeo – Another video hosting service similar to YouTube
- Amazon S3 – Almost all marketers used this, you pay based on what you use
- Wistia – This is getting more popular. Do a research on them.
Q) What is the best way to make membership website responsive?
KM: If you are referring to WordPress platform, then it has to do with the THEME you are using on your site. Membership software is just to provide the membership functionality to your site. To make it responsive, what you need to do is install a responsive theme.
Q) Do you set up membership site and provide maintenance if need be?
KM: I’ve been helping clients to build their membership sites on an ongoing basis. But I need to know the details of the project first to make sure I can deliver it.
