Plugins For A WordPress Membership Site
Selecting the right membership site software can be a daunting task – especially because not getting it right can result in an extremely frustrating experience (for you and your members).
That’s one of the reasons WordPress has quickly become a fan favorite for managing the content.
Using WordPress as the foundation of your site will give you a tremendous amount of flexibility and freedom because of the many plugins that are readily available.
These plugins allow you to control the “experience” your members have with your membership site and they also make it easier for you (the membership site owner) to manage the content, member’s info and much more.
So what WordPress plugins work best with a membership site?
Here is one that I highly recommend…
This plugin was developed by Joost de Valk and it allows you to redirect someone to a page after they leave a comment for the first time on your site (this can be used for regular blogs as well).
The way I recommend using this within a membership site is to only allow your members to leave comments (this can be done using the WishList Member membership solution that was built for WordPress). From there, you just setup a page within WordPress that is not displayed anywhere else on your site. Then use this page to give a special bonus for anyone who leaves a comment for the first time 
It’s a nice way of saying “thanks” but it also encourages your members to continue to participate in your site. Remember, the more you increase the participation of your members, the fewer people will drop out.
There are a number of ways to involve your members such as encouraging them to leave comments, opinions or suggestions, providing them polls to cast a vote, giving them simple questionnaires or by giving them a chance to help other members in something like a forum.
The key is this…
The More They Participate, The Less Likely They Will Leave
That means people stay longer in your site and it it builds a sense of “community”. Remember, a membership site can be so much more than just the content you provide. It’s a chance for your members to connect with other like minded individuals – so give them a chance to connect and voice their opinion
That’s why encouraging your members to leave comments is very valuable.
So with that in mind, one of the things I like to do is reinforce my appreciation for their comments – especially when they participate for the first time.
Comment Redirection allows you to do that because it automatically recognizes whether someone has previously left a comment on your blog and if not, then it redirects them to the page you specified in the settings.
Pretty cool eh?
So now you can easily reward and thank your first time commenters
If someone is given an unexpected reward it naturally increases the odds that they will do that again. And the more comments people leave, the more “active” your site becomes which serves as a form of social proof that your membership site is thriving and well.
Then, if you display your comments anywhere else on your site such as with a “Recent Comments” section, non-members can see that your site is booming and it helps to influence their decision to join.
That’s why I highly recommend taking the time to think of a little unexpected bonus you can give your members and then providing it to those members who leave a comment for the first time.
Use Comment Redirection because it will automate this process for you.
QUICK TIP: If you are using WishList Member, you can restrict your posts to “members only” so that the only people who can comment are members who have logged in. Therefore, non-members will never have the chance to leave a comment which means only your members will receive the unexpected bonus.
Do you have any other plugins that you like using with your WordPress membership site? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Related posts:
Stu
McLaren helps small business owners get better results from their online
marketing.
Hey Stu,
That is a great tip (idea). I’ve been seeing lots of WordPress blogs and looking into them more and more. We definitely need some work on ours and this comment redirector looks like a great addition to our makeover.
Thanks again,
Jeremy
Stu
Thanks for the tip, just starting a membership site ill plug that in!
Tim
Thanks for the lead Stu, hope all is well with you and yours.
Domenick
Thanks for the great plugin tip Stu.
Here is another one I use to build viral traffic. Jut like refer a friend but free. It’s called “Tell a Friend” from SocialTwist… here is the site for plugin: http://tellafriend.socialtwist.com
Users can share content across IM, Email or Social Networks
Been working great so far…
John
Hi Stu,
Wonderful tips, as always. These are the best plugins I have seen to coordinate WP for use as a membership site.
Paul
@Tim, @Domenick, @Paul – Thanks for your comment. Hopefully it proves useful for you on your site.
Stu, what plug-in are you using for the “Subscribe to our “Insider Ideas” newsletter?” option on this site?
Leon McKee
This application looks very promising. I am wondering how it compares to another membership service like say, aMember… I know it definitely costs less!
@Jeremy – If you aren’t using WordPress yet, then I HIGHLY encourage you to start. It’s so easy once you get going and there is just so much you can do with it.
This plugin is just a small example of the many ways you can get creative with WordPress
@John – Thanks for sharing this other plugin. I’ll definitely take a look at it. It sounds like it has some potential.