Build your own Membership Site?

It is really popular to start building a membership site these days. The lure of regular income long term customers that keep buying month after month. The dream is to get this up on autopilot and run with it.



What to build your membership site on?
One of the best ways to learn about a good membership site is to join a couple of them. The problem with that approach is you may get intimidated and think your own site needs to be as awesome as theirs. I am there I do not have the answer to that question. I am working on it though.

Another way to get Monthly Membership checks.
Another option is to say to heck with it and become a monster affiliate of a very good affiliate site. Then the site owner can manage the site and you can just work on your own stuff and promote their site. Make sure there is a real long term commitment by the people owning the site to develop it. On some of the membership sites you get 30-50% of the monthly gross of the members you sign up. That is probably about what the owners are making after expenses.

Changes
The problem with this approach is you have no control over the direction of the site and if the site will continue to evolve or fall into the scrap heap of busted membership sites.  Be sure to look deep into the  site you are working to develop and promote.

Change of Ownership
Or the site sells and the new owner changes the compensation package. OUch. One of the affiliate programs that I have promoted heavily recently dropped the payout by approximately 30%. No fun.

The Solution for Me
The solution I am working on is to work in and on a couple of affiliate sites that I am a member of. Hopefully I will either become successful enough promoting these sites or I will become knowledgeable enough to build my own.

Preparation for my own Membership Site
I am researching the current membership site options.  I will be writing a lot about this in the future.