How to Create a Membership Site Step by Step

The subscription economy is currently worth almost $500 billion and is expected to grow at double-digit rates every year.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re probably already wondering how you can get a piece of the action.

You’re in luck. I talked to four entrepreneurs who are running successful membership sites. Here I’ll cover how they did it, and how you can too.

How to Create a Membership Site: 6 Steps

Ready to see how successful entrepreneurs are making money through membership sites? I talked to:

• Eric Green, founder of Tax Rep Network, a training membership site designed to help tax professionals and attorneys build a tax rep business. It has about 700 paying members.
• Joe Mindak, founder of The Connective, a curated network of professionals who build relationships and refer opportunities to each other. It has more than 520 paying members.
• Michelle Pippin, founder of Women Who Wow and WOWx, which are visibility accelerators for women entrepreneurs. Combined, they have more than 400 paying members.
• Jason Fitzgerald, founder of Strength Running, a training membership site for runners that has had as many as 200 paying members.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build a membership site based on their experience.

Step 1: Start With the Right Idea

First up, you need the idea for your business. A good membership site idea has a few key features. Let’s take a look.

Build Around an Ongoing Need

In business, the best idea is the one that solves a real problem. When it comes to membership sites, that problem also needs to be ongoing, rather than something that can be solved through a single purchase.

That’s exactly why Jason Fitzgerald built his membership site, Strength Running, around long-term running goals. His focus is helping runners improve over time.

“You want to give your customer the kind of ongoing support they’re going to need if they’re doing something that’s a long-term endeavor,” Fitzgerald said.

For his audience, becoming a better runner isn’t something you achieve once and move on from, but an ongoing process. That makes it a perfect fit for a membership model.

Takeaway

Before you start building your membership, ask yourself:

• Is this a problem people will have next month?
• And the month after that?

If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.

Understand Your Audience

Many of the best membership sites are built by people who deeply understand and live the niche they’re building for.

Before launching Tax Rep Network, a membership site that provides training and tools for tax professionals, attorney Eric Green was already consulting and training people on this very topic. That gave him a clear view of what his audience needed help with.

Instead of guessing, he built his membership around real questions and problems his clients were already asking. Before he knew it, he had a membership site worth $70,000/ year, one that’s only continued to grow over time.

Takeaway

The best membership ideas usually come from work you’re already doing. Before you launch, ask yourself:

• Are people already coming to me with questions or problems?
• Have I seen patterns in what they struggle with?
• Do I understand this audience well enough to speak their language?

If you’re already in the trenches, you’re much more likely to build something people will actually pay for.

Be Clear on Who Your Membership Is For (and NOT For)

You might think getting members to your site will be a challenge, but the real challenge is getting the right members. Getting clarity from the get-go will help you scale the right way and avoid the churn and bad reputation that attracting the wrong people can bring.

That’s something Joe Mindak, founder of The Connective, a referral network membership site, learned firsthand. For him, success came from being highly selective about who belonged and who didn’t.

“If you let somebody join and they come out saying ‘this isn’t my crowd, this isn’t my people,’ it’s going to ruin [the experience],” Mindak said.

This is why Mindak carefully vets and actively turns away potential members if they’re not a good fit. For example, he won’t accept local-only professionals into his nationwide B2B network because they’re unlikely to get value and will eventually leave.

That kind of discipline might feel counterintuitive early on, but it’s what keeps a membership strong over time.

Takeaway

Not everyone is your customer. Be clear on:

• Who your membership is designed for.
• What they need to succeed inside it.
• Who won’t get value (and should be excluded).

Getting this right early helps you build a more engaged community and a more sustainable business.

Build Around a Clear Outcome

While it helps to be an expert in your field, expertise doesn’t sell. Results do.

Build your membership site around what you can do for people and your messaging around transformation, not information.

That’s a lesson Eric Green learned the hard way. Early on, his membership focused heavily on showcasing his expertise, but growth stalled. It wasn’t until he shifted his messaging to focus on outcomes that things took off. He now frames his offer around helping tax reps increase revenue and “build a million-dollar tax rep business.”

Takeaway

People don’t join memberships to learn more. They join to get somewhere. Be clear on:

• What outcome your members want.
• How your membership helps them achieve it.
• Why your approach gets them there faster or better.

The clearer the transformation, the easier it is to sell.

Step 2: Design the Right Offer

Now that you’ve got your idea fleshed out, it’s time to start thinking about how to sell it. Here are some tips.

Provide Ongoing Value

You can’t just create content for your membership site once. You’ll have to provide ongoing value if you want people to keep coming back.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Regular touchpoints: Weekly or monthly calls where members can ask questions, get feedback, or learn something new.
• Fresh content: New training, updates, or resources added consistently (not just a static library).
• Practical value: Content people can actually use, not just theory.
• Access: Direct access to a coach, expert, or community they wouldn’t normally have.
• Opportunities: Networking, referrals, media exposure, or real-world wins.

Across the founders I talked to, the exact format varied, but the pattern was the same: They were selling ongoing value.

Takeaway

A great membership isn’t just a library, but a system that keeps delivering over time. That’s what turns a membership into something people keep paying for.

Build Community or Connection

A membership site doesn’t need to include a community, but it works best if it delivers some kind of connection.

For example, Jason Fitzgerald leans into traditional community through a private group and live coaching calls. This allows members to interact, ask questions, and support each other in real time.

Michelle Pippin takes a different approach. She intentionally avoids internal forums. Instead, she creates connections through curated introductions, media access, and shared opportunities.

And in Joe Mindak’s case, the connection is the product itself. His entire membership is built around facilitating relationships and incentivizing members to help each other through referrals.

Takeaway

You don’t need a forum to build a strong membership, but you do need a connection. Think about:

• How members will interact (or not).
• Whether the connection will be peer-to-peer, expert-led, or facilitated.
• What role relationships play in the value of your offer.

It’s not about adding a “community feature.” It’s about designing meaningful ways for members to connect that bring value.

Give Members Access to Something They Can’t Otherwise Afford

Membership sites often work because they provide something many people can’t afford one-on-one. This allows the site to deliver enough value to make the price worthwhile.

That’s a core part of Jason Fitzgerald’s model. Instead of selling expensive 1:1 coaching, his membership gives runners ongoing access to expert guidance at a much lower price point.

“The value is ‘affordable access to a coach to ask questions,’ without the cost of hiring one individually,” Fitzgerald said.

Members still get personalized support, but the group setting makes it scalable for the business and accessible for the customer.

You can see a similar dynamic in Eric Green’s membership. His members get access to high-level professional advice and training at a fraction of what it would cost to work with him directly.

Takeaway

One of the strongest membership hooks is simple: Get [valuable outcome] without paying full price for it. To apply this, think about:

• What people currently pay you (or others) for 1:1.
• How you can deliver a version of that in a group setting.
• What level of access still feels valuable, but scalable.

When done right, this creates a win-win, where members get high-value support, and you get recurring, leveraged revenue.

Step 3: Set Up Pricing and Business Model

If you want to make money through your membership site, you’ll need to set up pricing. Here are some steps to help you get there.

Start Simple and Raise Prices Over Time

Every entrepreneur I spoke with started with lower pricing and increased it over time. As members stayed engaged and found real value, they felt more confident charging more.

For example, Michelle Pippin raised her rates as demand grew and the value of the community became clear.

“When I first started, I thought it would be $37 per month…as I went on, I realized I could raise the rate until it felt good to me,” Pippin said. She also locked in early members at their original price, rewarding loyalty while allowing the business to grow.

Takeaway

When it comes to pricing your membership site, the pattern I saw across founders looked something like this:

• Start with a price that feels accessible.
• Prove that your membership delivers real results.
• Increase pricing as confidence, demand, and value grow.

Add Tiers When Your Audience Needs Different Levels of Access

Start with one simple membership offer. Add pricing tiers later when members want different levels of access, support, or involvement.

The best tiers don’t just add more content. They create different levels of access, help protect your time, and give members a clear path to upgrade as they become more engaged.

A simple structure might look like:

• Basic: Content + community.
• Mid-Tier: Content + community + live calls.
• Premium: Everything + direct access, feedback, or opportunities.

Consider Longer Commitments

For some memberships, one month isn’t enough to see real results. Because of this, many entrepreneurs build longer commitments into their business model.

For example, Michelle Pippin found that short-term memberships didn’t give members enough time to experience meaningful outcomes.

“No matter what you’re selling, one month is not going to make a difference for you,” Pippin said.

Instead, she encourages her members to commit to longer periods and includes check-ins to keep them engaged and making progress.

The benefit is twofold:

• Members are more likely to see results.
• The business becomes more stable and predictable.

Takeaway

If your membership delivers results over time, your pricing should reflect that.

Consider:

• Annual plans or multi-month commitments.
• Incentives for longer sign-ups.
• Built-in touchpoints to keep members engaged.

Step 4: Build Demand Before You Scale

Next, it’s time to market and grow your membership site. Here are some tips on how to do it.

Use Authority and Audience Building (Not Just Ads)

Lots of membership sites use SEO and paid ads to bring in new members. These can work, but they tend to work best when they’re layered on top of authority and an existing audience.

That’s how Eric Green grew his membership. While paid ads work well, he’s also continually working to build visibility and trust through multiple channels, including:

• Speaking at industry conferences.
• Building an email list and podcast.
• Partnering with other organizations in his space.

Similarly, Michelle Pippin built her membership by consistently showing up in front of her audience through media features, events, and partnerships. This includes things like:

• Writing columns and getting featured in publications.
• Hosting high-profile events that generate leads.
• Collaborating with other business communities.

Takeaway

The strongest membership businesses follow a simple pattern: Build an audience → build trust → then sell the membership.

To apply this:

• Show up where your audience already is (events, podcasts, publications).
• Build an email list or platform you own.
• Partner with others in your niche.

Step 5: Build for Retention, Not Just Signups

It’s easy to focus on getting members. The real challenge is keeping them.

Every successful membership I looked at was designed around retention from the start.

Take Eric Green. His membership works because it continuously delivers new, practical value through weekly sessions, case studies, and real-world applications.

Then there’s Joe Mindak, who took it even further. His members don’t just learn, they earn. By facilitating paid referrals, his membership creates ongoing financial incentives to stay.

Takeaway

To build something people stick with:

• Deliver value continuously (not just upfront).
• Create momentum (value increases over time).
• Give people a reason to participate (not just consume).
• Design for long-term outcomes (not quick wins).

Step 6: Build a Membership Site That Doesn’t Burn You Out

One of the biggest advantages of a membership site is that it allows you to scale without constantly trading time for money. But that only works if you design it that way.

What this looks like in practice:

• Group delivery instead of 1:1: Jason Fitzgerald runs coaching calls, not individual sessions.
• Repeatable formats: Eric Green uses weekly sessions, Q&A, and case studies (not reinventing content every time).
• Systems over customization: Michelle Pippin delivers structured resources (newsletters, training), not bespoke support.

Takeaway

A lot of membership sites fail because they accidentally recreate a service business with:

• Too much personalization.
• Too many custom requests.
• No boundaries on access.

This can lead to burnout and kill margins.

Best Platforms for Setting Up a Membership Site

If you’re putting together a membership site, you’ll need a platform to build it on. So, which one should you choose? There are lots of options here, but choosing based on your use case is often the best way to go.

For Selling Memberships with Funnels

Best for: Creators who need landing pages, email marketing, checkout, and membership hosting in one place.

Newer membership platforms combine landing pages, email marketing, sales funnels, and membership hosting into a single system. This allows entrepreneurs to launch quickly at a lower cost and with fewer tools. They also help create a more integrated system that can make effective sales funnel building easier.

Popular options here include:

• Systeme.io: Simple, affordable, and beginner-friendly.
• GoHighLevel: Strong automation and CRM capabilities.
• ClickFunnels: Designed for high-converting sales funnels.

For Courses and Structured Learning

Best for: Teaching programs, lessons, certifications, or content that follows a clear path.

Course and content platforms are designed specifically for delivering structured learning experiences. They make it easy to organize content into lessons, modules, or programs. They also provide a clean, user-friendly experience for members.

These platforms are especially useful if your membership is built around teaching or step-by-step guidance. They often include features like progress tracking, video hosting, and gated content. This helps create a more polished learning environment.

Popular options here include:

• Kajabi: All-in-one platform with strong course and marketing features.
• Skool: Combines courses and community in a simple, highly engaging interface.
• Teachable: Easy to use with a focus on course delivery.
• Thinkific: Flexible platform with strong customization options.

For Content Memberships and SEO Traffic

Best for: Publishers, bloggers, and content-heavy sites that rely on search traffic.

This approach uses a website builder (usually WordPress) combined with membership plugins to create a fully customized membership site.

Unlike all-in-one tools, this setup gives you full control over your design, content, and functionality. It’s a popular choice for content-driven businesses or anyone who wants to build long-term traffic through SEO.

It does require more setup and maintenance, but the tradeoff is flexibility and ownership.

Popular options here include:

• WordPress + Memberium: A powerful option for content and CRM-driven memberships.
• WordPress + MemberPress: Easy-to-use plugin for managing memberships and subscriptions.

For Community-Led Memberships

Best for: Peer discussion, masterminds, networking, coaching groups, or accountability communities.

Community-first platforms are designed to facilitate conversations, discussions, and member interaction. Instead of focusing on content delivery, they prioritize connection between members.

These platforms are ideal if your membership is built around peer support, group coaching, or ongoing discussion. They often include features like discussion threads, groups, live events, and messaging.

Popular options here include:

• Circle: Clean interface with strong community and event features.
• Skool: Combines courses and community in one platform.
• Mighty Networks: Designed for building branded communities.

For Unique Membership Models

Best for: Referral networks, marketplaces, directories, or custom workflows.

Custom platforms are built from scratch (or heavily customized) to support a specific type of membership experience. This approach is typically used when existing tools can’t support the functionality you need. It offers the most flexibility, but also requires the most time, cost, and technical expertise.

For example, Joe Mindak built a custom platform called Nolodex to manage referrals, track deals, and handle payments between members. These are features that wouldn’t be easy to replicate with off-the-shelf tools.

Popular options here include:

• Custom-built platforms using developers or agencies.
• Hybrid setups combining existing tools with custom integrations.