Updated: Oct 20
A membership website or online membership platform is created for individuals or organizations to provide exclusive content, services or resources to subscribed members. A website creator with built-in member management lets you build one, gate the content and manage members from the same dashboard. Membership websites, as a type of website, are a centralized hub for members to access privileged information.
Start building your site with Wix's membership website builder.
TL;DR: what is a membership website?
A membership website earns recurring revenue by putting part of a site behind a login and charging members for entry, either monthly or as a one-off fee. The work sits in four places a standard site never has to handle, namely tiered plans, gated pages, repeat billing and member accounts. Wix offers a fast and intuitive website builder to bring your vision to life in minutes.
Component | What it does |
|---|---|
Membership plans | Sets the access levels and what each one unlocks, from free to premium |
Exclusive content | The articles, videos, webinars and downloads members pay to reach |
Registration and login | Creates member accounts and keeps gated areas closed to everyone else |
Payment gateway | Takes the first payment and handles renewals and upgrades securely |
Community or forum | Gives members somewhere to talk to each other rather than only to you |
Member profiles | Lets members customize how they appear and connect with other members |
Newsletter | Tells members about new content, events and changes to the site |
Member support | Answers member questions through a help page, FAQ or support tool |
Building a website for your business, passion project or side hustle should feel simple and exciting. Wix generates a personalized starting point with AI. You can customize every detail with intuitive drag-and-drop tools, while Wix handles the tricky parts to make building your site simple. That way, you can focus on what matters most: bringing your ideas to life. Ready to get started? Create your website today.
8 components of a membership website
There are several essential elements of a membership website that are important for ensuring a good user experience including building a subscriber base.
01. Membership plans
Membership websites typically feature different plans or levels of access, each offering varying degrees of content or services. These plans may include free, basic, premium or VIP memberships. You can incorporate a CMS into your membership website to control levels of access, set up subscription tiers, restrict content access based on membership levels, handle payment processing securely and manage member profiles.
Let’s say your membership site is focused on travel content. So as part of a free membership, you might send subscribers travel blog posts as soon as they’re published. As part of a premium package, you might offer special deals on travel packages and accommodation, or an online course on how to make money as a travel blogger.
Or you might create a winery website and offer wine memberships that grant members discounts on wine you sell, invitations to different events and other types of perks.
You'll also want to decide how content is delivered. Some sites unlock everything at once, giving members full access from day one. Others use a drip-feed model, releasing content gradually over days or weeks, which works well for course-style memberships where pacing helps people absorb the material.
Learn more: How to create a membership website
02. Exclusive content
One of the biggest hooks of a membership website is exclusive content. This could range from articles, videos, webinars or downloadable resources that are accessible only to subscribed members.
A membership website around starting a business could offer downloadable business plans for different types of businesses, from someone learning how to start a clothing business to someone building a consulting practice.
03. User registration and login
To access exclusive content, users need to register and create an account. The login feature makes sure that only authorized members can access protected and gated areas of the website.
04. Payment gateway
For membership plans that require payment, a secure online payment system is essential. This allows users to subscribe, renew memberships or upgrade to premium plans with ease. You will need to make sure that the payment system you use is protected by enterprise-grade web security infrastructure and features. Wix supports long-term ecommerce growth with built-in loyalty programs, subscription commerce, back-in-stock notifications and flexible digital gift cards designed to increase customer lifetime value.
05. Community pages or forums
Many membership websites include a community or groups section where members can interact with each other, share insights and discuss topics related to the exclusive content offered on the site. As a membership site owner, you’ll need to moderate these community forums and initiate conversations to get users talking. They can be a great way for you to support your subscribers with advice and for them to help each other too.
Be inspired by these community page templates.
06. Member profiles
Letting members create profiles adds a personal touch to your online community and membership site. Members should be able to customize their profiles, share information and connect with other like-minded individuals via their profiles.
This isn't just a nice-to-have. Wix customers who add a Members Area, where site visitors maintain profiles and purchase history, see 154% more repeat visitors.
"The data shows that our products are delivering real results to our customers and their success is what drives us." - Avishai Abrahami, CEO and co-founder of Wix
07. Newsletter
Membership websites often include a newsletter or updates section to keep members informed about new content, upcoming events or any changes to your site. You can choose to send a newsletter to all your members or as part of paid membership plans.
Dor Cohen, who works on distribution and growth at Wix, makes the case for treating the newsletter as its own channel rather than a summary of the site.
“A newsletter builds a base of engaged subscribers eager to hear directly from you. It allows you to develop content that resonates with your audience, even if it falls outside of top search engine results. Newsletters let you forge deeper connections through content crafted specifically for subscribers, not just optimized for keywords. You can provide value on topics and in formats that speak to their interests, driving loyalty. A newsletter audience is there because they actively want to consume and engage with your content in their inbox. This owned and direct channel allows you to enrich relationships beyond what the blog alone can do.” - Dor Cohen, Distribution and Growth Specialist at Wix
08. Member support
Providing support to members on your site is crucial. This may involve a dedicated support system, FAQ pages or a customer service process or tool to address any queries or issues members may encounter when using your content or advice.
Why do you need a membership website?
Monetization opportunities
For content creators, organizations and individuals with valuable expertise, a membership website offers a way to make money online. Memberships can also generate a steady and consistent income stream through subscription fees.
Learn more about how to sell subscriptions.
Community building
Membership websites foster a sense of community among members who share common interests or goals. The community or forum feature encourages interaction and networking, enhancing the overall member experience. It can also help you build a community to later market to or simply improve relations between people in the same industry or field.
Personalized user experience
User accounts and profiles allow members to personalize their experience on the website. This may include tracking their progress, bookmarking favorite content and participating in community discussions. This in turn should create more loyal users and subscribers both to your brand and website.
Content control and security
Membership websites enable content creators to control access to their valuable content. This ensures that only paying members can benefit from the exclusive resources provided which in turn helps to attract more members and payers.
Top 5 membership website creation platforms
01. Wix
Wix is a membership website platform with a user-friendly interface and features. It offers a dedicated Members Area for creating exclusive content for premium users, managing paid subscriptions and customizing the user experience without third-party integrations. Wix provides an intuitive website builder with drag and drop editing.
Wix offers an AI website builder that creates a unique, business-ready site in no time. Aria can generate full sites, rewrite content, restructure layouts, configure business tools and manage site settings through natural conversation. For a membership site that means you can build a website with AI, describing the member pages and plans you want, then refining the result rather than building every page by hand.
02. Content Hub by HubSpot
HubSpot's Content Hub integrates membership features with marketing, sales and service tools. It allows providing exclusive content for premium users, controlling access based on membership status using HubSpot lists and leveraging analytics to optimize member engagement.
03. MemberPress
MemberPress is easy to use for setting up and managing membership subscriptions on WordPress websites. It enables offering exclusive features and content to premium users, restricting access to posts, pages, videos and digital files based on subscription levels and customizing membership tiers for different user segments.
04. Uscreen
Uscreen is a membership platform for video creators to monetize their content. It allows you to offer exclusive video libraries for premium users, providing live streaming capabilities and creating a community space for member engagement. The platform focuses on delivering a video-centric membership experience.
05. MemberSpace
MemberSpace is a third-party website plugin that enables creating exclusive features and content for premium users by gating specific pages, controlling access based on subscription fees or actions and creating a personalized membership experience for different user segments.
Membership website examples to be inspired by
Cayman Canine
Cayman Canine is a Cayman Islands-based site serving pet owners who want to connect and engage through a forum. Members can contribute to existing posts or write their own to start a conversation.
NJA Wheelers
NJA Wheelers is an adventure community website for off-road vehicles and trips, built to bring together fellow enthusiasts, complete with member uploads.
Healthy Nails Collaborative
Healthy Nails Collaborative is a private members site connecting nail professionals and enthusiasts, with exclusive resources, insights and online trainings for a monthly subscription fee.
Rainbow Fictioneers
Rainbow Fictioneers caters to aspiring fiction writers, connecting them with fellow writers and providing resources and workshops to improve their craft. Members can also share their work for feedback and critiques from the community.
For those who want full control over how their membership site looks and feels, Wix Headless allows creating and managing content from a backend dashboard independently of wherever the frontend was built, with no backend engineering or server management required.
Learn more about Wix Headless:
What is a membership website? FAQ
Is a membership website the same as an e-learning platform?
No, while both provide valuable content, a membership website typically offers diverse content and services, whereas an e-learning platform focuses specifically on educational courses and materials.
What information is on a membership website?
Membership websites generally include details about various membership plans, exclusive content, community forums, member profiles and any additional resources or services provided.
How much does a membership website cost?
The set-up cost for membership websites varies depending on the features and benefits offered by the website building platform through which you choose to build your website. You may need to factor in additional costs for website design, content creation and promotion efforts. Ultimately, the cost will depend on your specific needs and budget.
What’s the difference between a membership website and a subscription website?
A membership website is a private online portal that offers exclusive content, resources and benefits to its members. It requires users to pay a one-time or recurring fee to access the site's content and services. On the other hand, a subscription website refers to any website that charges users a recurring fee for accessing its content or services. This can include magazines, news sites and streaming platforms.
The main difference between the two is that membership websites typically offer more value in terms of exclusive content and resources, while subscription websites focus more on delivering regularly updated content. You can create a membership website with Wix for free or with a paid plan.
