5 Examples of Outstanding Membership Websites

Your success depends heavily on your website – your membership site must persuade new members to enroll, create a meaningful membership experience, and deliver premium content.

And while it’s one thing to get a membership website up and running, it’s an ongoing journey to find a membership site design and structure that will successfully scale your business. Read on to learn about the essential components every well-designed membership website will have –and explore this list of membership site examples for inspiration!

Example Components of an Excellent Membership Site

The secret to success when crafting a membership website looks different for every niche, business model, and audience. It takes getting to know your member base, running tests, and adapting your strategy to create a strong online presence for your membership business. But there are a few best practices that every successful membership site will have in common. Let’s learn from a membership site example with these essential components.

Clear Value Proposition

As you refine your company messaging and hone in on your ideal audience, it should become easier to communicate exactly what it is you do and for whom. This summary statement is called a value proposition – and it should be one of the first things homepage visitors see. Your value statement is likely to evolve as your business grows and you narrow in on what language resonates most with your audience’s values, but it will always be a key part of the site experience.

Intuitive Navigation

When online business owners first create a website, they have to make some assumptions about what resources, tabs, and next steps should be readily available to the user. As time goes on, it’s important to pay attention to user behavior on your site and make sure you are funneling website visitors to the most relevant pages and resources. And remember that improving on your website sometimes means paring down information – not just adding to it. Website tracking features like heat mapping help provide insights into which website pages are most important to your users. Navigation should be simple and intuitive to access anything you need as a potential member or new member – from contact information to pricing pages.

Social Proof

As you enroll more members in your online business, it’s crucial to build a collection of testimonials, case studies, and reviews. Not only will you gain insight into your audience’s values and experiences, but also this social proof is key to proving authority in your industry. You can highlight member experiences on a designated testimonial page or simply feature them throughout the site. What matters is helping prospects envision what they will gain from your business – as they read (or listen to) authentic stories of other members’ experiences.

Authentic Branding 

A successful membership website will accurately reflect the business owner’s values and personality. Casual or professional, creative or analytical – the tone that you set on your website plays a role in attracting members who will be a good fit for your course, program, or other commodity. Curate the perfect tone for your website with personalized photos, carefully worded content – even videos. And remember that consistency across all written content and design elements is key to establishing a persuasive brand image. You want to give website visitors a true taste of what it would be like to work with you or learn from you!

Must-See Membership Website Examples by Niche

Online membership businesses encompass a wide range of industries. Coaches, consultants, educators, bloggers and many other types of content creators use online membership platforms to build an audience and monetize their knowledge. The following list highlights the ways that five different types of online businesses leverage their website to connect with their member base. Even if your business involves a different membership model or commodity, take note of the principles you can cross-apply to your own membership site.

Example #1: Real Estate Coaching

Real estate coaching membership website built through Kartra

The case study explored above is a great example of a membership website in the real estate industry. Stefanie Lugo helps real estate agents skyrocket their business through a 6-month mentorship program at Stefanielugo.com. She coaches agents on how to build a high-quality social media presence and implement referral tactics among other digital marketing strategies. Website visitors get a sense of this entrepreneur’s authentic, driven personality from the custom website images, honest website copy, and the abundance of resources available. 

This user-friendly site features raving testimonials as well as podcast/video episodes for those who prefer to listen to and watch content associated with the mentorship program. Stefanielugo.com leverages the many customization opportunities available through Kartra’s membership site builder to create an inviting space for members and future members.

Example #2: Technology Courses

IT career coaching website built through Kartra

Boyd Clewis helps cyber professionals land high-paying jobs in the tech industry through his training program at Baxter Clewis Training Academy. This membership website demonstrates the power of straightforward copywriting and clear CTAs alongside professional branding that is well-suited to the tech industry. Boyd Clewis also builds trust with the reader by incorporating social proof (both written and recorded) that showcases this tech coach’s authority in his field. Website visitors are given everything they need to understand what the program does, why the program leader is qualified to educate others, and where to get started.

Example #3: Ultramarathon Coaching & Community

Women’s ultramarathon training membership site built through Kartra

Meghan Ghould and the team at She Runs Ultras give women the knowledge and motivation they need to be successful ultramarathon runners. Members of this online community receive group coaching, training plans, and other resources to help them push their limits and hone their skills as athletes. 

This membership website demonstrates how much valuable information you can provide with a simple interface. Website visitors are intuitively guided toward the benefits of the program, the qualifications of the trainers, and where to get started – without having to sort through complicated navigation steps or irrelevant information. She Runs Ultras only offers one membership level and no free membership option, but the limited sign-up window creates a sense of urgency and expectation.

Example #4: Parent Coaching

Parent coaching website built through Kartra

Myla Leinweber coaches parents on how to support and connect with their young kids through holistic parenting practices at Joyful Parents. This type of paid membership program requires significant trust-building because parents will want to be certain the advice they receive is accurate and helpful. Myla quickly addresses her audience’s pain points, provides her credentials, and explains her perspective on what healthy parenting looks like. 

This membership website is a concrete example of how to relate to your audience and overcome any possible barriers to enrollment. There are even free downloads that add website visitors to an email list before they reach a paywall. Throughout the site, this educator comes across as both joyful and sincere – a necessary balance for getting her point across to her membership community.

Example #5: Golf Lessons & Resources

Membership website for golf lessons built through Kartra

PGA tour winner Parker McLachlin shares his secrets to a successful short game through a monthly or annual subscription to exclusive content at the Short Game Chef. This membership website features a variety of engaging content including a video introduction, links to free content, and a sample of a step-by-step video tutorial. 

McLachlin breaks down the wide range of members-only content and perks that a membership plan will buy, including access to an exclusive forum. This list of benefits differentiates his online courses from the many golf tutorials available elsewhere – and he makes sure to emphasize that both beginners and advanced golfers will benefit from his pro tips. 

Perfect Your Membership Site with Kartra

Kartra’s all in one marketing and membership site software is built for entrepreneurs who need a robust platform to grow their online business. Kartra’s extensive slate of membership website features enables business owners to build professional websites, market and sell both digital and physical products, and manage their member list – all in the same platform. 

Membership site features loved by Kartra users include:

• Drag and drop website builder with hundreds of professional templates to choose from — essential for designing and improving your own membership website
• Intuitive checkout pages with upsell, cross-sell, and add-on capabilities (and 0% transaction fees) 
• E-commerce functionalities for selling both physical and digital products
• Native video and webinar capabilities for live-streaming or recording content 
• Robust email marketing functionalities including automated workflows 
• Done-for-you sales funnels and campaigns to drive conversions
• Multiple membership tiers so you can define multiple access levels – each with their own pricing and gated content

With an all in one membership management platform, business owners will minimize third-party integrations that complicate data analytics and drive up operating costs — all while building a successful membership website that converts prospects and creates a great experience for members.