In today’s digital landscape, building an engaged online community can be a game-changer for creators and businesses alike. A key strategy for fostering this engagement is by offering exclusive content through Squarespace membership sites. These platforms allow you to provide premium value to your audience while generating recurring revenue.
Squarespace, renowned for its user-friendly interface and elegant website designs, offers a powerful feature called Member Areas, perfect for creating and managing your own Squarespace membership site. This comprehensive guide will walk you through setting up, managing, and optimizing your Squarespace membership to connect with your audience on a deeper level and unlock a new revenue stream.
Table of Contents
- What are Squarespace Member Areas?
- Squarespace Membership Options and Pricing
- Setting Up Your Squarespace Member Area: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Launching Your Squarespace Member Area
- Squarespace Membership Site Examples
- FAQs
- Conclusion
What are Squarespace Member Areas?
Squarespace Member Areas allow you to restrict access to specific pages or sections of your website, making them exclusive to paying members. Think of it as a VIP area where your most dedicated audience can unlock premium content, engage with each other, and enjoy unique benefits. This essentially creates a Squarespace paid membership site within your website.
Squarespace Membership Options and Pricing
One of the first things you’ll want to understand when creating a membership website Squarespace is the pricing structure. To host a membership site on Squarespace, you’ll need a Squarespace Business plan or above. This plan provides you with basic features like 30 minutes of video storage and charges a 9% transaction fee on sales. You’ll also want to consider the Squarespace member area pricing, which will be detailed below.
If you need more video storage or want to reduce transaction fees, you can opt for digital product add-on subscriptions. These add-ons, available for an additional monthly fee, offer a range of benefits:
- Increased video storage: From 10 additional hours to unlimited storage.
- Lower transaction fees: Reduce fees down to 0% depending on the plan.
Alternatively, you can host videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo and embed them into your Squarespace Member Area. This removes any Squarespace video storage limitations and eliminates the need for add-ons, but the transaction fees will still apply unless you purchase a plan that lowers them.
Squarespace Membership Pricing
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the Squarespace membership cost and options:
- Business Plan: Includes 30 minutes of video storage and a 9% transaction fee.
- Digital Product Add-ons:
- Starter: Reduces transaction fee to 7% and adds 10 hours of video storage. Costs around $9 per month.
- Core: Reduces transaction fee to 3% and adds 50 hours of video storage. Costs around $18 per month.
- Pro: Eliminates transaction fee and offers unlimited video storage. Costs around $36 per month.
It’s important to note that Squarespace Member Areas are different from Squarespace Courses. While Courses is a dedicated feature for creating structured online courses, Member Areas offer a more flexible approach, letting you create specific member-only areas within your existing website. You can use both features together to combine structured learning with community features.
Setting Up Your Squarespace Member Area: A Step-by-Step Guide
Pre-requisites
Before diving into the setup process for your Squarespace membership site, ensure you have the following:
- A Squarespace Business plan or above.
- A third-party payment processor (Stripe or PayPal) set up to collect membership payments.
- Customer Accounts enabled: This allows members to create accounts, manage details, and log in/out.
Creating a Member Area
The process for setting up a membership website Squarespace differs slightly between Squarespace versions 7.1 and 7.0:
Squarespace 7.1:
- In the Pages panel, click the ‘+’ icon under “More” in the “Not Linked” section and select “Member Site.”
- Choose a template for your member site homepage and customize it.
Squarespace 7.0:
- Go to Settings > Member Areas and enable “Member Areas.”
- In the same panel, click “Create Member Area.”
Adding Content to Your Member Area
Creating content within your Squarespace Member Area is as easy as creating any other Squarespace page.
Homepage:
Your member site homepage acts as the landing page for your members. Customize it to provide a warm welcome, outlining the membership’s benefits, upcoming events, and navigation to other content within the member site. You can use the default template homepage or create a custom one.
Adding Different Page Types:
You can add various page types, including:
- Blank Pages: For custom content like text, images, and embedded videos.
- Blog Pages: To structure content like an online course or share regular updates.
- Video Pages: To host member-only videos directly within Squarespace (subject to storage limits).
- Event Pages: To promote and manage member-only events.
Structuring Content for Membership Sites
Squarespace membership management is straightforward, and you can choose the structure that best suits your content:
Squarespace 7.1:
You can use the Courses feature to create structured online courses. If you choose this approach, you can still use Member Areas to host additional content like community forums or bonus resources.
Squarespace 7.0:
There are two main approaches to structuring your membership website Squarespace on 7.0:
- Using Blog Pages:
- Create a blog page for your membership and title it with the program’s name.
- Use each blog post as a lesson, incorporating text, images, videos, and links to external resources.
- Consider creating a separate homepage within the Member Area to act as a course homepage, linking to various blog pages or other content sections.
- Using Regular Pages:
- Organize content using standard pages and create a clear homepage with links to different sections within the Member Area.
Membership Navigation
Clear navigation is crucial for a positive member experience, especially if your Member Area contains a lot of content.
Squarespace 7.1:
Squarespace 7.1 offers three Member Navigation options:
- Replace main navigation: This replaces your website’s main navigation with the member site navigation when a member is logged in.
- Show in the customer account panel: Members can access the navigation menu through their customer account panel.
- Don’t show navigation: This hides the member navigation entirely. If you choose this option, you’ll need to create a custom navigation section on your member site homepage to guide members to different sections.
Squarespace 7.0:
Similar to Squarespace 7.1, a custom navigation section on the homepage is essential if you are not showing a separate member navigation.
Pricing and Paywall
Squarespace 7.1:
- Customize the paywall message seen by non-members in the “Paywall” tab of your Member Site settings.
- Create and manage your Squarespace membership pricing plans under the “Pricing Plans” section.
Squarespace 7.0:
Access pricing and paywall settings directly within the Member Area settings.
Setting up Pricing Plans:
- Name: Give your membership plan a descriptive name.
- Description: Provide a concise overview of what your membership offers.
- Benefits: Highlight the key advantages and unique perks of joining.
- Pricing Model: Choose between:
- Fixed amount: A one-time payment for access.
- Subscription: Recurring payments for ongoing access (monthly or annual).
- Free: Offer a free membership option, potentially as a lead magnet or to provide basic resources.
- Enrollment Date Limits: You can set enrollment windows for your membership, so it’s only available for signup during specific periods.
Customizing Member Experience
Welcome and Cancellation Emails:
Craft personalized welcome emails to greet new members and cancellation emails to acknowledge departing members. You can access and edit these emails under Selling > Selling Tools > Customer Notifications > Digital Products.
Discounts:
Offer promotional pricing or limited-time discounts to attract new members. Create and manage discounts in your Squarespace dashboard under Selling > Discounts.
Membership FAQs:
Consider adding a dedicated FAQ page to your Member Area to address common questions about your membership, saving you time and providing instant answers to members.
Launching Your Squarespace Member Area
To launch your Squarespace Member Area, you’ll need to create a dedicated sales page that clearly promotes the benefits of your membership and encourages visitors to sign up.
Create a Sales Page:
Your sales page is your main tool for attracting new members. It should be compelling and informative, clearly outlining the value proposition of your membership.
Here are some key elements to include:
- Headline: A strong headline that grabs attention and highlights the key benefit of your membership.
- Description: A clear and concise overview of your membership, outlining its features, benefits, and target audience.
- Pricing Information: Clearly display the pricing options for your membership using a digital product block or a dedicated pricing table.
- Testimonials: Showcase testimonials from satisfied members to build trust and credibility.
- Call to Action: A clear and compelling call to action that encourages visitors to sign up for your membership.
You can create a sales page from scratch using a blank page template, or use one of Squarespace’s pre-designed sales page templates to get started quickly.
Using Digital Product Blocks:
Squarespace provides dedicated “Digital Product” blocks that allow you to seamlessly display and sell your membership plans on any page of your website.
To add a digital product block:
- Navigate to the page where you want to add the block (e.g., your sales page).
- Click “Edit” to enter editing mode.
- Click the ‘+’ icon to add a new block.
- Search for “Digital Product” in the block search bar or scroll down to the “Business” section and select “Digital Product.”
- In the block settings, under “Content,” select the membership plan you want to display. The pricing information and other details will automatically populate based on your previous settings.
- Customize the block’s design, including its alignment, button text, and display options, to match your brand and website aesthetics.
You can use multiple digital product blocks to showcase different membership options or create a pricing table.
Using Digital Product Sections:
If you offer multiple memberships or want to create a more visually appealing display of your pricing plans, you can use a “Digital Product Section.” These sections come with pre-designed layouts that showcase your membership details in an organized and attractive manner.
To add a digital product section:
- Navigate to the page where you want to add the section.
- Click “Edit” to enter editing mode.
- Hover over the area where you want to insert the section, and click the ‘+’ icon.
- Scroll down to the “Shop” section (or the relevant section for your template) and select “Digital Products.”
- Choose a template from the available options based on your preference for layout and design.
- Click into each block within the section to customize your information and pricing details.
You can customize the section’s overall design, including its background, spacing, and button styles, to create a unique look for your sales page.
Squarespace Membership Site Examples
To get inspired and see how others are using Squarespace Member Areas to build thriving online communities and businesses, you can explore Squarespace membership site examples. By browsing these examples, you can gain insights into:
- Content Structure: How creators are organizing their content, whether it’s through a course-like structure with blog pages, a library of resources, or a combination of different page types.
- Pricing Strategies: How creators are pricing their memberships, including offering tiered plans, annual subscriptions, or lifetime access.
- Sales Page Design: How creators are designing their sales pages to effectively convey the value of their memberships and drive conversions.
You can find Squarespace membership site examples by searching online, browsing Squarespace’s “Showcase” section, or looking for case studies and blog posts highlighting creators using Member Areas.
FAQs
Here are some common questions related to Squarespace Member Areas:
How do the digital product add-ons affect my membership site?
Digital product add-ons provide additional video storage and reduced transaction fees for your membership site. If you plan to host a lot of video content directly on Squarespace or want to minimize transaction fees, these add-ons offer a range of options to meet your needs.
Are there any video storage limits with Squarespace Member Areas?
Yes, the basic Squarespace Business plan comes with 30 minutes of video storage. However, you can increase this limit by purchasing a digital product add-on or hosting your videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo and embedding them into your Member Area.
Can I offer multiple memberships with different content and pricing?
Absolutely! Squarespace allows you to create multiple Member Areas to host a variety of memberships. You can have memberships with different topics, content, pricing, and benefits, catering to various audience segments and providing flexible options for your members.
How can I effectively communicate with my members?
Squarespace offers various tools for communicating with your members:
- Email Campaigns: Squarespace Email Campaigns integrates with Member Areas, allowing you to send targeted email blasts to your members. You can create newsletters, share updates, promote events, and nurture your community through email.
- Blog Updates: Regularly post updates on your membership blog page. This can be a great way to share news, insights, and engage with your members in a more casual format.
- Event Announcements: Promote member-only events through event pages and email announcements. You can use these features to host live Q&As, workshops, and foster community interaction.
- Direct Messaging: Some Squarespace templates offer built-in features for member forums or direct messaging, providing more personalized communication channels.
Can I integrate my Squarespace membership site with other Squarespace features, like Email Campaigns?
Yes, Squarespace promotes seamless integration between its various features. You can easily connect your Member Area with Email Campaigns to manage your member communications, automate email sequences based on membership status, and promote new content or events directly to your audience.
Conclusion
Squarespace Member Areas provide a powerful and user-friendly platform for building thriving online communities and generating recurring revenue. By offering exclusive content and fostering engagement, you can cultivate a loyal audience and establish a sustainable business model. With Squarespace’s intuitive interface and extensive customization options, creating your own Squarespace membership site has never been easier. Take advantage of the free trial and start building your membership site today!