Like we have mentioned in our previous article on How To Create An Attractive Membership Website Design in 2021? That the number of entrepreneurs is continuously increasing and the membership business model is encouraging more entrepreneurs to get started with their online membership wordpress website. But just like the other industry membership business model is becoming highly competitive as more and more entrepreneurs are showing interest in this particular business model.
That is the reason why most of them look to hire an experienced wordpress website design company that can help them to create an effective design that drives more traffic and conversion. But again entrepreneurs looking to create an effective membership wordpress website design look to know how much does it cost to create a membership wordpress website.
That is the reason why we have created this article that will help you to identify the cost involved in creating a membership wordpress website. Remember the better you are aware of the cost to create adn membership website the easier it will become for you to plan your budget accordingly. So make sure you stick to the end of this article.
An overview of the membership wordpress website design cost
When it comes to creating a membership wordpress website then there are a number of factors involved that decide the cost of a membership website. A membership website can go as high as $10000 – $15000 and as low as $500 – $1500. That is the reason why we said the cost of a membership website depends on the number of factors that we are going to highlight in the coming paragraphs.
If you are planning to create a membership website then you must be aware of the fact that the membership model focuses on offering gated content and in return you ask users to either signup or purchase your membership. Remember these membership websites are open to generating high revenue but it can only be achieved when your website design grabs user attention and encourages them to take action on your website.
That is the reason why most entrepreneurs and businesses look to hire an experienced wordpress website design company that can help them to create a highly attractive and conversion-centric wordpress website design company for your business.
A membership website is not only limited to content but many products and service selling companies have started to offer monthly memberships like product bundles, professional services, group coaching, and more. But among them, the content model or the gated content is widely adopted by many websites.
While having a great plan for your membership wordpress website is very important but when it comes to implementing those plans you need to decide the budget. Evey entrepreneur may not have the same budget, some may start with as low as $5000 overall or a few may have a good budget between $20000 to $30000. When we say overall then it includes website design, marketing, and more.
That is the reason why entrepreneurs and businesses looking to create a membership website look to know how much does it cost to create a membership wordpress website. When it comes to deciding the cost of a membership wordpress website then there are a number of factors taken into account lets take a look at some of them.
How much does it cost to create a membership website?
The cost of creating a membership wordpress website is highly dependent on a number of factors like the domain name, hosting, themes, plugins, and other features yoru add to your membership website. Not only that but the cost may also vary depending on how you are getting your membership wordpress website designed?
Businesses and entrepreneurs looking to create a membership website on their own may have to pay only for the domain, host, theme, and other costs. But the design you will create may not match your site visitor’s expectations or we can say it will take time to go in the competitive marketplace. But if you have a strong idea and look to reach maximum products within a short period of time then it’s always recommended to hire an experienced wordpress website design company for your website and business.
The expertise will help you to create and offer a membership website that guides users through your website and encourages them to take action on your wordpress website. Creating a membership wordpress website on your own can cost you $700 to $3000. But when it comes to getting your wordpress website design by an experienced wordpress web design company then the cost can vary between $7000 to $15000 depending on the type of membership website you are looking to create.
But remember the value a research-based design will bring can never be compared with the DIY membership wordpress website. If you are planning to create your membership wordpress website with the help of experts then you can always contact them to know the exact pricing. But if you are planning the budget for your wordpress website on your own then the best thing you can do is look at multiple factors and then decide the cost or your budget.
While WordPress itself is free, there are other factors like domain hosting, theme, and more that you need to pay for when you start designing your membership website. When you have an idea about the average amount needed to create your website then you will automatically get a clear understanding of how you need to assign your budget. SO let’s take a look at some of the factors that will determine the cost to create your membership wordpress website.
1. Domain Name
Not to mention but when you plan to create your wordpress website then one of the basic costs that you need to pay to get started with your website is domain and hosting. A domain name is an address that your prospects will use to find your membership wordpress website. You must have used these domain names with extensions like .com, .uk, .io, and more to find the website you are looking for.
Buying a domain name for your wordpress website will cost you between $12 to $60 depending on the type of domain you select for your wordpress website. Sometimes domain names can go beyond $60 if you are selecting niche-specific or highly competitive names for your membership website. For example, if you are looking to start a membership website selling audiobooks or something like that and you select a name similar to an audiobook then the cost can go literally beyond your expectation.
That is the roens why when you plan to select a domain name for your website you need to buy strategies so that your name stays relevant and comes with the least cost. When it comes to buying domain names then there are a few popular names like Namecheap, Godaddy, and more. Once you land on these websites then you will find a search box where you can type the name and check for availability and the price.
Because most of the time the domain name is taken by someone. So you need to be sure whether it’s available or not. If the domain name is already taken then you will get a recommendation from their site as well.
2. Web Hosting
The next most important factor or the cost that you need to consider in your list is your website hosting. Once you’re done with buying the domain then to make your website live you will need a host. But here the cost of a domain is not in your hand as it totally depends on the name you want to select but when it comes to hosting you get different options to select for your membership wordpress website.
In short, we can say you get full freedom to select your wordpress website hosting depending on your budget. If you are looking to create a basic membership wordpress website then you can always go with the shared hosting. But remember the shared hosting is safe as it will be shared by other websites as well (as the name suggests). If any of the websites using the same server come across any issue then there are high chances that your website might come across the same problem.
Apart from shared hosting you also get access to enterprise-level hosting that is way more secured compared to shared hosting. If you are expecting high traffic on your membership website then it’s always recommended to go with the dedicated hosting that comes with more security and can manage high traffic coming on your membership website.
The cost of the host may vary between $3 to $300. If you are planning to select the shared hosting then it can cost you between $3 to $10 per month. Whereas the dedicated hosting is a bit higher compared to the shared hosting. It will cost you between $200 – $300 per depending on the host you select for your membership website.
When selecting the hosting plan it is always recommended to go with the annual plan as you will find the cost difference between the annual and yearly plan. Apart from that, it’s always recommended to check the hosting provider’s reputation before you select one for your membership website.
If you are looking to know more about the best hosting provider then make sure to check our blog on 5 Best WooCommerce Hosting Providers In 2020 For Your Online Store
3. WordPress theme cost?
Once you successfully select the domain name and hosting for your membership wordpress website you will look for the best theme for your wordpress website. WordPress comes with both free and paid themes so you get free to select the right free or paid theme for your word[press website.
The theme you select for your membership website will play a major role in selecting your wordpress website’s speed and performance. It will help you to grab your site visitors’ attention, guide them through your website and encourage them to take action on your membership website. That is the reason why you need to pay special attention when selecting the theme for your wordpress website.
Remember the pre-built themes can offer you access to a bunch of features, before you select any wordpress theme for your membership website it’s always recommended to check the theme for responsiveness. In the beginning, you might plan to go with the free theme but remember these types of themes come with fewer customization features with less to no support.
But when it comes to paid themes you get access to a bunch of features and the design that can make it easy for you to create a fully functioning wordpress website for your business. The cost of the paid theme can range between $50 and can go up to $1000 spring in the features and the type of theme you select for your membership website. Some of the themes come with an annual payment method and others come with one-time payment so before you integrate any membership wordpress theme we recommend you check the theme thoroughly.
Sometimes the features offered by the theme become the primary reason behind slow loading website speed. That is the roens why we recommend you to check the theme review and reputation. Because the theme you select for your wordpress website will act as the front door of your business and if it is failing to impress users then they will leave your wordpress website without having any second thought.
People often get confused about whether to select a pre-built theme or go with a custom-coded theme if you have the same then make sure to check our blog on Custom Coded VS Pre Built Template: What Is Best For WordPress Website
4. WordPress Plugins
The next important or we can say most crucial factor that you need to consider is the plugin you add to your wordpress website. The plugin will act as the key that will help you to make your wordpress website more effective for your audience. It will not only help you to add features in your front end but in the back end as well. It acts as the app or expansion that helps you to enhance your membership website’s functioning.
WordPress offers access to thousands of plugins that you can easily download from your wordpress dashboard and use to optimize your website functioning. Same as wordpress themes, you get access to free and paid wordpress plugins that you can easily add to your wordpress website. When you plan to create a membership wordpress website then you are not only going to add the membership plugin.
But there are other marketing, speed optimization, SEO, and more plugins available that can help you to option your wordpress website functioning. If you are starting new then you can always go with the free version of the plugin. And to make your membership wordpress website more effective you can make use of the Memberpress wordpress website.
Some of the popular and basic plugins like Yoast SEO, Monster Insight, WP-cache, Sucuri, Smush, and more are some of the common plugins that you will need to run your membership wordpress website. All these plugins come in the free and paid version, the free version of the plugin comes with sufficient features that can help you to create and run a fully functioning wordpress website for your business.
Depending on your needs you can decide whether your website needs to be a paid or free version of the plugin. Remember the cost of the plugin varies depending on the type of plugin you are retargeting in your membership wordpress website. Some of the plugins come with one-time payments while others are available for monthly or annual subscriptions.
Before you add any plugin to your wordpress website it’s always recommended to go through the features and reviews of the plugin. Most of the time plugins are the primary reason behind the slow speed and poor performance.
If you are looking to know more about the best wordpress plugin that you can integrate in your wordpress website then make sure to check our blog on 15 Best WordPress Plugins Every User Must Be Using In 2021
5. Payment Gateway cost
Apart from theme and plugin, there are other costs involved when it comes to membership of wordpress websites like the payment processing cost. If you are using the MemberPress plugin to manage your membership website then remember it supports both Paypal and stripe. You can make use of either one to accept credit cards on your membership wordpress website.
The Memberpress plugin does not charge any additional cost for providing access to these gateways but you need to pay the additional transactional fees. Both the payment gateways have payment processing fees and these fees are controlled by MasterCard, Visa, and other credit card companies.
Not only MemberPress but if you are selecting any other plugin to manage your membership wordpress website then you need to pay these fees to access the payments. PayPal may charge you 2.90% of the transaction amount and $0.30 USD (fixed) for the domestic payment. And you also need to pay 1.5% for the international transaction.
When it comes to Stripe then the fee is similar to Paypal just you need to pay an additional 1% for the international transaction (comparatively less than Paypal). But here is the benefit of using MemberPress is that you don’t have to pay any extra fees to the MemberPress plugin for using those platforms. And as your business grows your processing cost will start to reduce as stripe offers a lower rate for the higher processing volume.
6. Premium add-ons and tools for better performance and growth
Apart from all these, you might also need access to some of the premium tools and add-ons to enhance your membership website growth and make it more effective for the audience. Starting with a shared hosting and free plugin is not bad as it will help you to keep all the costs under your budget. In short, we can say these free plugins and shared hosting allow you to save money and focus on the growth of your membership website.
If you have the budget or when your business starts offering you some revenue during that time you can look into integrating some of the important premium tools and plugins. Or we can say you can invest in premium tools and plugins with a goal to enhance your membership website functioning and drive maximum results from the website. Integrating these premium add ons will also allow you to offer the best experience to your site visitors.
Here are some of the premium tools and plugins that you can consider in your list:
Email marketing tool: when it comes to membership websites then email marketing is something that will help you to engage your user, inform them about the offers, and most importantly encourage them to buy your membership. Not only that but you can greet them and send them updates about the upcoming payment through email. Doing it manually can be a time taking process that is the reason why you need to look into adding premium email marketing tools that help you to automate your whole membership website. These premium tools will offer you access to the pre-built template, auto-scheduling, and many more. Constant Contact. ConvertKit, Drip, Hubspot, and more are some of the best email marketing tools that you can select for your membership WordPress website.
Live Chat: While there are a number of premium tools that you can integrate into your membership website. But one of the most important and underrated tools that most membership websites ignore is “Live Chat”. Users landing on your membership website may get a number of questions and your website may fail to answer them when they look for support. Offering advanced AI-driven Live Chat features will allow you to answer their question and encourage them to perform the desired action. You can make use of the premium version of the live chat plugin.
If you are looking to know more about the best live chat plugin that you can use for your wordpress website then make sure to check our article on 13 Best Live Chat Plugins In WordPress To Optimize Customer Experience
7. Hiring experienced wordpress developers
Last but not least there can be a number of ways you can get your membership wordpress website designed. One of the most effective and result-driven ways is to hire an experienced wordpress website design company that can help you to create your membership website. When it comes to cost then it might be a bit higher than the DIY website but the result they will bring to your business can never be compared with the membership website designed by an experienced wordpress website design company.
They will be helping you to create a research-based wordpress website design that allows you to drive maximum traffic and conversion on your website design. Most entrepreneurs starting with a low budget can always go with the above-mentioned option. Later when your website starts offering you some returns you can look to hire an experienced wordpress web design company to help you create a research membership wordpress website design for your business.
On the other hand, if you are starting with a good budget and ready to spend between $7000 to $10000 on your membership website. Then we always recommend you to get in touch with an experienced wordpress web design company that can help you to create a user-centric wordpress website design that matches your site visitor’s expectations and encourages them to take action on your membership website.
Conclusion
By now you must have a detailed idea about how much it costs to create a membership website. Well, there are other costs that will continue to grow as you start adding features to your membership wordpress website. But again if you wish to create a conversion-centric wordpress website design that drives more traffic and conversion on your website then we highly recommend you to get in touch with an experienced wordpress website design company that can help you to create a highly attractive and conversion-centric wordpress website design company for your business.