Building Your Membership Site

# How to Build a Membership Site: A Step-by-Step Guide

Building a membership site is an exciting way to create a sustainable online business. But let’s be honest—it can feel overwhelming with all the different membership plugins, membership tools, and setup decisions you have to make.

Which platform should you use? How do you handle payments? What about email automation? It’s easy to get lost in the options.

At TechCreative, we’ve built countless membership sites, and we know what works. This guide will walk you through everything you need—from choosing the right tools to structuring your site effectively.

Why Choose a Done-for-You Membership Site?

Setting up a membership site from scratch requires technical skills, the right tools, and ongoing maintenance. A done-for-you membership service eliminates the headaches by handling all the heavy lifting for you.

Here’s why many business owners choose this route:

• • Saves time – No need to spend weeks learning how to set everything up.

• • Reduces stress – Experts handle integrations, payments, and automations.

• • Ensures scalability – A well-built site grows with your business.

If you prefer a hands-off approach, investing in a done-for-you membership solution can be a game-changer.

Choosing the Right Membership Plugins and Tools

A membership site is only as good as the tools behind it. Let’s go over the best membership plugins and membership tools to power your site.

WooCommerce + WooCommerce Subscriptions

For flexibility and scalability, WooCommerce is the best option for handling payments. With the WooCommerce Subscriptions add-on, you can easily manage recurring billing and subscriptions.

Why WooCommerce?

• • Highly customizable

• • Integrates with numerous tools

• • Handles any pricing structure
    

FluentCRM

Your email list is the backbone of your membership site. FluentCRM keeps your email marketing fully in-house, providing:

• • Email campaigns & automation

• • Deep integration with WordPress

• • Tag-based user segmentation

WP Fusion

WP Fusion acts as the bridge between your CRM and your membership platform. With WP Fusion, you can:

• • Grant/revoke content access based on tags

• • Automate member upgrades and downgrades

• • Seamlessly integrate with FluentCRM

Structuring Your Membership Site

Once you’ve chosen your tools, it’s time to structure your site properly. Here’s a breakdown of the essential components.

Membership Levels vs. Tag-Based Access

There are two main ways to control member access:

1. 1. Membership Levels – Traditional setup where users choose from different membership tiers (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold).

1. 1. Tag-Based Access – Uses CRM tags to dynamically control what members see.

We recommend the tag-based approach because it allows more flexibility in personalizing content and automating upgrades.

Essential Pages for Your Membership Site

Your membership site should include:

• • Homepage – A compelling landing page with clear CTAs.

• • Member Dashboard – A central hub for accessing content.

• • Course Library – If offering online courses.

• • Login/Logout Pages – Styled to match your branding.

• • Sales Pages – To drive conversions.

• • Access Denied Page – Redirects non-members with an upsell offer.

Navigation & Menu Setup

To ensure a smooth user experience, set up your navigation menu strategically. WP Fusion allows you to:

• • Show/hide menu items based on membership status.

• • Dynamically display different menus for logged-in vs. logged-out users.

Adding Online Courses to Your Membership Site

Not every membership site needs courses, but if you plan to offer educational content, consider your options.

Simple Course Setup

If your courses are basic, you don’t need a full LMS. A custom post type with protected pages (using WP Fusion) may be enough.

Using an LMS Plugin

For a more structured approach, TutorLMS (free version) is a lightweight option. If you need quizzes, assignments, and certificates, LearnDash is the industry standard.

Final Thoughts

Building a membership site doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right membership plugins and membership tools, you can create a seamless experience for your members.

At TechCreative, we specialize in building scalable, high-performing membership sites. Whether you want a done-for-you membership solution or need expert guidance, we’ve got you covered.

Ready to launch your membership site? Contact us at [email protected] for a free consultation or fill up the forms below!