Startled by the success of subscription platforms like Patreon and Substack? Then, you might be brainstorming ways to start a subscription-based website and make your entrepreneurial stride! 

Subscription websites are a surefire way to earn a recurring income and create a buzzing community that provides users with a memorable experience! From gated content and membership tiers to selling digital products, there’s much to monetize!

Whether you’re a new creator or an experienced one, this blog will provide you with insights and a clear roadmap to launch your site in no time!

How to Build Your Subscription-Based Website: 7-Step Guide

A subscription website is a platform where users pay a recurring fee at a fixed interval to access products or services. Its benefits include customer loyalty, a supportive community, decreased customer acquisition cost and increased upsell and cross-sell. 

Let’s navigate through the steps to start a subscription-based website!

Step 1: Choose a Profitable Niche

The first step to building your subscription website is obviously determining your niche!

The term riches in the niches holds true to a great extent! So, are you fascinated with the idea of subscription boxes? Next, you need to niche down the areas you would prefer launching your subscription box idea. This could be the food and drink, adult-entertainment sector, or in the entertaining sports industry!

Consider the following factors to identify your right niche:

• Your interests, skills, experience, knowledge and expertise 
• Target Audience
• Competition
• Problems and niche Gaps your niche addresses
• Profitability

Step 2:  Determine What Kind of Membership You’re Building

Once you have identified the right niche, it’s time to put your thinking caps to discern the right subscription model for your business. 

Here are the different subscription models to kickstart your business:

• Content-based Subscription offering exclusive access to blogs, videos, or podcasts
• Community-based Subscriptions like Patreon offering a tier-based access
• Service-Based Subscription offerings like coaching, consulting, etc.
• Online Stores are where users pay to access products or services. 

Consider the pros and cons of different membership models and choose the one that best suits your business and content type.

Step 3: Choose the Right Development Approach

Choosing the right platform is detrimental to your business’s long-term success! Your decision depends on the desired feature set, budget, scalability, and marketing.  

Here, we have listed the different ways to build your subscription platform:

• Off-Shelf WordPress plugin 

Leverage WordPress plugins like MemberPress and LearnDash to set up a Minimum Viable Product minus the development support.

• Saas Platforms Like Kajabi, Podia, Thinkific 

All-in-one Saas platforms have different built-in features like payment, marketing, and analytics to scale your business.

• Building a Custom-Solution From Scratch

If you plan to build a custom solution with all the essential features and functionalities, you will need a substantial budget and time.

• Self-hosted Platforms Built Using Clone Scripts

A ready-made OnlyFans clone script offers all the essential features and functionalities to build a subscription website cost-effectively. 

Power-packed with features like subscription management, analytics, social community and an online store, the ready-to-use marketplace script lets you create both adult and non-adult platforms.

Step 4: Build Your Subscription Website

A user-friendly and flexible design drives a stellar user experience!  

Here are the essential design elements for your subscription website:

• HomePage for welcoming your visitors and giving an overview of your offerings
• Sign Up page for prompting users to become members 
• Members-Only Page consisting of community, services, benefits, etc.
• FAQs addressing typical member questions
• Your Unique Selling Proposition that distinguishes you from competitors
• Calls-to-Actions inviting users to join the membership

Step 5: Decide Your Pricing Model & Plans

You need to determine pricing that balances the production cost and maximizes the profit from the audience. The four main subscription pricing models are one-time, recurring, per-user, and usage.

Determine an appropriate pricing model based on the competition, target audience, customer acquisition cost, value, etc. It is crucial to remember that pricing is volatile, and finding the sweet spot requires a lot of fine-tuning. Consider offering free trials, sign-ups, and discounts to encourage purchasing your product.  

Step 6: Create & Organize Content for Your Website

Now that you have set the foundation for your site, it’s time to put forth your offerings in return for the price your clients have paid. Create high-quality and understandable content that offers user satisfaction and retention.

Ask the following questions while creating content:

• What kind of content does your target audience prefer? — blog posts, videos, podcasts, downloadable content like ebooks, templates, online courses, etc.
• Is there any content theme? — Business, Educational, Marketing, etc.
• How many times should I post my content? – Bi-weekly, weekly, or monthly

Step 7: Promote Your Subscription Website

To market your subscription website, try a mix of organic and paid methods.

• Build an email list and send targeted emails with offers and relevant information about your service.
• Leverage social media to build your brand identity and engage with the audience.
• Advertise your site on Facebook and Google Ads to direct traffic
• Use SEO to optimize your blog posts and website for increased visibility.

Final Thoughts

Building a subscription website is a lucrative business, but it comes with its own challenges. Leveraging a ready-made OnlyFans clone script makes the entire development process seamless and hassle-free. Are you ready to take the entrepreneurial sprint today?