Is a free member area worth it?

Creating a member area is a way to take your digital business to the next level. You probably already know that. That's why you're looking for the best tool for your business, right? While researching, you noticed there are free member areas and paid options too. And that raised the question of which one is the best choice.

Did we guess right? Then keep reading, because we'll help you understand:

• What a member area is
• Why invest in a member area
• What a free member area is
• Free vs. independent member area
• What to consider when choosing your member area

The member area concept

First of all, it's important to understand what a member area is.

In short, a member area is simply a private space where your students consume your content.

Instead of a shared drive or a list of private links, for example, they get a username and password to a fully customized space where they find the material they bought. Something like your own Netflix. In that same space, they can also track their progress, download their certificate, and join the activities the expert suggests.

Why invest in a member area

Beyond the look and organization, which will make your students see your authority from their very first contact with your business, there are other reasons that make investing in a member area worthwhile.

Just to illustrate, here are three of them:

• The ability to build and manage your relationship with your audience;
• Sending notifications to your student base;
• Better protection against piracy and account sharing.

But is a free member area worth investing in?

Now that we agree on what a member area is, let's get to the point. Are free options a good choice for your digital business?

The answer is: it depends.

In general, so-called free member areas are built into payment gateways. So you upload your digital product to a platform that will process your payments and “get” the option to create your member area.

On the other hand, you lose the chance to try other options you might find better, whether for lower fees or better features. All your financial and student management will be tied to that company.

“But is that bad?”

At first, not necessarily. But in the long run, these restrictions can mean significant losses in strategy and, as a result, in sales. That's why the natural path for most digital businesses is to start on a free member area and move to an independent one once they reach a certain level of maturity.

So what does an independent member area offer that's different?

This type of member area came from a need felt by customers of free member areas: more freedom for their businesses.

The digital market is growing all the time. New things come out constantly, and being able to test new platforms matters, whether for more attractive fees, faster management, new technologies, and so on.

When your business is on an independent member area, you can use different payment gateways for each product and have more predictable costs. Let's say, for example, that one platform is the best choice for a low-ticket product, but for high-ticket offers its fees aren't worth it. On an independent member area, you can put each product wherever it makes the most financial sense.

On top of that, all student management becomes yours. With 100% customized communication, in a space with your brand's DNA in every detail and on your own domain, which gives you much more authority.

Finally, depending on the platform you choose, you can also bring your lead magnet leads into the member area. At Cademí, for example, the price is the same no matter how many students you have. That lets you apply the exclusive diamond funnel and start selling much more.

Just to illustrate, we've had digital businesses that sold a mentorship to a lead magnet lead with a very low acquisition cost, and a creator who sold more than R$18 thousand after moving their students to the new platform. Simply because they saw all the opportunities they'd been missing.

That's the magic of independent member areas.

What to consider when making your choice

With that in mind, when choosing your member area, it's important to understand what makes the most sense for your business. It's your decision. But in general, people on a free member area are just waiting for the right time to make the move.

And that time is usually tied to:

• Number of products;
• Number of students;
• The business's financial health.

If you have questions, talk to one of Cademí's specialists. Just click here to book the time that works best for you. Ask all the questions you need and count on our help to figure out whether it's the right time to come to Cademí and what being on our platform will do for you.