Asking the question in the right way
I'm not joking that I get this question almost every single day of the year. Last year I can only think of two or three days that I didn't get it. Sometimes it comes in email. Sometimes from my contact page. Other times on Facebook as a chat. And other times in the comments on one of my membership posts.
“What's the best WordPress membership plugin for my situation?”
It's a great question. But this is no longer 2008. We have a lot more choices. So anyone who gives you an answer, directly, without asking you more is doing you a disservice.
Because the selection you make should be based on you. Not on the features of each plugin.
Many have very similar features. Some are written better than others and perform better. Others have better support. Some are easier to use. But that only matters when you need it to matter.
So if you're asking someone (not just me) about the best WordPress membership plugin, I want you to stop for a second.
Because I don't want you to ask the question in a way that gets you a cruddy answer.
- Be prepared to explain what you will charge for.
- Be prepared to explain how much you'll charge.
- Be prepared to explain when you'll charge.
- Be prepared to explain how often you want to charge.
- Be prepared to articulate what you're protecting.
- Be prepared to explain what is generic and what is specific to each person.
- Be prepared to explain whether a person can join more than one level of membership at a time.
If you're writing a note, asking this question, you'll want to put all of this in there. Because if not, I won't know how best to give you advice.
In this quick video, I liken it to how you pick the next couch you buy.
So, do you have this question?
Are you wondering which one to select? Maybe you don't even know which ones are out there.
There are many, but I only like to highlight the ones that are really well-written and supported well. I know that means that some of the ones you've heard of (from way back when) may not be listed below, but that's on purpose.
Now, to be clear, those 5 options are ordered by their names, not my preference.
Why? Because how can I have a preference, or recommendation for you, without knowing more about your situation.
So tell me – what business are you trying to run? Give me the details. I'll see if there's a good option for you, from the list above.