Paying too much for your membership website?
I recently worked with a client that felt their membership website had become too complicated and too expensive. Their concerns started to unfold during our first phone conversation. I realized what they were really looking for. They wanted to simplify and have the ability to update their website themselves.
Their experience isn’t unique.
I believe in right-sizing technology. The best solution isn’t the one with the most features, it’s the one your organization can afford, understand, and confidently manage moving forward.
This article is rooted in a real transformation I helped them achieve.
Is your membership website too complicated?
My client was paying for capabilities they rarely used. Even more concerning was that their website itself had fallen behind on the theme, plugins, and WordPress updates. I am a strong believer in keeping the software updated. By simplifying both the website and membership management, they ended up with a solution that better matches their requirements, budget, and staff resources.
How We Simplified Their Membership Website
I emailed them the structured Membership Launch Framework™ I created to manage the project. We worked through their concerns about their current membership system and website services provider. We completed the shared spreadsheet so I could fully understand where they were and where they needed to go.
They came to me because they were stuck. Their admin had done an excellent job setting up most of MembershipWorks. She wanted my expertise to finish the implementation and integrate it with their website. I was happy to help. I made a few initial suggestions for improving what she had done so far. We got started right away.
In the process, we determined that rebuilding their website with the Enfold Theme would give them a solution that was easier to maintain themselves, making them less dependent on an outside developer. I love teaching my clients how it all works so they can manage it themselves. I installed the Enfold theme and created their new site based on their current site. They owned the content already. I offered suggestions based on my marketing experience and improvements for their SEO (search engine optimization) and AI optimization.
Here’s how simplifying your membership website can reduce costs and make it easier for everyone to manage.
Signs your membership website may be more complicated than it needs to be:
- You’re paying for features no one uses or possibly even understands
- Only one person knows how to update the website
- Website updates have been postponed, or worse, ignored
- You’re paying multiple vendors to maintain different systems
- Staff members or volunteers don’t feel comfortable making simple website updates
- Your WordPress version or plugins are out of date because updates feel risky
- Your annual membership software and technology costs keep increasing
When was the last time your membership website was updated?
If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. Many small associations and nonprofits find themselves paying for software and website services that have gradually become more expensive and more complicated than they need to be.
That’s where I come in.
I would like to work as your guide. To explain that there is an option for an affordable, integrated system that you’ll feel comfortable managing yourself. I get it all set up and provide you with written instructions and short video tutorials. Plus, I am available to help you by providing my services at an hourly rate, billed monthly, after the implementation is complete. That way, you always have a person you can call for help or customized resources you can reference.
Technology should support your mission, not distract from it.
If managing your membership website feels overwhelming or more expensive than it should be, it may be time to step back and ask whether a simpler solution would better serve your organization. Save yourselves some time and money.
My goal isn’t to create a website that only I can maintain. It’s to build a website you, your staff, or volunteers, can confidently manage long after the project is complete. You can read my post about why I use the Enfold Theme for the WordPress websites I build.
My approach is simple: less is best.
I help organizations right-size their technology so they’re paying for the tools they need, not the ones they’ll never use. I believe in minimizing, making things easier, not more complicated. Reducing the number of programs and systems you use by intgrating them into MembershipWorks.
Every organization is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But if your current membership website feels more complicated or expensive than it should, I’d be happy to talk through your options with you. Together we can determine whether simplifying your website and membership management makes sense for your organization.
Ready to explore a simpler system? Contact me to schedule a phone conversation.
Other posts you might find helpful:
Is MembershipWorks Right for Your Organization?
Squarespace vs. WordPress for Membership Websites
Why Most Membership Websites Stall
Michelle Aspelin
MembershipWorks Implementation Specialist
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services LLC
Based in Colorado, USA.
For many years, I built 
