Launching A Membership? It’s Kinda Different.

Well, hello from sunny Florida once again. 😎

My family and I got back from the UK Saturday night. Yesterday was a catch-up day on domestic tasks and…. sleep. Also, I still find myself waking up a little early. I was ready to roll this morning at 4:30AM. 🤪

We really enjoyed our trip in England. It was a great family experience, but we were also all ready to get back.

And so, let’s kick off this week with our new issue of the WP Edge!

Let’s talk about launching a membership and subscription…. and how it differs from launching a regular one-off product. And then, we’ll talk about how you could potentially integrate some workflows into your membership for services (and why you might want to, if you’re not already).

OK, let’s do this…

Memberships Aren’t Just Products

Thinking of launching a membership or subscription offer? It is considered to be the “holy grail” of business models in some circles. But…

It’s tempting to treat it like a digital product launch: create the content, set the price, flip the switch.

But selling a membership isn’t just about making a sale. It’s about building a system that delivers value consistently – and keeps people coming back.

If you’re going to launch a membership on a subscription (usually monthly or annual), then you definitely need to consider your strategy before just diving in. Here’s some strategic shifts to consider…

1. Retention > Acquisition

Getting people to join your membership in the first place is a hurdle, but that’s just when things get interesting. Because then you need to RETAIN them.

👉 Tactic: Map out your first 90 days of member experience. What happens in week 1? When do they get their first win? When do they hit a plateau and what can you do about it?

Add automated check-ins, quick wins, or even milestone-based rewards to help them stay engaged. Don’t just assume they’ll stay engaged, but build things in to help ensure that they do.

2. Clarity Beats Volume

More content ≠ more value. In fact, an overflowing library often leads to decision fatigue and overwhelm. I’ve made this mistake before, too. 😇

👉 Tactic: Remember, less is often more. Create content that gets right to the point and guides them to the outcome they want without any fluff. Think in terms of systems and checklists, not a pile of videos for them to watch.

Really, you should think in terms of tools, checklists and pathways…. rather than “modules” stuffed with long-winded videos.

3. Communication Keeps Them Connected

People cancel when they feel disconnected — not just from the content, but from you.

👉 Tactic: Build ongoing communication into your membership rhythm. Weekly or bi-weekly emails, a recurring member-only Zoom call, even a casual Friday check-in can make a big difference.

For smaller memberships, a personal “just checking in” email to new or inactive members can go a long way. Remember, too, to be yourself. Just be…. you. Treat your members like friends.

4. Build Community with Purpose

Community is often touted as a retention silver bullet, but a dead forum is worse than none at all.

👉 Tactic: Start small. Host a monthly live Q&A or office hours. Feature a “member spotlight” in your emails. Consider ways to build the two-way communication without necessarily jumping straight into forums and community software.

I’ve seen too many memberships get bogged down by community software like BuddyBoss. All those performance issues and complexity for a community which people aren’t even using. It can become a lead weight around your neck rather than a retention strategy. If you’re going to install a community, I’d recommend Fluent Community instead for performance reasons. But, definitely think about how you’re going to get people to actually USE it. Don’t just assume they will.

5. Add a Higher-Touch Layer

If you want members to stay longer, increase the personalization of the experience. People stay where they feel seen and supported.

👉 Tactic: Layer in higher-touch elements like monthly check-in calls, personalized feedback, or implementation support. If you’re a coach or consultant, consider blending services into your membership — such as audits, templates tailored to the member’s business, or priority access to you.

This hybrid model (content + services) can justify higher pricing, reduce churn, and deepen the value you deliver. Remember, your membership shouldn’t just be about access to content… because there’s plenty of that out there already.

Concierge Client Update

I’m Back!

I am back in sunny Florida after our 2 weeks traveling the UK. Really happy to be back… and ready to get back into the swing of things.

As you may imagine, there’s some things to catch up on. I have a feeling, too, that some of you have been holding out on me here and trying not to ask for much work on your site while I’m traveling. Which, I appreciate. 🙏 But, you can let ‘er rip now and go ahead and post whatever you need done in our Basecamp project area.

For those with pending tasks already, I’ll be making the rounds and getting caught up as quickly as I can.

I’m happy to report that no big issues arose across client sites and systems while I was overseas. When I first landed in London, one of my clients had her site completely down and producing a fatal error. When that happened, I thought “this isn’t a great omen.” 🥴 But, I was able to quickly handle it while on the train between the airport and our AirBNB in London and… it was smooth sailing the rest of the time. This is a huge reason I use quality tools and systems (like Rocket Hosting) for my clients. Reliability we can all count on and just makes life simpler.

So, here’s to a new week! And a week of catchup and getting things done for you guys.

Stay awesome.

WordPress News & Updates

FluentCart Dev Status. An update on the status of FluentCart, which has not been launched yet. They’re working on a few improvements to the software before the official launch. Namely, a tax module, big improvements to the reporting module, re-do of some of the Gutenburg blocks and some architectural changes to enable add-on development to be simpler. Basically, this is all stuff based on feedback from the beta period. Which is why you have beta periods for software. 😇 To see my video of the insides of FluentCart, check out this video.

WooCommerce 10.2.1. The first official dot release for 10.2 was released last week. 10.2.1 has fixes for future compatibility with WordPress 6.9, fixes a conflict with the AMP plugin, etc. See the release notes here.

Google Messes With Things – Again. Funny how something so seemingly trivial has ripple effects. Google decided to disable the num=100 parameter on search result pages, which enabled to see 100 results at a time. Search ranking tools often used this to fetch a lot of results at once. Now, without that option, it makes it much harder for these tools to fetch results. If you use any SEO tracking tool, you should be aware of this. Check Search Engine Journal for the whole story.

Post Calendar Plugin Launch. A new post calendar plugin was launched into the repository to allow you to see you posts on a calendar and quickly schedule them and drag and drop. I haven’t tried it, but it looks streamlined.

ZenCommunity. Looks like the guys behind AcademyLMS are gearing up to launch ZenCommunity. This is a community platform for WordPress, with group chat, live chat and support tickets. I guess the launch of FluentCommunity opened up the floodgates for BuddyBoss competitors? I will say, too, that building support tickets into it seems like a potentially weird combo. But, we’ll see how it all pans out.

WooCommerce Native POS. Looks like WooCommerce is finally getting a native POS (point of sale) system to take in-person orders and manage it all within WooCommerce. The option currently only works in the US and UK and you do need a compatible card reader. Click here to learn more. There may be some other requirements needed because, no doubt, Automattic knows this would be a revenue source.

Conversion Bridge 1.1. The Conversion Bridge plugin has been updated with new integrations with HotJar, Greyd Suite and Must-Have Cookie. It also introduces weekly summary emails, and a few other goodies. Check the full announcement post.

FluentCommunity Mobile App. There’s definitely been interest in a mobile app for FluentCommunity, similar to the highly overpriced mobile app for BuddyBoss. Well, there is an app under development by a third-party called LazyCoders. They’ve been working on a FluentCommunity mobile app for a few months now. They’ve launched their own community which you can follow along with this. You’ll notice a button on top there where you can try out the app.

More About Telex. Telex is the new AI-powered tool for creating your own custom WordPress blocks. I’ve mentioned it in the newsletter before, but I also understand it may fly right over people’s heads. This article on WordPress.com does a great job of explaining the usage of this tool for normal people. But, the idea is that you’re not limited to what blocks you have available to you in the editor, but can literally build your own to suit your needs.

Site Speed Testing With Attitude. Jono Alderson has built a site performance speed tester that will be… impolite. 🤣 Instead of geek talk results, this one will speak to you quite directly. I laughed at it. Fun tool. Check it out.

FAIR 1.0 Launches. You may recall previous discussions about the FAIR project, which is the effort to decentralize plugin distribution for WordPress so that you’re not stuck with the centrally managed repository from Automattic. Well, they just released version 1.0.

Admin Bookmarks Updated After 7 Years. This simple plugin does one thing… allows you to bookmark content and make it instantly accessible from your admin toolbar for quick access. It was finally updated after 7 years to make it much faster to add new bookmarks. Check it out.

FlyingPress Vitals. FlyingPress 5.2 now includes a new feature called FlyingPress Vitals. In short, it will track your core web vitals scores based on real visitors to your site, not lab tests. And it is all done within your WordPress admin. Learn more here…. and keep in mind that FlyingPress is available to all Concierge clients via the Toolkit.

Adding Services To Your Membership

Not every membership should rely on content alone. Sometimes what your members really want is support, feedback, or even done-for-you services.

I’ve talked before about the idea of productized services… and this is something that you can build into your membership.

See: What Is A Productized Service? Should You Start One?

Services could be either the core value of your membership (as it is with Concierge), or value-adds that increase the value of your membership and even enable you to charge higher rates.

I am a massive proponent of the “Fluent” tools, so let’s look briefly at how to use these tools to enhance your membership with services…

Use Fluent Forms for Service Intakes

If you’re offering services like audits, personalized reviews, or consulting — you’ll need a simple way for members to submit requests. You can use Fluent Forms to build any form you need.

👉 Tactic: Set up a member-only page with a Fluent Form that collects all the info you need to get started. You can also use the various integrations of Fluent Forms to put those requests into any system you need externally.

Schedule Calls with Fluent Booking

If your members can book calls with you, use Fluent Booking to set up the scheduler and place that right onto a members-only page. Fluent Booking integrates directly with Google Calendar and Zoom, so confirmations and reminders are handled automatically.

Keep in mind, you can have different kinds of appointments available all in the same platform. You can show/hide the right options to your members using page permissions. As an example, you may have a higher member tier where calls are included, so you embed a calendar for them where they can book at no charge. For members on a lower tier, you may want to offer calls to them on a paid basis, which you can also do with FluentBooking.

Track/Manage Requests with Fluent Boards

Need a way to stay on top of member requests, projects, or recurring services? A lot of people tend to forget about Fluent Boards, but it could prove to be a useful tracking tool.

👉 Tactic: Use Fluent Boards to create a lightweight Kanban board where you or your team can manage service delivery tasks. Create columns like “Requested,” “In Progress,” “Delivered,” and assign cards to team members.

And remember the integrations. These tools all work together. So, when they fill in a service request form, it can add a card to the board in Fluent Boards. The request can then be tracked and managed internally. You can even automate email notifications to your member as there are updates.

Takeaway: Content is great — but services can deepen your value and boost retention. Could be small value-added services (like a feedback request)… or full-blown “done for you”. It is up to you. But, whatever you need, you can systematize it into your site, present it to members.

And all of the tools we need to do this are available in the Concierge Toolkit. So, if you need my help setting up this stuff for you, just let me know.