Not all systems are created equal, and if you’re considering investing in an all-in-one platform it’s important to identify your system needs and requirements.
All-in-one platforms have gained lots of popularity over the last few years, especially when it comes to online course platforms and online community platforms. But when it comes to building your business, there are significant benefits of leveraging tools that are the best at revenue generating activities in their respective fields. The majority of communities in growth stages will require these tools:
1. CRM (Customer Relationship Manager)
A CRM is used to store and track relevant member details. Collecting and segmenting prospective member details such as interests in topics and related services, events, and courses is an important aspect of the mapping out a comprehensive customer journey.
CRM’s range in price and functionality, though we’ve found a majority of our clients select a CRM that allows them to segment and automate their members with email marketing campaigns as well as send additional membership details including course details. There are many popular choices for CRM’s including ActiveCampaign, Hubspot, and Keap which can be easily integrated into the member(dev) platform.
2. LMS / and or Knowledgebase
A learning management system (LMS) is used to deliver member content and training. Knowledge bases generally allow you to host customer support articles and video resources to guide the member to troubleshoot common questions or challenges. Both an LMS and a knowledge base can serve either members or internal customers such as employees or contractors depending on an organization’s need.
There are a wide variety of learning management systems with differences in price and functionality. The key considerations for choosing an LMS or Knowledge base is easy organization of content, categorization of content type such as videos, text, and media, as well as searchability for members to find relevant details. We recommend trying out the member(dev) platform by creating a free account and checking out our demo.
3. Cart or Sales Funnel Software
Online cart systems serve to initiate payment details such as member contact information like name, email address, as well as payment details such as credit card and billing address. Great sales funnel software allows businesses to design and publish landing pages such as sales pages and host lead magnet forms for acquiring and landing prospective member information and sales.
Some popular choices for funnel building softwares include the free or premium version of the WordPress Plugin Elementor which allows you to design beautiful landing pages, as well as Clickfunnels, and Leadpages. The primary consideration for selecting a cart or sales funnel software is choosing a secure website and choosing one that allows you to select from a variety of design templates.
To keep your member site secure, the member(dev) platform utilizes an SSL certificate to ensure that payments are securely received and processed through their respective payment processors such as Stripe and Paypal.
Interested to learn more?
Schedule a free platform demo with our team to learn about the member(dev) platform LMS features and our course design offerings!
4. Community Engagement Tools
It’s no surprise that membership sites need high quality community engagement tools, so when choosing a platform for your members – select one which allows you to organize and manage relevant member activity details, membership level, and payment information. The member(dev) platform allows you to track member engagement such as login details, membership level or tiers, as well as billing details and password management.
On select plans, the member(dev) platform incorporate community forums and customizable group access which can be associated with specific courses or membership levels or tiers.
5. Event Calendar
Small, mid-size, or large organizations need a seamless event organization and calendar. Administrators of business events such as in-person events like retreats or virtual meetings held on Zoom need a simple way to add and share event times, dates, and location information with members.
With the member(dev) platform you can simplify your event calendar which is customizable by membership tier or course or product purchase – only providing access to the right member based on their existing subscription level. Events on our platform can also be customized and categorized with customized colors so you can organize and differentiate types of events based on your business needs.
6. Email Marketing Software
Email marketing software delivers relevant information via email to prospective and existing members. The primary considerations for choosing a robust email marketing software include form customization based on business branding, email marketing templates, automated email sequences, tagging member details for interest based topics, and segmenting prospective and existing members into topic based lists.
Some email marketing softwares can include dual service as a CRM such as ActiveCampaign, Hubspot, and Keap which can also track sales data. Member(dev) makes it easy to integrate with frequently used email marketing software such as Mailchimp, Active Campaign, and leverages API integrations with other email marketing softwares such as Infusionsoft/Keap and Hubspot.
7. Video Hosting Software
When hosting private member content, business owners should select video hosting software that allows you to restrict access based on member level. Many of our clients select Vimeo or Wistia for hosting video content inside of our platform. Some primary benefits of using video hosting software include accessibility features such as closed captions, timestamps, and customization for speed playbook allowing the member to watch, listen, and read relevant information at their own pace.
8. Zapier
Last, but certainly not least, Zapier is a frequently used tool to connect non-native integrations between software. Zapier continues to be a popular tool amongst our clients and is used to automate many repetitive marketing and operation tasks.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is not a one size fits all for selecting a software to meet your community and business growth goals. When you work with member(dev), we create custom recommendations for systems that will help you scale your membership, coaching program, or online learning management system so you’ll never get an out of the box recommendation.
Need help with your course design?
Schedule a free platform demo with our team to learn about the member(dev) platform LMS features and our course design offerings!