INTRODUCING SQUARESPACE MEMBER AREAS
Squarespace has certainly been very busy behind the scenes in 2020 upgrading user functionality across the board and introducing new product features like Member Areas, which was officially released in late 2020. I am over the moon about Member Areas, in this blog article I will share some key features of this awesome new Squarespace functionality.
What is Member Areas?
Put simply it is a password protected area of exclusive content on your website that users/customers can gain access to by selecting/purchasing a membership option. This is great for online businesses that want to educate and inspire their audience by creating online courses or memberships on their exisiting (or new) Squarespace website without the need for third party plugins.
Is Member Areas available in Squarespace V7.0 and V7.1?
The good news is all Member Areas functionality is available on both Squarespace versions 7.0 and 7.1. The only minor difference is the navigation menu display. In V7.0 registered members will see a nav menu overlay on the right when they log-in or click on ‘Account’ after log-in, the overlay then shows a list of the lessons (pages) for the Member Area the customer is logged into. In V7.1 the website main navigation is replaced with the Member Area navigation once the customer has logged in, with a hover functionality to see all lessons (pages) relating to each Member Area they have subscribed to.
How do you activate Member Areas on your Website?
Member Areas is an add-on subscription to your Squarespace website hosting. You can currently choose from 3 different price points based on the level of functionality you require - Starter, Core or Pro. You can choose to pay annually (which saves you 10%) or monthly. You can however activate the Member Areas functionality and add content prior to purchasing your plan. I would suggest trying the feature first and building out your content, then registering when you are ready to launch.
To activate Member Areas go to Settings > Member Areas and turn on the switch to try the Member Areas feature. You will then see the Member Areas management and commerce shortcut sections appear below the switch. You will also see the Member Areas section appear in your ‘Pages’ above the ‘Not Linked’ section. You can now begin creating your Member Areas.
How do you create Member Areas?
When you create a Member Area it will prompt you to name it and select a fee structure. There are 3 fee structures you can choose from.
One Time - one bulk payment to access all content immediately, best for eCourses.
Recurring - weekly or monthly payment subscription to continue to receive access to content, best for memberships that drip-feed content to subscribers on a regular basis.
Free - customers can access the content for free but must still create their own customer profile, this is great for building your mailing list and providing your audience with fabulous free resources.
You have the ability to change your fee structure by going into the settings for each Member Area, to do this click the settings cog appearing to the right of the Member Area you wish to adjust. From here you can also update the name and description, and also quickly navigate to the global settings area.
Member Areas settings pop-up accessed by clicking the settings cog to the right of the Member Area
How do you add content to your Member Area?
Once you have created your Member Area it acts as a folder to pages that you add to it, the first page will present as the ‘Home’ page for your eCourse/membership. You can add multiple pages into your Member Area as well as different page types and page collections such as blogs, events, products/store etc.
The way you add and create your pages within the Member Area is exactly the same as you would any other page on your website, which is fantastic because you can create a seamless and consistent brand experience for your customers. You can also drag and drop pages into position between Member Areas, or even pages that appear elsewhere on your website.
If you are planning on hosting videos in your Member Areas you may consider using Vimeo, they have a base membership option (paid) that allows for your videos to be protected and only available to the audience you choose. You can then embed this video using your video block on your Squarespace site. If you are including PDF’s for download as part of your Member Areas please be aware that the download link will not be secure, I recommend adding a password to your PDF and notifying your members of the password where the download link is present.
Member Areas as shown in Squarespace V7.1
Member Areas as shown in Squarespace V7.0
How secure is Member Areas?
Member Areas pages are secure, other platforms allow users to bypass paywalls whilst Squarespace tools ensure a seamless and secure member experience. Each member will purchase the plan they wish and create their own login profile and password. As noted previously though, be aware that you currently can’t protect certain files such as PDF downloads and audio tracks from being accessed by someone who has been given the link that points directly to one of those files.
Does Member Areas integrate with other Squarespace features?
Yes, once a ‘member’ signs up their details are stored in ‘Profiles’ and a mailing list is created specifically relating to each Member Area within Campaigns. This means you can easily communicate with your customers via Squarespace Campaigns.
Is Member Areas the right feature for you?
As is always the case there are pros and cons to all web platforms and features, it really does depend on what is on your wish list for your ideal online course/membership experience for your customers. For example Member Areas does not currently offer features such as in-course forums, lesson tracking or gamification, but if you are interested in creating beautifully presented, on-brand, secure, in-built members-only content on your Squarespace website then this may be the ideal solution for you!
In Closing
This is just another feature that solidifies Squarespace as an amazing all-in-one website building/marketing platform! It is early days at the moment, so there are a few bits and pieces what will be improved in time, but I cannot tell you how excited I am about this feature and all the possibilities this can create for small business owners!
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