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Subscription Website

Make Your Content as Profitable as Possible

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Last chance to sign up for our Developing Successful Subscription Websites webinar … Continue Reading »

Subscription Websites: A Rose by Any Other Name…

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

The Holy Grail of Revenue Generation for many successful online content marketers, producers and publishers. … Continue Reading »

An Age Old Question About Subscription Websites…

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Do you know what to do about user registration?
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Subscription Websites: Master the Pay-For-Access Model

Monday, January 11th, 2010

A simple model for subscription websites
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Subscription Website Design Free Report Released

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Complimentary Guidelines and Case Studies for Designing Subscription Websites
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Aesthetics of an Eye-Opening Subscription Website

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Specific colors and an engaging design will help in building a community … Continue Reading »

Subscription Website Design

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Gain immediate access to our free report Subscription Website Design: 14 Guidelines and 13 Case Studies for Designing Subscription Websites … Continue Reading »

Everything You Need to Know About Subscription Websites

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Gain access to our free report Subscription Website Design: 14 Guidelines and 13 Case Studies for Designing Subscription Websites … Continue Reading »

Meet Our Panel of Email Subject Line Smackdown Experts!

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Take part in our Email Subject Line Smackdown and test your email subject line prowess against 3 of America’s top copywriters … Continue Reading »

Email Subject Line Smackdown

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

This informative Mequoda webinar on creating and testing email subject lines explains the best practices for defeating email subject line spam filters and for tracking which email subject lines perform best for your products and services. … Continue Reading »

Save the Dates! Check Our Next Six Webinars!

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Take a minute to add these 90-minute live and interactive webinars to your 2010 calendar!
Travel budgets have been cut significantly, but your employees still need education and training. Webinars are a great way to provide training to your entire staff for one low price, without the added travel costs or … Continue Reading »

Benefits of Mequoda Pro

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

Now you can ask any question about online publishing and marketing and receive a detailed answer from the Mequoda Pro Research Team and me for a little over 81 cents per day.
Introducing Mequoda Pro — the ultimate publishing support program — designed exclusively for experienced professionals who want to … Continue Reading »

Membership Archetype

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

A Mequoda Website Satellite Archetype that generates the majority of its revenues from user access fees. This website business model is similar to a print newsletter or magazine that accepts little or no advertising, relying primarily on user support. These websites often sell other branded information products that might include … Continue Reading »

8 Steps to Creating a Newsletter Website Template

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

Building or looking to improve a newsletter website? Learn these 8 best practices for building profitable newsletter website templates. … Continue Reading »

The Three Lenses of Consumers: Online, Offline and In-Person

Friday, August 8th, 2008

A special-interest user experience includes multiple platforms: online, offline, and in person; using all three guarantees you the most visibility and the best user satisfaction. … Continue Reading »

Mequoda Pro

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Get unlimited LIVE and ON-DEMAND access to the next 17 SiPA/Mequoda Webinars.
Login and phone instructions for the LIVE webinars will be sent separately, closer to the live date. Please call 866-713-1005 or email customercare@mequoda.com with questions.
With your ON-DEMAND access, you’ll also get
dozens of spreadsheet calculators, tools and white … Continue Reading »

Newsletter vs. Membership Websites – What’s the Difference?

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Many publishers refer to a Newsletter Website as a Membership Website, but the truth is that Newsletter Websites stand on their own. … Continue Reading »

Adding credibility to your membership website: A checklist of 14 factors you must consider in order to be perceived as trustworthy

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

The casual visitor makes an impression of your subscription website based on numerous factors. Whether consciously to unconsciously, most potential members are looking for certain elements that indicate to them that you and your business are legitimate. … Continue Reading »

Fatal Membership Website Mistake

Wednesday, May 30th, 2007

One of the biggest problems a Membership Website can have is that it’s not a Membership Website

Membership Websites are as commonly used as they are misunderstood.

Hiding information behind a firewall with a username and password gate and charging for access does not automatically make a Membership Website.

A Membership Website should … Continue Reading »

How to Ethically Get Testimonials and Use Them to Add Credibility and Increase Membership

Friday, January 26th, 2007

Great testimonials can be very persuasive. The value of member corroboration and its ability to get new subscribers to your membership website cannot be under-estimated.

Know this about the buying process: Whether they know it or not, everybody has a personal strategy for rationalizing his purchase decisions.

All purchase decisions are emotional, … Continue Reading »

Make Long Content Easy to Read by Choosing the Right Typefaces

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

Most printer-friendly pages are not really reader-friendly, but they could be.

We all know that web surfers skim and scan; they generally don’t read carefully. So, consider this online publishing strategy: When you publish a lengthy article that requires concentration and serious consideration, make is easy for your readers to print … Continue Reading »

The Retail Media Website Archetype

Tuesday, December 26th, 2006

Every Retail Media Website has two business goals. First, the website must allow users to buy products. Second, the website must begin a user relationship with both buyers and non-buyers that will lead to future sales. … Continue Reading »

The Membership Website Archetype

Tuesday, December 26th, 2006

A membership website is a user driven, content-based website satellite that generates the majority of its revenues from user access fees. This website business model is similar to a book club, professional association or user group that accepts little or no advertising, relying primarily on user support. … Continue Reading »

A Simple Formula for Writing Compelling Book Titles, PR Headlines or Email Subjects

Tuesday, November 21st, 2006

The most succinct copywriting tip we’ve heard in a long time came from Fred Gleeck at a product development seminar. Fred cited this maxim in a discussion of how to title your book. But the adage is just as valid whether you’re writing a headline for an advertisement or a … Continue Reading »

The Goals Guy Media Network Case Study

Tuesday, June 6th, 2006

Selling Goal-Setting and Motivational Information to a Niche Market of Nascent Planners and High Achievers: The Goals Guy Thrives with Laser-like Focus on Creating Quality Digital Products, Superior Search Engine Optimization and Smart Strategic Alliances

Gary Ryan Blair is a serious strategic planner. His personal philosophy can be summarized in two … Continue Reading »

The Pros and Cons of Using the Recurring Billing Option on Your Subscription Website

Thursday, May 25th, 2006

When a customer agrees to have a specific charge card billed a certain amount for a pre-determined (or sometimes open-ended) period of time, that’s recurring billing. It’s sometimes called recurring payment or subscription billing. Bank accounts and debit cards can also be billed recurrently. Common time frames are monthly and … Continue Reading »

The Wall Street Journal’s Publishing Case Study

Monday, May 1st, 2006

The Wall Street Journal’s website, WSJ.com, has achieved incredible success by selling print subscriptions online while simultaneously selling subscriptions to their online product. As a result, they are a great example of how to sell millions of dollars in subscriptions from one website. After perusing their site, we have identified … Continue Reading »

Website Design Lessons From Cook’s Illustrated

Wednesday, April 26th, 2006

Week after week, our editorial staff gets together to forage through the Internet looking for ideas and examples that could help our readers make their subscription websites more effective. In the process we often find ourselves getting on one soapbox or another, proving, once again, that there’s a lot of … Continue Reading »

My 12 Most Important Beliefs About Marketing

Friday, April 14th, 2006

These pithy statements about the psychology of buying and selling did not originate with me. Most were gleaned over the years from my various teachers—from their books, seminars and audiotapes.

I owe a debt to many, and at this juncture, it’s almost impossible to know accurately which of these “truths” to … Continue Reading »

The Five Most Profitable Subscription Website Business Models

Friday, April 7th, 2006

Coming up with the right topic for a successful subscription website is usually the biggest stumbling block for those wanting to get into this business.

Choosing your site topic is a serious issue, as the topic you choose pretty much dictates your chances of success with a subscription website.

Our research shows … Continue Reading »

Twelve Ideas for An Effective Affiliate Marketing Program

Monday, April 3rd, 2006

The idea behind affiliate marketing is simple.

The concept is basic “pay for performance.” You recruit other Internet marketers to help you sell your website’s products or services in return for a portion of the gross.

When an affiliate enrolls in your program, you give her an affiliate identification (name or number) … Continue Reading »

NicheADay.com Landing Page Review

Sunday, April 2nd, 2006

The fundamental mistake made by many entrepreneurs is the classic chicken-and-egg scenario in which the inventor first creates a new product and then seeks a market for it.

Experienced product developers do the opposite. They anticipate the changes in society. They assess the evolving problems, requirements and desires of consumers, and … Continue Reading »

Analyze Successful Subscription Websites for Clues on Designing and Marketing Your Own

Friday, March 31st, 2006

Here’s a shortcut to membership website success: find online businesses that are working for other people and model them. Study what they are doing correctly and do likewise. To help build and maintain your own successful site, make a habit of analyzing other sites for form, function and design. … Continue Reading »

Choosing the Right Colors for Your Subscription Websites

Friday, March 24th, 2006

Why do all the top websites seem to use the same four colors?

There is a really good reason—one that can affect your membership website success if you don’t follow their lead. If you take a close look at the most visited sites on the Internet, you’ll see an interesting phenomenon. … Continue Reading »

RealSimple.com Website Design Review

Saturday, February 11th, 2006

RealSimple.com Epitomizes Great Website Graphic Design and is a Perfect Partner to Real Simple Magazine. So is it a Brand Site or a Membership Website? Is its Objective Lead Generation or Customer Service?

The Big Lie of the 1950s was the forecast that life in the future would be easier—even effortless—leaving … Continue Reading »

The Harvard Health Publishing Mequoda Case Study

Friday, February 3rd, 2006

At Harvard Health Publications, the bottom line isn’t profits. It’s serving its public health mission and, most important, protecting the university’s credibility and reputation.

When you publish under the aegis of Harvard University, your primary objective is not simply to make money; it’s to improve the health and quality of life … Continue Reading »

JeanChatzky.com Website Design Review

Wednesday, January 18th, 2006

Is Jean Chatzky, the Latest Pop Personal Financial Adviser, Well Served by a Website that Confuses Visitors with Too Many Options and Stale Content? Jean Chatzky is the latest in a series of popular, photogenic (and telegenic) female financial advisors that includes Jane Bryant Quinn, Suze Orman and the … Continue Reading »

SSWUG Membership Website Case Study

Thursday, August 11th, 2005

SSWUG.org, a subscription website that provides an astonishing amount of technical information for database administrators, uses three levels of membership to secure loyal, paying customers. … Continue Reading »

Entrepreneur.com Website Design Review

Monday, July 25th, 2005

Advertising-driven Entrepreneur.com makes the crucial mistake of forgetting that readers must first find the content they seek, or they won’t hang around long enough to maximize the valuable advertising inventory that publishers crave … Continue Reading »

CreditToday.net Website Design Review

Monday, June 20th, 2005

Giving credit where it is due: a cornucopia of useful information for industry professionals and an exemplary business-to-business website. … Continue Reading »

IMR and SWEPA Merge to Create the New Mequoda Library, The Interactive Resource for Building Better Websites

Friday, June 3rd, 2005

Two of the publishing industry’s leading membership websites, Internet Media Review and SWEPA (Subscription Website Publishers Association), have merged to create the Mequoda Library, the interactive resource for building better websites. The Mequoda Library (www.Mequoda.com) went live on June 3, 2005. (Jump to FAQs) … Continue Reading »

BabyCenter.com Website Design Review

Thursday, June 2nd, 2005

BabyCenter LLC, is just what it sounds like. Much like the community center in the local church, this site helps anxious parents and parents-to-be find answers to everything they need. This well-designed, interactive website brings reliable advice to a consumer audience, along with peer-support for the most anxiety producing experience … Continue Reading »

Moneylaundering.com Website Design Review

Friday, May 27th, 2005

Providing news and information on how to comply with Federal laws and international banking regulations is the niche addressed by this subscription website … Continue Reading »

TheBookStandard.com Website Design Review

Wednesday, May 11th, 2005

TheBookStandard.com describes itself as “the all-inclusive online destination for publishers, retailers, librarians, agents, authors, distributors, studio executives, screenwriters, publicists, book groups and more!” It’s an accurate description.

VNU Business Media, publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Computing, and other trade titles, launched TheBookStandard.com, its first solely online publication, in January of … Continue Reading »

A car restoration enthusiast starts a pay-for-access website after spending two years in Ulaan Baatar, Outer Mongolia

Thursday, March 3rd, 2005

In this exclusive Mequoda interview, Satch Reed explains his popular subscription website that’s dedicated to antique car restoration. It’s also dedicated to making money for its publishers. … Continue Reading »

Interview with Larry Pike, who with his wife, Holly, discovered an under-addressed niche market and responded by building a very successful business around a subscription website

Thursday, March 3rd, 2005

Over the years, Holly and Larry Pike have each had numerous careers, but they eventually quit their jobs to become full-time online entrepreneurs. Today, as husband and wife, they own and operate a subscription website for needlework hobbyists that ought to be the envy of every membership website publisher. … Continue Reading »

TheAccountsPayableNetwork.com Website Design Review

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005

The Accounts Payable Network serves its members very well. There is an enormous amount of content here, creating an invaluable resource. It’s hard to imagine an AP professional not wanting to join this member site or objecting to its $695 initial one-year membership fee. … Continue Reading »

Three Things Harvard Can Teach You For Free

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005

A Harvard Business School (HBS) education doesn’t come cheap. But if you are willing to do a bit of detective work, and forgo the actual “sheepskin” of a diploma, there are a few lessons you can learn from HBS—absolutely free. We spent the past few weeks wandering the pages of … Continue Reading »

Interview with Dave Debs, the mastermind behind MemberScript Content Publisher, a new product for managing a membership website

Tuesday, February 15th, 2005

Member sites are hot! As more subject matter experts and information entrepreneurs begin online publishing ventures, the demand for automated content management software continues to grow. For the second time in a month, a Mequoda member has introduced a product to help membership website publishers manage their online content. … Continue Reading »

John Cleese’s Subscription Website

Friday, February 4th, 2005

Veteran Comedian John Cleese—best know as the creator of silly walks, The Ministry of Silly Names, Fawlty Towers, and innumerable Monty Python sketches—has launched a very silly subscription website for his fans. … Continue Reading »