A membership website is a user driven, content-based website satellite that generates the majority of its revenues from user access fees.

B2B publishers often convert loose-leaf information services and their monthly updates into membership websites for ease of updating and easy user access. B2C publishers often convert their back issues into a special-interest library categorized by topic.

Membership websites are used as reference tools by users who seek a trustworthy answer to a specific question—often as part of an immediate decision-making process. We’ve profiled two Mequoda best practice websites, the B2C site, Consumer Reports and the B2B site, The Accounts Payable Network in this chapter.

This chapter is part of a handbook titled Generating Website Revenue 2007.

• Handbook: Generating Website Revenue 2007.
• Chapter 3 : The Membership Website Archetype