Should You Build Your Own DIY Membership Site?

We sell websites. 

Wonderful, custom build membership sites that give you a perfectly tailored solution for you and a slick user experience for your members. 

So you’re probably thinking “Obviously you’re going to tell me not to DIY. You want to sell me your services!”  and of course, I do. 

But not if Memberlab’s not right for you. 

Memberlab is an incredible service – and we can do some really magical things for you. But it’s not right for every business – but neither are DIY membership templates. 

So how do you know which to choose? How can you decide if it’s time to bootstrap your business with a DIY site or bring in the experts for a custom build? 

I’ll be honest, it’s no easy decision. Each option brings with it a list of pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses. 

So let’s dive in and see how they each measure up…

Time 

The one asset we can’t generate more of – time. If you’re a busy entrepreneur, with a jam-packed schedule building your own DIY site just isn’t for you. While DIY template sites have made it easier to get a membership up and out there, they still require a hefty time investment from you – and some basic tech skills too! 

Not only will you need to create and curate your content, you’ll need to put some serious time into setting up your site too. This is not a quick job – you’re looking at anything from 20-80 hours, depending on the size of your courses or resources. 

With custom build membership sites like Memberlab, we do all the set up for you. You just give us your content and we do all the heavy lifting – building, designing, testing and tweaking until you’ve got a super-snazzy membership site that’s right for you. 

In summary: If you’re a newbie business owner with time on your hands, then DIY template sites could work for you. But if you’re a busy entrepreneur, time-poor and keen to push forward fast then Memberlab is going to be a better solution. 

Money 

DIY membership sites have a reputation for being the “cheap solution” but that’s not quite a full and fair representation. 

Yes, if you’re on a tight budget, perhaps bootstrapping a new business, then DIY sites can give you a solution with a small initial spend – $50-$200 per month. Compare that to a Memberlab site at around $4975 and it looks like a cheaper option. 

But it’s when you add time into the equation that things start to change. Sure, $200 a month is a small investment for a membership site, but what if we roll that out over 2 years, 5 years or even 10 years? 

That $200 a month soon becomes $4800, $12,000 or even $24,000! Not looking so cheap now is it? 

Compare this investment to the one-off payment of $4795 for a Memberlab site and you can soon start to see why DIY is cheap now – but will cost you more in the long run. 

In summary:  If you’re bootstrapping a business then a DIY template can give you a solution with minimal up-front costs. But if you’re looking for the most cost-effective long term solution then Memberlab is the winner. We do offer monthly payment plans to help spread the cost too! 

Speed 

Getting any business or new product off the ground is time-consuming and labour intensive. And you know the saying – time is money! Every day, week or month that your membership site still isn’t launched is a lost opportunity and lost revenue. 

When you DIY your membership site there’s only you pushing the boat. There’s no one keeping your feet to the fire or taking a share of the workload. You have to do it all. 

But that’s not all. As a business owner, it only takes one curveball to throw you off track. Building your membership site won’t be the most pressing thing on your list of things to do – other things will jump the queue – and before you know it you’re three months down the road and you’ve still not launched. 

When you outsource your membership site build to the experts, we’ll take the brunt of the workload. We’ll keep your project moving forward and ensure that whatever curveballs might come your way, your membership site is built, beautiful and ready to launch – usually in just a few weeks. 

In summary: If you’re time-rich, great at self-motivating and not too fussed about how long it takes to launch, then a DIY site could work for you. If you’re busy and keen to get your membership launched on schedule then Memberlab is a better solution. 

So, DIY – Do or Don’t?

Should you DIY or bring in the experts? If you’re a start-up with little capital and lots of time then a DIY could give you an affordable way to get a membership up and running – but if you’re keen to launch fast and looking for a cost-effective long-term solution then custom build is the way to go. 

Want to learn more about the cost of custom-build vs template membership sites? Check out my previous blog post here…