How to build a paid membership site. Steps and modules!

I have searched for a “how to build membership site” and could not find a proper one explaining everything in detail, so once I figured it out, I decided to write a quick “how to” article.

Please note that some guys might have better ways of doing this, but this is an easy and simple guideline to work from. This is not all that has been done to my site, but like I said the basics for creating a membership subscription site.

I am fairly new to webdesign and drupal, about 6 months of figuring out stuff by myself. No training, so the masters of Drupal is welcome to give some input on this and improve this method where needed. I just though it would be handy to some of the newbies.

Modules used for the membership:

Ubercart - http://drupal.org/project/ubercart

Ubercart recurring - http://drupal.org/project/uc_recurring

Some Ubercart payment gateways,

Auto assign roles - http://drupal.org/project/autoassignrole

optional – node limit number - http://drupal.org/project/node_limitnumber

Download and install these modules.

Create different roles “memberships” in Administer » User management » Roles

Create term like “Memberships” for Ubercart catalog in Administer » Content management » Taxonomy » Catalog » Add term

Change “Role assignment settings” and “Recurring fee settings” in Administer » Store administration » Configuration » Product settings >> Product features

Create product for a membership type in Administer » Content management » Create content » Product

Once product is created, Edit that product. Choose features tab on the top of the page

Add new feature – role assignment and make appropriate settings there

Add new feature – recurring fee and make appropriate settings there

Go through all Ubercart’s settings and make appropriate changes where needed.

My website has 3 different memberships (roles):

Free membership which is automatically assigned on register via auto assign roles module in Administer » User management » Auto assign roles (done with Auto assign roles - http://drupal.org/project/autoassignrole )

Mem1 – paid membership

Mem2 – paid membership

I made a block on the top left sidebar, asking the “free” and “mem1” members to upgrade account to a higher level. The block has a link to the Ubercart Catalog index page. In that block settings, make visible to “free” and “mem1” members only.

Anonymous users can not see that block. This is because of ubercart’s cart that gives problems with anonymous user checkout. So force them to register first and then buy the desired membership.

When they are ready to upgrade, the upgrade block is right there, easy to access and to remind them every day that more benefits is available. The block link will take them to the catalog page where they can choose between the 2 membership types. You can write the complete sales pitch for each membership in the product description.

Once they checkout and make the payment via a payment gateway, ubercart will grant them the role if payment has been done successfully. If you setup the role expiration correctly in role assignment settings, the access to that membership will be taken away “1 month” after last payment. If you setup the recurring setting correct, the user will be notified “5” days before membership expires, asking to renew membership, and same process follows. If you setup the settings correct in role assignment settings, the user will be able to buy 3, 4, 5 months and pay in advance.

Moving to the permissions part.

Our membership permissions:

Free Membership – read all content and post 5 classifieds (create limit done with node limit number module - http://drupal.org/project/node_limitnumber )

Mem1 – read all content, post unlimited classifieds

Mem2 – read all content, post unlimited classifieds, post unlimited advertisement pages

Classifieds and advertising pages can be made from “add content types” or extra modules can be used for them.

Then go through permissions page and set appropriate access, read, create and edit permissions to the different membership types “roles”

You can also start playing with extra modules and features line getting personal info from a user on registration by adding fields in Administer » User management » Profiles

Views, CCK and addon CCK modules is in my opinion the coolest and most useful modules when you eventually understand how they work and how to get the custom features you desire.
Views - http://drupal.org/project/views
CCK - http://drupal.org/project/cck

These methods will be used on my site at www.businessbrowser.co.za