The focus of this article will be on the fee-based membership subscription websites. Back in the Internet dark ages in 1997 or so, everyone expected everything online to be free of charge. For a few years, as more and more people purchased computers and chose to be online, that thinking worked quite well. Around the year 2000, however, that philosophy began to change. The fee-for-content phase was beginning, and many were skeptical, saying the people would never pay for something that was once free.

Now, paying for information online has become the rule, rather than the exception. Newspapers charge to access their article archives; membership associations charge to access their membership lists; and membership subscription websites charge to access the "insider" information that a particular industry or niche finds vital for success.

There are a number of companies providing membership subscription software and services in the marketplace and the prices are all over the board.

Integrating a membership website as a key part of your marketing funnel will be a time-consuming attempt, but you'll find it valuable. Here are some tips to keep in mind, as you think about launching your own membership subscription website:

1. Pick a niche market with which you have some experience and reliability. Your audience is paying for your expertise and insight, so trying to fake it won't work.

2. Talk to members of your target market and evaluate their passion for providing content they want online. You may find out that they'd prefer the delivery of the content via a different medium.

3. Determine the size of your market. Are there already some products and services available for this market? How does your pricing compare? How will they find you? What will be their incentive for joining? What sets you apart and makes you different from others offering a similar product or service?

4. Is the information you're providing readily available offline? If it is, people may not be willing to pay a monthly or yearly membership fee to access the information.

5. Don't think of a membership subscription website as a "get rich quick" effort. It will take 8-12 months for you to develop the content for and then launch the website, and at least another year to build your membership and begin showing a profit.

A membership subscription website can be a phenomenal way to leverage your expertise and can grow to become a lucrative multiple profit center for your business. Create your business plan for your site and do the research up front to decide if this approach will be a viable profit center for your business and how you will integrate it into your present offerings.