8 Features of Membership Software

In December 2023, we've summarized this popular article in a YouTube video. In the process, we re-analyzed the market and added 2 additional features to consider and a brand new framework.

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Introduction

There are a huge number of benefits to running a membership organization, like the community that you create by bringing people together. It's a rewarding role that involves a lot of careful planning, administration, and focus. 

The more successful your group becomes, the harder it gets to manage everything and stay on track. Membership software helps you stay organized and focused, and it allows you to run your club or membership organization with ease — all from one central place. 

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the key features of membership software and the benefits they create for both you and your members. 

Key Features of Membership Software and How They Help Your Organization

For organizations and clubs moving away from a simple, spreadsheet-based system, membership software offers an array of benefits. The right software can make it easier to manage your organization, save time, set up automations, and create new opportunities for your community to thrive. 

Here are some of the key features of all-in-one membership software tools. They include everything from providing a place to store details about your members to handling ticket bookings and accepting payments. 

1. Organization Landing Page or Portal

Introducing people to your club or organization can be a challenge. That's why most membership software includes a feature to create an online portal or landing page. 

This landing page can be a standalone listing or a feature embedded into your website, giving you the freedom and flexibility to suit your club or group. Here, you can showcase details about your organization like your name, location, purpose, and membership criteria. You can also list upcoming events, activities, and talks. 

An online presence like this helps you become more visible to potential members. It also makes it easier for current members to share with their network, which can encourage more referrals. A landing page or portal gives you a place to promote your club or organization even if you don't have an existing website. 

2. Membership Applications

Attracting new members is great, but it introduces a lot of admin and paperwork when it comes to processing those applications. Membership association management software can make this easier with an integrated membership application feature. 

These membership application tools are usually a form or series of forms that capture details from potential members. This membership information is then fed into a database for you to review and move further down your new member process. From here, you can often accept or reject a membership application and progress it through to the payment stage. 

One of the major benefits of an integrated member application feature is that it's easier to manage new applications and referrals from existing members. It's often a simple process for both you and the new member, which means they get a smooth new-member experience. With your membership application as part of your main software, you only need to think about one piece of technology to manage the process from start to finish. 

3. Payment and Renewals Management

Once you've recruited a new member, you'll want to make it as simple as possible to collect their membership dues. With your membership software in place, you'll be able to do this with ease, thanks to built-in payment features. 

Most membership management software allows you to bill members directly without needing another system for payment processing. This saves you time and reduces the administrative workload of recruiting new members. Additionally, you can use payment gateway integration services within your website or online portal, enabling members to sign up and pay immediately with a credit card.

Built-in payment features are not just useful for new members — they're especially helpful for managing membership renewals too. Most tools include a way to send renewal reminders to members, encouraging them to sign up for another year. You could also set up your system to automatically collect membership fees on the renewal date through the payment gateway, helping you stay on track when it comes to finances.

4. Membership Database 

A central membership database is a must-have to grow and sustain a group or organization. It gives you one place to store all your data, making it easier to keep everything up to date and accessible. 

Many clubs or organizations rely on a spreadsheet (like Excel) or customer relationship management (CRM) system to help with member management. Moving to a membership management system with a database brings you extra benefits, like being able to link member records to payment systems or easily send emails to your members. 

Membership databases typically hold data, including names, membership levels, renewal dates, and communication preferences. You can also create custom fields that allow you to capture details relevant to your association. 

With all your member data in one place, you can quickly make decisions and analyze information. This helps you plan events, membership drives, and marketing activity based on data that's readily available to you. Most member databases also make it possible for members to update their own details, which gives them greater control over their data and saves you time. 

5. Email and Communications

The best clubs and organizations are great at staying in touch with their members. Make this even easier with a membership software tool that features an integrated email or mass communication system. 

Compared to managing separate software or manually emailing your database, this tool makes for a more streamlined approach to communications. You can easily set up member lists that cover separate groups or communicate with your whole database by email. 

With the system embedded in your membership software, you'll be able to keep track of any emails between you and your members — giving you a useful way to track members' past interactions and personalize their experience. 

Many membership organizations are already using email as a way to communicate with their members and promote events. If you're already using an SMS CRM or email marketing system like Salesmate, Mailchimp, you may find that your membership software offers an integration to streamline the process. 

6. Event Ticketing

If your group or trade association hosts a lot of events throughout the year, you'll be familiar with the pains of event planning. By finding the right membership management software, you can make event planning simpler, thanks to integrated event ticketing systems. 

Many membership software tools feature a module that allows you to create event listings and manage event registrations. You'll be able to take ticket bookings and handle payment directly, which often saves you on fees and reduces the hassle of using multiple tools to get the job done. 

Even if your chosen software doesn't have its own event ticketing module, you'll find that many offer integrations for popular tools like Eventbrite. This means you can continue using a third-party tool with the added benefit of storing all your membership data in one place. 

7. Member Portal and Profiles

Along with a membership database, one of the key draws of specialized membership software is the ability to create member portals and profiles. 

An online portal with member profiles gives your members a place to store and update their details and preferences. They can create a profile or have one set up automatically when they join. 

Profiles can be customized according to your organization's needs. It's common to see key details stored here like name, organization, website, and social media profiles. As members update their details, this member information is then fed back into your membership database in real-time so everything stays up to date. 

Some membership management solutions also allow you to create an online community or membership directory. In these cases, having member profiles becomes an added benefit for your members. They can use these as an opportunity to promote the organization and make new connections with fellow members. 

8. Integrations With Popular Tools 

Running a membership organization is a big job with many moving parts. This means that even the best membership software won't cover every specialist activity you require. The good news is you can customize your experience with integrations, plug-ins, and add-ons for popular tools. 

With integrations, you can use third-party tools and online software to enhance your membership management. Many of us have software that we already use for email marketing, event management, or sending surveys. Integrations allow you to continue using the tools you love in a way that offers you more efficiency. 

Bringing all your tools together to be managed from one central place makes a lot of sense. It gives you more control over your data and better oversight for all your activities. Being able to send emails, manage events, and keep an eye on your website statistics from one dashboard gives you an advantage when it comes to planning for the future. 

9. Membership Life-Cycle Management [BONUS: ADDED DEC 2023]

Moving on to the next one – Membership Life-Cycle Management, also called Membership Automation. It's not just about getting members; it's about keeping them engaged throughout their journey. It's about making the membership experience seamless from start to finish. It is a personal assistant for your members – from confirmation emails welcoming them on board to follow-ups ensuring they don't miss renewals.

10. Analytics & Reporting [BONUS ADDED  DEC 2023]

And finally, we have the last feature – Integrations With Popular Tools. Running a membership organization involves various tasks, and this feature ensures you can seamlessly manage them all. Bringing everything under one umbrella not only increases efficiency but also gives you more control and oversight.

Experience the Benefits of Membership Management Tools

With so many benefits involved in using membership software solutions, it could be worth trying out at your organization. If you rely on more traditional means of managing your members, you may find the central database and integrated communication tools save you a lot of time. For organizations that host a lot of events, being able to manage this from one place can be very attractive. 

To get a glimpse of how you could use membership software to fuel your organization, try a free trial. You'll be able to create an online portal and set up your membership database so you can easily run your club or organization from one central place.