How to Create WordPress Themes With Subscription or Membership Functionality?
The incorporation of subscription or membership functionality has become an essential element for many websites. People want to deliver unique content, get loyal communities, and establish recurring income streams. As a result, the need for dynamic and engaging subscription and membership WordPress theme functionalities rises. For this reason, we will go into the art of designing WordPress themes with subscription or membership features.
Main Requirements for Subscription and Membership WordPress Themes
1. Registration and account login.
First of all, users should be ready to create accounts on the site. Additionally, provide access to registered users.
2. Subscription management.
Give people a chance to view and edit your subscriptions in their accounts. Everyone must have an opportunity to cancel the subscription.
3. Newsletters.
Make sure it is possible to create and send automatic newsletters (e.g. news, reviews, special offers, etc.). It will be perfect if one can send a message to a large number of subscribers at the same time.
4. Notifications.
A notification system for subscribers about new posts or updates is a crucial aspect. You can provide different notification methods, including email, push notifications, SMS, and others.
5. Fully-responsive design.
In this case, it is essential to provide people with a fully-responsive design, so they can view the site on multiple devices.
6. Plugin support.
Integration with subscription plugins means that your theme should support work with popular plugins for collecting and managing subscriptions. These include MailChimp, Constant Contact, SendinBlue, and others.
7. Subscription segmentation.
Provide the ability to create different types of subscriptions for different target audiences.
8. Convenient subscription management.
Administrators and users should have easy access to subscription lists, the ability to send mass newsletters, subscription cancellations, and the management of subscribers.
9. Data security and protection.
Ensure the secure collection and storage of subscriber email addresses in compliance with personal data protection requirements (for example, GDPR).
10. Subscription analytics.
Integrate analytics tools to track the number of subscriptions, subscription cancellations, and effectiveness of various promotions.
11. User support.
Make convenient means of communication for users who need help with the subscription available.
12. Email Collection Forms.
Add the ability to add email collection forms in various sections such as sidebar, header, footer, and others. Forms should be attractive and easy to follow by users.
13. Automatic Notifications.
Turn on the ability to send automatic notifications to subscribers about new content, promotions, or important updates.
14. Personalization.
Provide the ability to personalize subscriptions for users, allowing them to choose the topic and type of content they want to subscribe to.
15. User-friendly subscription widget.
Add a subscription widget with an attractive design that people can place in various areas of the site.
A List of Plugins for Subscription and Membership WordPress Themes
| Plugin | Characteristics |
| Mailchimp for WordPress | Integration with Mailchimp allows for collecting and managing subscriber lists.Built-in subscription forms with the ability to customize the appearance.Automatic synchronization of subscribers between your site and Mailchimp. |
| OptinMonster | A variety of stylish subscription forms, including pop-ups, different types of widgets, and others.Ability to use special “smart” forms to increase the number of subscribers.Analytics and testing to optimize conversions. |
| Sumo | User-friendly subscription forms, including various types of widgets, floating panels, pop-ups, and others.Built-in tools for segmentation and analysis of followers.Support for social buttons and other tools to increase engagement. |
| Bloom | Elegant subscription forms with various styles and animations.Integration with various email services.Ability to set timings and content for popup forms. |
| ConvertKit | Integration with ConvertKit email platform to collect and manage subscribers.Built-in subscription forms with the ability to customize their appearance and behavior.Segmentation and automation options for sending targeted content. |
| HubSpot All-In-One Marketing | Collect and manage subscribers through HubSpot CRM.Built-in tools for analytics and tracking of subscriber actions.Personalization and automation options. |
| Subscribe2 | It lets you create subscription forms for notifications about new content.It allows subscribers to receive communications via email at a specified regularity. |
| WP Subscribe | This plugin allows for the creation of easy-to-use and convenient subscription forms.It can integrate with various email platforms and provide the ability to choose the type of content to subscribe to. |
| Jetpack by WordPress.com | Jetpack has a Subscribe module that allows users to subscribe to your site and receive email notifications.It also provides additional features to optimize and secure your site. |
| Popup Maker | Popup Maker makes it possible to create a variety of popups, including subscription popups.You can configure timings, display them on specific pages, and much more. |
Remember that the actual magic of subscription and membership functions is not only about the technology itself. It is also in the value owners of subscription services deliver and the relationships they build with different users. Give people a chance to realize their dreams with your WordPress themes. Thanks for reading!