How to Create A WooCommerce Member Only Store Step-by-step instructions

Aug 18, 2022
Creating a WooCommerce members only site

Do you want to create a WooCommerce member-only store?

The idea of giving members exclusive privileges is an increasing trend in order to sell online, and there are some famous examples such as Amazon Prime ( shipping advantages) as well as Costco ( restricted purchasing club).

If you're considering opening an Members-Only Store

A member-only WooCommerce store is an excellent alternative for many situations.

Before you begin setting your retail store It is crucial to decide what strategy you're planning to employ since these decisions determine the most effective strategy for your business.

There are two types of member-only purposes:

  1. Limitation on content
  2. Special deals

Only members have access to Content

By restricting content, you can limit the people who can access or buy a portion or all of your merchandise.

Below are a few examples of circumstances where you may apply this type of event for only members:

  • Wholesale stores where only certified customers can access items that are available for wholesale.
  • purchasing clubs in which only members are able to shop (e.g. Costco).

Exclusive Offers Only for Members

Another kind of membership-only benefit is the capability to offer discount coupons for members.

Here are some typical examples:

  • Offering members discounts for all or some of your merchandise. It is possible to give them for example discount of 10. This is similar to rewards programs that reward customers.
  • A fixed discount is offered to customers with membership. This is also useful for wholesale businesses.

There is a way to combine and combine the two choices Some members-only WooCommerce stores block access to certain areas as well as offer discounts or delivery options.

Three Strategies to Design a WooCommerce Members-Only Store

If you are looking to set up a WooCommerce member-only store, here are a number of ways to do this:

  • WordPress/WooCommerce membership plugin
  • WooCommerce's price plugin that is based on the role
  • WordPress has a built-in password function. WordPress password function is built-in to WordPress.

The best method for you to manage your shop depends on the type of shop that's a member-only shop that you're planning to create.

Consider, for instance the possibility of having to limit access to your merchandise or offer your customers exclusive advantages, for example, discounts on your products.

1. WooCommerce Membership plugin

The plugins take care of all aspects of membership-related functions. This includes creating paid and free membership levels as well as adding members to those levels, and then using these levels to prevent access to your shop and/or give members only perks.

Benefits and drawbacks

The benefits of using the WooCommerce Membership plugin

  • Flexible content limitations - you can easily restrict your services or products depending on the subscriber's subscription.
  • Discounts and shipping options - beyond restriction, you also have the option to provide members with exclusive discounts or shipping alternatives.
  • Management of membersYou'll be able to manage each of your members, that go beyond WordPress integrated functions.

There are some drawbacks with the WooCommerce membership plugin

  • In simple scenarios, a fully membership plugin will provide you with more functions than you'll need.

Four Top WooCommerce Membership plugins

If you're looking to use a plugin for membership to make an exclusive online store only that is only accessible to members there are several options:

1. Memberships to WooCommerce
WooCommerce Memberships plugin.
Memberships to WooCommerce

WooCommerce Memberships is a membership plugin designed specifically for WooCommerce that helps give the best flexibility in setting up a members-only store ( though it works on non-WooCommerce-related content too).

The ability to make unlimited pay-per use or free membership levels, and then use members' levels in various ways:

  • Restricted access to view and purchase products.
  • Members can avail discounted offers.
  • Give members free shipping or shipping discounts.
2. Paying Member Subscriptions
Paid Member Subscriptions plugin.
Paying for Member Subscriptions

paid membership subscriptions offer a wonderful alternative for creating a membership-only store.

It allows you to establish unlimited paid or free levels of membership , and restrict the access to view or purchase products.

Additionally, you can create rules for discounting items to offer your customers discounts on various items.

Also, there's no way to offer shipping discounts for people who are participants.

If you're okay with this limitation, then this is the cheapest choice on the list. It costs EUR69. It is also possible to get a version for free but it's not available to give exclusive discounts to members.

3. Restrict Content Pro
Restrict Content Pro plugin.
Restrict Content Pro

Restrict Content Pro is a fully-featured membership software that lets you limit access to specific or all your content with the option of unlimited free or paid membership levels.

There are also restrictions regarding products. You can also make perks available only to members through the linking of a coupon from WooCommerce to a membership or membership level.

This gives you plenty of choice as you take advantage of all the coupons available, which include product discounts and shipping discount.

It is a WooCommerce option Restrict Content Pro costs $99 to be used on one site. You can also get an upgrade at no cost.

4. Paid Memberships Pro
Paid Memberships Pro plugin.
Paid Memberships Pro

Paid Memberships Pro is yet another plugin to create fully-service memberships. It includes powerful WooCommerce features.

It is also possible to create unlimited paid or free membership levels which you could make use of to...

  • Restrict access to watching or buying products.
  • Offer special discounts.
  • Free shipping.

It is available with an unpaid version. The plugin offers core features, and a no-cost WooCommerce integration, which offers discounts to members only.

In order to offer complimentary shipping as well as to access premium membership options, Premium memberships start at $247.

The WooCommerce Members Plugin Comparison

Here is a brief description of the major WooCommerce members-only options for each plugin.

Plugin Restrictions on products Discounts on Products Shipping Perks Price
Memberships in WooCommerce $199
The paid membership subscriptions are available to members. Free/EUR69
Restrict Content Pro For $99 or free, you can get it.
Paid Memberships Pro Free/$247

2. WooCommerce Role Based Price Plugin

If you'd like to build an exclusive members-only section of your online store that offers pricing for customers dependent on membership status, you can make use of a price plugin.

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In the case of some stores for members with membership-only services the possibility of making use of only the price plugin. There is a possibility to integrate an price plugin as well as an existing membership plugin to give you more liberty.

Advantages and disadvantages

The benefits of a price plugin

  • with more flexible pricing policy in addition to price changes that are based on characteristics of the client, you may also add extra conditions, such as discounting bulk orders according to role. This can make this method the best option for wholesale retailers and setups with members-only customers that require flexibility in pricing.
  • Use existing user role functionalityIf you've granted members a certain WordPress user role, these plugins let you quickly make it simple to target the user job. It means that you do not need to develop new membership levels, like with the plugin for membership.

The disadvantages of the WooCommerce pricing plugin

  • is only compatible with free membershipsand the pricing plugin by itself wouldn't allow you to make an annual or one-time cost for members-only access, similar to an membership plugin.
  • Content can be accessed without restriction.It is not a common practice to be able to limit access to your products or content on your website using this method.
  • There is no separate member managerThere isn't an individual area to manage the users of your business and managing the membership level. Instead, you have to use the integrated WordPress role-based user accounts, which is a problem if you have a lot of members.

3 Top WooCommerce Pricing Plugins

If you're interested in using the pricing plugin in your members-only store Here are some of the top options:

1. Coupons, Fees, and WooCommerce
WooCommerce Fees and Discounts plugin.
The WooCommerce Charges and discounts

WooCommerce Fees and Discounts is a premium plug-in that lets you set up all kinds of roles-based pricing adjustments. These include the ones described below:

  • You can set prices up or down to some or all the products you offer. E.g. 10% discount.
  • Set fixed product prices.
  • Discounts on bulk purchases.
  • Tax exclusion.

It costs $59.

2. Discount rules are applicable to WooCommerce
Discount Rules for WooCommerce plugin.
Discount rules applicable to WooCommerce

Discount guidelines for WooCommerce can be downloaded for download as a no-cost version as well as a premium. It is necessary to buy the premium version in order to gain access to the role-based adjustments to pricing for users.

It is flexible and lets you create any discount rules you would like to confer on users as an entitlement to discounts.

If you're searching for the greatest flexibility when it comes to establishing special deals only for members, it's one of the most efficient options.

Pro version costs $59. The Pro version is available for $59.

3. Role-Based Pricing is one of the features of WooCommerce
Role Based Pricing for WooCommerce plugin.
Role-Based Pricing in WooCommerce

Role Based Pricing in WooCommerce is another choice that is of excellent quality. There are a range of options to modify the pricing:

  • Fixed cost is based on user's jobs
  • Percentage changes or decreases
  • Increase or decrease by the same quantity

If you'd prefer only registered users access to buy products, you can hide the cost and then add it to the cart until users log into the site. Additionally, this will add content restrictions.

WooCommerce's Role Based Pricing is $79.

3. Password Protection with no plugin

The third approach to establishing WooCommerce stores for members is the most straightforward but it's also the most limited in its flexibility.

This feature lets you restrict access to certain products on your website using one or more passwords. Then, you can give these passwords to members that you would like be permitted access to that restricted product(s).

Drawbacks and advantages

The benefits of password security

  • A vital characteristic It's not necessary to install any plugins.
  • It's very simple What you must create a password, then give it out to your members.

There are disadvantages to protecting passwords:

  • Very limited features You can restrain access to the products you want - There is nothing more you can give.
  • An unsatisfactory experience for usersand having users enter the password in a strange option for the user experience.
  • There are no restrictions for users.Anybody with access to a password has the ability to use the services, and this can be an issue when someone shares passwords with unauthorized buyer.

How do I Add WooCommerce Password Security

To protect your password by using password protection, your password, use an editor inside the application that you wish to limit access to.

Once you have that done, click the Edit button below"Visibility. "Visibility. ".

How to enable password protection.
How can you make sure that protection is enabled to passwords.

They should provide you with ideas for new options:

  1. Select secure password. safe.
  2. The password must be entered the way you want to enter it to access the product you are interested in.
  3. Click "OK.".
  4. Upgrade or publish the product in order to store your modifications.
How to add the product password.
What is the proper password for this product.

If someone attempts to log in to the service, it will ask them to input their password.

An example of a password protected product.
A good example of a product with a password protection.

A great benefit from this technique is that you are able to use the same password across various merchandise. In this way, shoppers have to input the password once for each item by using the identical password.

However, if you use different passwords for each product, then the buyer will be obliged to input the unique password for each item.

What is the best Approach for Your Members-Only Store

The best way to run your WooCommerce store that is member-only will depend on your specific circumstance.

There are five aspects you must consider when choosing the best strategy to sell your company...

1. What benefits can be offered to members?

Do you want to grant customers access to specific products ( content restriction) or do you want to offer exclusive benefits such as discounted prices on your products or even free shipping?

If you're trying to limit the access of products, you'll need to use WooCommerce's WooCommerce member plugin. For very simple use one could use the password security feature built into the plugin.

If you want to offer incentives to customers for discounts or shipping it is possible to do this with a Pricing plugin or membership plugin.

The plugin for pricing will offer users more freedom when they wish to use pricing that is not associated with membership. Likewise, the membership plugin provides you the possibility to manage your membership more effectively and also content restrictions as well as the option to bill for members.

2. The number of the members

The other factor is the number of customers your store has.

Let's consider an instance. you wish to restrict access to just one or more of your belongings.

If you're thinking of adding five more members, it's possible to make use of the built-in password security option. Then, you can create a whole day.

If you're planning to include 500 members It's best to make use of the more robust members management tools offered by a plugin for members.

3. The degree of membership of every

Beyond the membership level there are different levels of membership. Levels of membership can affect your choice.

If you're capable of having 2 or 3 levels of user membership you are able to work with the current WordPress user role system that could be ideal.

If you're looking to establish three or more levels of membership, which could be overlapping the regulations of restriction or benefits You'll likely be more satisfied by the simpler level of management of a membership plugin.

4. Free and Paid Memberships

If you are planning to charge your users access to your subscriptions (e.g. Amazon Prime), then it is usually necessary to set up the appropriate plugins for your account.

This won't be the case for memberships that are paid, since the role system operates on its own and doesn't have the ability to distinguish between members who are free and those who pay.

5. Public Content vs. Private Content

If you're looking to limit access to certain products or web-based content it is likely you'll need to use a membership plugin.

One possible exception is if the requirements for your store are minimal or are not really that crucial. In such a scenario, the security of your passwords in the store might be in use.


Summary

If you're looking to create an WooCommerce store that is members-only, you have three choices:

  • Membership plugin
  • Pricing plugin
  • WordPress built-in password feature. WordPress password feature

If you own a number of stores that are part of your membership, this plug-in will be an ideal choice for all shops. Different approaches could work better for your business in specific conditions.

Also, you should note that in some situations, it may be beneficial to utilize both an application for membership and price plugin. It's possible to utilize the Membership plugin to manage the level of membership, members and the content restriction, however you'll still need the price plugin for greater control over the exclusive prices for members.

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