10 Niche Membership Sites That Will Inspire You

Has somebody said, “The riches are in the niches”?

This internet marketing term is common on blogs, YouTube, and social media. This concept is so common that it can sound like white noise.

However, that saying is true. Lots of stuff.

Today, specialization leads to success more often. Gluten-free bakeries, non-alcoholic craft beer, and power yoga studios—how else can you explain their rise?

Additionally, more “general” and “we do everything” businesses are faltering, pivoting, or closing. Consider what happened to Sears, Borders, and Macy’s.

The takeaway:

• Online membership sites, exclusive forums, and courses use the same marketing principles as traditional firms.
• Niche riches exist.

So we’ll examine 10 successful membership sites in various categories in this essay. Discover that it’s nearly impossible to be too particular when building up your own internet niche.

Let’s start simple:

A membership site is…

Membership sites are our specialty at MemberMouse. We won’t presume you’re as obsessed as we are. Recalling the basics and defining our phrases would be beneficial. For anyone unfamiliar with membership sites, here’s the term we’ll use in this article:

• A membership site is a website with a login page with restricted content.
• These protected pages require an active site membership to view.
• If so, they can access your site’s members’ section and view the content behind the login screen.

Let’s continue:

• A membership site can have free and paid users.
• It can also have several membership tiers with varied access rights.
• A membership site lets you charge individuals monthly, semi-annually, yearly, etc. for access to protected material.

If you have a paid membership site, members must pay to access protected content. They lose access to member-only pages otherwise.

“Membership sites work best when someone has a ‘forever challenge,’ something that’s going to last and the business can provide a ‘forever promise’ to justify a long-term relationship.” — Robbie Kellman Baxter

Beauty of Membership Site Model

Membership sites are great because you can hide anything behind a login page (or “paywall”). Anything on a website can be safeguarded. Your membership site can have limited pages with exclusive content, audio interviews, online course videos, and community forums.

You can use the membership site model in endless ways. There are hundreds or thousands of membership site builder options. It boils down to content access control by the creator.

This essay will examine 10 inspiring membership sites. Each site we’ll discuss today is in a well-defined niche. Niche selection is crucial to internet business success. We’ve observed time and time again that the more niche-specific your firm is, the more successful it is.

For a refresher, let’s review specialty markets.

Remember: What’s a niche?

Exactly what is a niche?

When individuals mention niche in online business, they usually imply niche market. Of course, a market is a commercial sector like:

• Health and Fitness
• Business, Investing
• Art & Entertainment

Each market is large with many sectors and specialties.

If they are markets, niche markets are subsets of larger markets.

Take a recognized market and “niche it down” to the smallest detail. This will prepare us for our niche membership site tour.

All of us have shopped at a grocery store, right? Markets for grocery retailers are broad. Examples of specialty grocery stores:

• Costco sells wholesale groceries.
• Budget Grocery Store Aldi
• Whole Foods—Healthy Grocery Store
• Food Fight — Vegan Grocery Store

As shown, each of these food stores has found a niche in the market. Need lots of groceries? Visit Costco. Are you vegan? Visit Food Fight.

Targeting a niche attracts people with similar ideals and concerns. This makes niching down effective. It distinguishes you and attracts suitable customers.

When positioning your firm, finding (or creating) your specialty is crucial. Doing so helps you stand out and attract prospects in the noisy online world.

Now that you know what a membership site is and are completely aware of niches, let’s look at 10 amazing membership sites that found and carved out their own niches.

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10 Inspirational Niche Membership Sites

1. The International Gem Society educates and connects gemstone enthusiasts online.
   WordPress gemstone education membership site

   Do you like agate?
   Do you adore sugilite?
   Obsessed with obsidian?
   We probably lost you if you don’t like gemstones.

   However, if you are a precious stone devotee, we probably have your whole attention.

   Online membership site the International Gem Society offers world-class gemology education, pricing & buying guides, and certification courses to its growing community. They are a classic membership site that targets a specialized market, serving gemstone experts and hobbyists.

   Since gemstone education was once expensive, complicated, and inconvenient, the IGS has made it easy, accessible, and affordable. Gemstone enthusiasts’ ultimate web destination.

   This site’s membership levels:
   The IGS membership site is effective and well-designed. Members pay for thousands of publications, professional certification courses, and a community forum. Members have unrestricted access to their popular gem pricing and buying guidelines.

   We even did a podcast with IGS founder Seth Rosen. In this entertaining talk, he describes how IGS went from a struggling website to a successful corporation.

2. First-Time Rental Property Investor Training
   WordPress-based membership site for first-time rental property buyers

   Should I buy a duplex or REIT?
   Are HELOCs or refinancing my best options?
   Will a 1031 exchange reduce taxes?

   Did that sound like nonsense? Are we speaking your language?

   Rental Rookie, our next membership site, may suit you if you’re keeping up.

   Emily DuPlessis created Rental Rookie. Former English teacher turned real-estate investor, she helps potential investors buy their first rental property. Rental Rookie members receive comprehensive training on buying rental properties and making money.

   Membership-based online courses
   Members can also use a library of time-saving checklists, spreadsheets, and workbooks. Rental Rookie publishes exclusive interviews with industry professionals and hosts monthly life Q&A calls where members may ask their biggest questions.

   The “definitive” rental property resource for all investors is not the objective of this membership site. Instead, they’re targeting beginners. All website copy addresses this person. Speaking to website visitors in their language makes them more engaged.

3. TrainingBeta: Detailed Rock Climber Education
   Membership site for rock climbing and training

   You surely realize the importance of choosing a specialized topic for your membership site by now. When you do so, you may speak your customers’ language to help them understand and engage with your content.

   Look at the blog post titles for this membership site in a tight niche:

   • Train for Less Than Zero 5.14b
   • Quantifying Isometrics Part 2: Program Auto-Regulation and Finger Training
   • How John Kettle Went from V7 to V11 and 5.11d to 5.13b in 18 Months

   Unless you’re a rock climber or just finished watching Free Solo or The Dawn Wall on Netflix, these titles probably make no sense.

   However, climbing enthusiasts may be shocked to see a ‘V7 to V11’ or ‘5.11d to 5.13b’ in 18 months.

   Entrepreneur Neely Quinn’s fantastic membership site TrainingBeta hosts these posts. They’re 100% committed to giving members the best online rock-climbing training, knowledge, and education.

   WordPress membership-based online courses
   Their membership site is unusual since it breaks down by topic: bouldering, route, finger, injury treatment, etc. They let members choose a course and pay for it. Monthly, 6-month, and annual payments are available. Additionally, each course offers a two-week free trial.

   TrainingBeta packages its courses into membership and subscription solutions.

   One of our favorite things about TrainingBeta is hidden. We learnt about this when Neely spoke about Training Beta on our show. Neely’s podcast is a key site marketing tool. She stopped taking podcast sponsors when she realized she could promote her membership site from that time slot. We think that’s smart!

   We love that Training Beta stays focused on rock climbing rather than general fitness or yoga. Nice job!

4. Japanese nail art school and community Neiru
   Japan-focused nail art membership site

   What would you say if someone proposed this business?

   The website offers online training and education for estheticians and nail artists to learn innovative Japanese nail art techniques.

   Neiru, an exciting membership site, shows that this ultra-niche idea is great for a membership business.

   Neiru provides top-notch nail art education from Japan to international nail artists. Their students learn to make gorgeous nail art like these:

   Examples of Japanese nail art members can learn

   Members have weekly classes, the whole lessons library, challenges with prizes, a private community, and the chance to learn from Japanese nail professionals. Members can also earn a Japanese nail art certificate.

   WordPress membership site checkout page
   The success of Neiru proves niches are lucrative. We doubt there is a more niche topic, but we could brainstorm some possibilities. Even more impressive is that they can link so many people with this very specialized interest.

   You may have been one of the few in your town, county, or state to know about this magnificent Japanese nail art. Now you may discuss your expertise and experiences with peers from across the world.

   We find that cool.

5. Aviation Training: Online Private Pilot Training
   Membership site for pilot training

   Dream of flying?
   Not like that. On a plane. You pilot your own plane!

   We don’t know you, but we’d rather leave this to the pros.

   However, if flying your own plane and exploring the wide skies has been a childhood fantasy, this membership site may grab your attention immediately.

   Homer, Alaska-based AviatorTraining is an online, private pilot ground school. Chris Palmer, its founder, helps aspiring pilots learn all they need to pass the FAA written test and fly. AviatorTraining covers airports, flight planning, and aircraft controls. Chris teaches live and offers a large archive of classes.

   This WordPress site has several membership levels.
   Chris livestreams his content on this subscription site, which is excellent. These live classes allow students to ask questions and communicate with teachers in real time because aviation is so complex. It also helps instructors slow down and make sure pupils are paying attention.

   Chris is a great entrepreneur and we thank him for joining our podcast. Listen to this podcast to learn how he created AviatorTraining. If you’re considering live content for members, don’t miss Chris’s advice.

   The subscription site model is used by Netflix, MasterClass, and Peloton, among other innovative companies.

6. All Things Keto at KetoConnect
   Keto education membership site

   Oh, keto.

   You’ve probably heard of this new diet/eating philosophy/lifestyle. You’ve probably heard a lot about this new diet if anyone you know has chosen it. The perfect example of how a limited niche can ignite followers’ enthusiasm, intensity, and devotion.

   The ketogenic diet has become fashionable in recent years. Examine the Google Trends graph for the January 1st spike.

   Google keto trends graph

   KetoConnect is our next outstanding membership site.

   KetoConnect is a popular site for weight loss and keto lifestyle beginners. Their site has keto beginner’s guidance, shopping lists, macro calculators, meal prep resources, and scrumptious recipes.

   Purchase keto online courses on this membership site.

   We adore the KetoConnect membership site because it shows what this model can do. They go beyond selling memberships and content. KetoConnect is a business hub selling:

   • Books, eBooks
   • Online Courses
   • Physical Goods
   • And more

   As with most niche markets, especially lifestyle niches like this one, there are various ways to connect members and buyers with more than content. When you start keto, you may simply need a recipe book or video cooking course, but you’ll soon need new cookware, specific ingredients, health supplements, and more. You may need new clothing after losing those additional pounds.

7. Kyle Weiger—Handstand Training
   An online handstand course and membership site

   A confession is in order. We love this membership site for its tight specialty power. This site’s founder is one of our favorites. He appeared in one of our Customer Success stories and on our podcast to discuss specialty membership site building. Listen to that episode here.

   Zoom out before we begin.

   A niche is a market specialty, right?

   Kyle fits within the “Health & Fitness” industry with his membership site. That market is broad. How would that world define a niche? For instance, yoga.

   Kyle created a basic yoga membership site in 2012.

   His success with that site led him to narrow down even further and create the membership site we’re talking about today.

   And what niche is it? Learning handstands.

   KyleWeiger.com teaches handstands solely. You’ll now believe in the strength of a limited niche. Kyle’s handstand training site sold almost $200,000 in under a year, but we haven’t kept up. He tells the complete story in this audio episode.

   Online courses sold on this membership site

   The best part? Kyle’s webpage is minimal with few pages:

   • Online classes
   • In-person event
   • Testimonials
   • Blog

   Kyle’s site is a wonderful “niche within a niche” and proves the power of granular specificity.

8. A thoughtful print and digital literary publication, The Point Magazine
   Digital magazine subscription site created with WordPress

   Our voyage through the amazing world of niche membership sites has included several sites that offer education and training.

   What about anything different? A successful niche membership or subscription site with a different strategy than the sites we’ve reviewed?

   Here, we look at The Point Magazine.

   The Point is a print and internet literary magazine that publishes philosophical writings on literature, culture, politics, and the arts for its committed readers. They promote deep, focused cognition in the “internet age.”

   A great example of a company that’s adapted the subscription model to the internet age is The Point. The 20th and 21st centuries have seen subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals. Independent journals like The Point may now reach readers via print or internet.

   Subscribers to The Point have three content access options:

   • The three subscription levels

   Members receive three new issues of The Point and all old articles for an annual fee. Free Point parties and events are available to their top two subscribers. This is a terrific chance to meet internet supporters in person.

9. Pianu: Browser-Based, Gamified Piano Education
   WordPress-based piano teaching membership site

   Our next niche membership site—gamified, browser-based piano education—is nearly unbelievable.

   You heard us properly.

   Imagine learning to play the piano and any song from Ode To Joy to Let It Be like Guitar Hero.

   Pianu, a fun and inspiring membership site, is built on that.

   Pianu was founded by entrepreneur Matt Curney to make piano learning entertaining, interactive, and accessible to everyone. Even without a MIDI keyboard, you can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on your computer or laptop.

   This site’s membership levels

   Pianu uses a great “free-to-paid” member acquisition technique. Visitors can join up for a free membership on the webpage and play their first song in seconds. They offer free training and reward users with badges, achievements, and new music. Once they learn the basics, these new piano fans are ready to buy a membership that unlocks the lesson library and hundreds of music tutorials.

   Pianu is popular. Matt Curney grew the site from 0 to 50,000 members in its first year!

   We love this membership site since it pioneered browser-based piano education. According to Matt and our understanding, Pianu is the first location of its kind. All marketers want to be first in niches. From The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Al Ries and Jack Trout advise:

   “Create a category you can lead in—that’s the marketing challenge. Leadership says being first is better than being better. Starting with the mind is easier than trying to convince someone you have a superior product than the one who got there first.”

   Matt and his Pianu crew deserve praise!

10. Tilly And The Buttons: DIY Dressmaker Sewing Workshops and Resources
    DIY sewing membership site

European pals Tilly And The Buttons conclude our tour of 10 inspiring niche membership sites.

Tilly Walnes created this blog and membership site. As shown on their website, they offer beautiful, easy-to-use sewing patterns, books, and online classes for beginner DIY dressmakers.

A well-defined niche?
Imagine you don’t like designing garments. If you found Tilly’s site, you might ignore it.

If DIY dressmaking is your morning routine and weekend hobby, finding Tilly and the Buttons may feel like finding your people!

Seeing “lengthening the bodice,” “an overlocker that’s easy to thread,” and “how to make your own bias binding” on Tilly’s website will make you feel great. This person will see and understand you.

We like Tilly’s audience-targeted website. You should be willing to alienate everyone but your ideal consumer in strong marketing content. From Tilly’s website, you can tell she knows who she’s talking to!

WordPress membership site online workshops
Her membership site has a mix of structures. Tilly and the Buttons sells:

• Online workshop access
• Patterns for sewing
• Books
• Fabric, Kits
• And more

It’s an interesting site that proves a laser-focused specialty is foolproof.

“My life goal is to empower people with resources and information to improve their lives. I think my membership site fits that.” — Neely Quinn

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Conclusions on Membership Sites

That’s it! 10 inspiring top membership sites.

This post should have been useful, motivating, and enjoyable!

This post shows we love membership sites. One of the most adaptable, scalable, and engaging online business models. Plus, its popularity has increased in recent years. Many firms provide membership and subscription alternatives for a reason.

Building your own membership site might be intimidating. There are many moving parts and things to understand. We’ve made it our objective to make membership site creation easy and accessible for everyone. We offer many wonderful resources on our blog, podcast, and support center.