Membership Site Case Study - Chris Parkin

Chris has a business-to-business membership site that caters for the needs of Bed and Breakfast business owners, with a focus on B&B's in the UK. He provides a lot of resources for both prospective and current B&B owners.

Chris provides excellent content. There are a lot of calculators important to B&B owners - for calculating VAT, net profit and break even points, and an electricity and gas bill calculator. These all make the lives of B&B owners more profitable - and easier. And they tie exactly into the theme of the site, which is to "Increase Your Profits, Eliminate Your Day-To-Day Headaches" in running a B&B.

He has a comprehensive download section, which covers all facets of the industry, such as menus, business planners, accommodation standards, accounts, hotel fire risk assessment, and more. The information is very practical, and indispensable.

And he shows the public what is available to members, which is a great way to increase conversions. People can see the value in joining the site. Instead of just listing a general heading of 'Downloads', Chris has a list of all the files available. You can see an example here: http://www.bandbowner.com/public/programs/opendownloads.cfm

He has a blog and a selection of articles available to the public, which is great for pre-selling prospective members. This content provides a way for people to find his site in the search engines. And it's an ideal way to target 'on-the-cusp' customers. These are the customers that may not fit the immediate profile of a prospect - they are looking to make extra money or get into the industry, but they're not B&B owners - yet. His articles demonstrate the training they need - and the potential problems they need to be aware of - to make that transition to small business owner. And - the transition from prospect to member of his site.

You can see an example here: http://www.bandbowner.com/public/department13.cfm

He's also thought of the long-term needs of his customers. Chris provides a lot of marketing information and tools, as well as a free legal help-line. That shows a real understanding of the industry, as well as his customers.

Chris charges a one-time fee of 24.95 and 7.95 a month after that.

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