Are you looking to build a membership site in WordPress? Do you want to sell products or premium content without having to learn about hosting, design, development, plugins, performance, security, etc.? We’ve got a solution for you. In this article, we will show you how to easily build a membership site with the Rainmaker platform.
What is the New Rainmaker Platform?
Rainmaker is a website builder that leverages the power of WordPress to help you build sophisticated membership sites without any technical knowledge.
Their all-in-one website platform replaces the following services that you otherwise need to build a successful membership site: Managed WordPress hosting, website creation software, landing page creation software, podcast hosting and distribution tools, responsive WordPress theme, SEO software, A/B testing tools, shopping cart software, affiliate management software, membership site software, and a forum software.
If you were to combine the costs of owning all those software, hiring a developer to set it all up, and managing costs — you will quickly realize why Rainmaker platform is a bargain!
Rainmaker plans start from $95 per month, and it comes with a 14-day free trial.
If you are an entrepreneur who wants to build an online presence without spending too much time learning the technical bits, then Rainmaker is for you.
Pros and Cons of the Rainmaker Platform
After building a membership site with the Rainmaker platform, below are the Pros and Cons that we found.
Rainmaker Pros:
There are a lot of pros to using Rainmaker, so we will only list the most important ones.
Beautiful user interface – Rainmaker uses WordPress, but it looks nothing like it. The user interface is refined and simplified to make it beginner friendly.
Huge cost savings – If you were to combine the cost of all the software and services Rainmaker replaces (several thousand dollars annually), Rainmaker saves you some serious $$$. Their $95 / month or if you pre-pay annually $79 per month is CHEAP for the value you get!!
Point-and-Click Design Customization – Whether you’re creating a landing page, sales page, or customizing your entire site design, the entire process is super easy.
Membership sites simplified – If you’ve ever setup a membership site, then you know it can take days to get something setup properly (with the help of a developer). Rainmaker simplifies the process, so you can do it in a few hours without a developer.
Reliable Hosting, Security, Backups, and Performance – Rainmaker uses the Synthesis managed hosting platform, so you don’t have worry about site uptime and speed. They partner with Sucuri to ensure that your sites are secure.
Keyword research and SEO – Rainmaker uses Scribe Content’s keyword features to help you outrank your competitors in search.
Rainmaker Cons:
You can’t build something that satisfied everyone. Below are the Rainmaker cons that we found.
Can’t install other WordPress plugins – You are not allowed to install other plugins mainly because Rainmaker has everything you need to build a membership site and sell digital goods. If you want a feature that doesn’t exist, then you will have to wait for their team to build that functionality.
No built-in email marketing – Currently you must use AWeber, MailChimp, or Infusionsoft for your email marketing service which are all solid solutions.
Our Rainmaker Review:
Rainmaker is a solid all-in-one platform for building membership sites with WordPress. From the ease of use, to robust functionality, it has it all for entrepreneurs who want to focus on creating content without worrying about the technical details.
It’s built by the experienced team at CopyBlogger media, folks behind StudioPress themes and the popular Genesis framework.
The price is a bargain compared to how many services it replaces, and the cost savings you see there. Even by paying $95 per month, you are saving thousands of dollars a year.
If you are thinking of building a membership site, then definitely give Rainmaker a try.
Getting Started
First you need to signup for the Rainmaker platform. It comes with a 14-day free trial, so you can cancel at anytime.
Once you are logged in, it will automatically generate a preview site for you.
This preview site is not publicly visible, so you can add your content and customization. Once it is ready, you just need to click on the launch button.
Unlike the usual WordPress interface, Rainmaker dashboard is divided into clear sections like design, content, traffic, conversion, education, etc.
Let’s start by choosing a design for your website by clicking on the design section. Browse through the available design and choose the one that you like.
Currently, there are 29 themes available to choose from. You can also submit your own Genesis child theme to be reviewed and included on your site if you want something completely custom.
All of these themes are highly customizable, so you can create your own unique combinations.
Creating Content in Rainmaker
Rainmaker’s simplified content interface makes it very easy to create content. Start by clicking the content button, and it will take you to the content dashboard from where you can choose the different type content you can create.
You can create posts, pages, landing pages, pricing pages, portfolio pages, podcast episodes, forums, and membership pages. Later in the article, we will show you how to create a page and restrict access to members only.
Creating Products and Member Groups in Rainmaker
Rainmaker was designed to make membership sites and selling digital goods easy, so it has a huge focus on conversion. You can see that by clicking on the Conversion tab from your dashboard.
Before you create products and member groups, you need to setup your payment method and email list.
On the same conversion page, you will also find the options to create products, add coupons, manage orders, manage downloads, add member groups, and create A/B split-tests.
Simply click on the ‘New’ button to add your first product. This first product can be a set of courses (premium content) that you want to sell and limit access to members only.
You need to give it a title, provide the description, enter price, etc. You can also add a member group here.
Once you are done, click the save button. Repeat the process to add more products, membership modules, courses, etc.
Restricting Access in Rainmaker
Now that you have created the products, you can go back to the content you added.
Edit a content page and scroll down a little. You will notice Membership Group metabox. This is where you can choose which membership group a user needs in order to see this content.
Repeat the process for all your paid content, and digital downloads.
Creating Landing Pages for Your Membership Site in Rainmaker
Rainmaker has a separate section to create landing pages or sales pages.
Simply go to Content » Landing Pages. There you will have two choices. You can either use Rainmaker’s template builder to create your landing page, or you can choose from a selection of pre-designed templates.
If you choose the template builder, then it will show you a selection of landing page types to choose from.
Choose the one that matches your need, for example a sales page. On the next screen, you will see an editor that lets you customize your page in a step by step process.
You can preview your landing page as you complete different sections. Once you are done creating your landing page, simply click the publish button.
On the other hand if you opted to go for a pre-designed template, then you will see the ready to use templates with screenshots of how they would look.
Simply select the one that matches your goals and start editing the text.
Monitoring Traffic and Sales
On the ‘Traffic’ section, you can run your site’s outreach analysis. In other words, enter your keywords and Rainmaker will grade your content for that keyword with practical suggestions to improve your search engine rankings.
Rainmaker also comes with a built-in affiliate management solution. This allows you to recruit and manage affiliates from a central locations. It also allows your users to become affiliates without having to create two separate accounts.
Getting Results in Rainmaker
After you have done the work, the next part is the best part where you see your work pay off. Rainmaker’s ‘Results’ section shows you just that.
No need to switch back and forth between your email marketing service, google analytics, affiliate marketing platform, and countless other accounts. You can get all your results into your Rainmaker dashboard.
Rainmaker Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Rainmaker is such a powerful platform, so we’re sure that you have some questions. Below are the answers to some of the popular questions:
Is Rainmaker Platform using WordPress?
Yes. Even though Rainmaker is built on WordPress, the admin area looks completely different. Because it’s focused towards helping entrepreneurs build membership sites and sell digital-goods.
What services can the Rainmaker platform replace?
As we said before, Rainmaker is an all-in-one platform. It replaces managed WordPress hosting, website creation software, landing page creation software, podcast hosting and distribution tools, responsive WordPress theme, SEO software, A/B testing tools, shopping cart software, affiliate management software, membership site software, and a forum software.
If you were to combine the costs of owning all those software, hiring a developer to set it all up, and managing costs — you will quickly realize why Rainmaker platform is a bargain!
Can you install plugins on Rainmaker?
Even though Rainmaker uses WordPress, they do not allow you to install outside plugins because they got everything you need to build a membership site and sell digital goods. If you need additional functionality, it’s best to ask their team about it.
Chances are they already have that feature, and you just didn’t see it. If they don’t, then they will do their best to add it.
That’s all, we hope this article helped you build a membership site with the Rainmaker platform.
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