Membership Tips

09 December 2016 Ben

How much should you spend on a membership website?

One of the biggest factors in selecting a provider is the cost. Websites can cost from £500 to over £500,000, but how much should you pay? Below are some of the key questions you should ask when collecting proposals from potential suppliers:

The average budget for a membership website re-development is £20,000 - £35,000

Senior Internet

Have you got a handle on your budget?

A website is similar to anything you buy, you’ll need to find one that fits within your budget. Before putting together your tender or specification, get budget approved from the board/committee so you know what you’ve got to play with. Although you may feel like providing budgets will give the upper hand to suppliers, disclosing your budget/ budget range within your tender will allow the supplier to give the best recommendation for a solution. The average budget for a website re-development is £20,000 - £35,000.

Is your website packed with features?

The more features your website has, the more expensive it’ll be. Most membership organisations will require a multitude of modules to service their members; from directories to event management. Every supplier will have their own modules and levels of customisation on each. However, we’d always recommend starting with your key objectives and work backwards. Let your website provider do the work and propose a solution that will meet your goals.

Would you like to integrate your database?

Most membership organisations have databases holding key member information. Integrating your database to a website will mean employing a technical agency, one with experience in systems integration. Ensure both your database provider and website suppliers know what data you’d like passed between each system, adding as much detail to your tender as possible. Depending on the documentation, a database integration can add £3,000 - £25,000 to a project!

A database integration can add £3,000 - £25,000 to a project!

Senior Internet

How much experience is required?

Experience is something that membership organisations often look for in a supplier, and this normally translates to slightly increased costs. At Senior we work with our staff to build their knowledge of the membership and NFP market. With experience comes efficiency and quality; our team effectively service our membership community, not just technically, but as an extensions to marketing/communication teams.

So, how much should you pay?

Using an agency for help redeveloping your website can seem like an expensive venture for membership, non-profit or charitable organisations; so we’ve developed a cost calculator to give an indicator for how much a project with Senior will cost. Have a go at: www.senior.co.uk/website-cost-calculator.

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