What Do Free WA Starter Members Really Get?
So, I came across something I didn't know today (more on that later) and it prompted me to investigate exactly what free starters get.
This information may be useful if you have an MMO site with a WA review.
Let's dispel the myths first.
Free starter membership is not restricted to the first seven days, they can stay as long as they want and will always have access to the first 10 lessons of each of the 2 training courses.
The first month of premium membership will always be $19, even if they join after the first seven days, even years later.
The only thing that changes after seven days, is that they will not be able to communicate anywhere on the platform.
No asking questions, no responding to comments, no Live Chat.
And as regards communication, free starters cannot contact Site Support or send Private Messages, even in the first seven days.
The free Siterubix website
Free starter members can only build one website.
It is not their property and cannot be transferred away from the platform.
It cannot be used for Google AdSense, and some affiliate programs may refuse to approve it.
If they want to change the URL or change their niche, they will have to delete the first site.
The free website is only valid for 6 months.
As they approach the 6 months stage, they will be emailed to ask if they intend to upgrade to premium.
If they choose not to, their website will be deleted.
And here is what I learned earlier - it is limited to 1000 visitors per month.
It would be difficult to make any kind of sustainable income with so few permitted visitors.
Site Support does not keep a backup of free starter's sites.
Conclusion
In my opinion, it would be difficult for a free starter to earn substantial income given all the restrictions above.
I have read hundreds of WA reviews and most people put their entire focus on the fact you can join for free.
Once referrals have joined, they may be disappointed as to how little they can achieve as a free starter and may feel cheated and not upgrade due to lacking in trust.
If you were to be honest in the first place, and reveal the limitations of the free starter package, and instead, emphasize the benefits of Premium, you may see more conversions.
Recent Comments
54
Hello, Diane...
Good information and helpful when making comparisons with alternate platforms and programs that are offered within the market these days (or when creating a review).
I would bet that there is a considerable percentage of free members not upgrading shortly after starting their free account (i.e. within 7 days - a good tactic using FOMO BTW) who likely will not make the move at all.
It would be interesting to see the stats...But I would guess there is a larger percentage of the free members who will upgrade...Also, that 7-day thing is a great psychological tool...
My reasoning...
Once people have made a commitment to take action and get their online business up and running, they also will discover how easy it is these days to get started with an affiliate marketing business without paying $49 a month.
But instead of going elsewhere, most will stick with what they have started (i.e. WA membership), as they will have seen the value in the initial training provided for free, and they will have had a taste of what full premium membership will provide, etc.
So...From a business owner's perspective...
(1) Due to the limitations in features unlocked as a free member, there will be some prospects that move on, but more will stay tight within the platform and pay.
(2) Freemium models are an excellent method to grow a business, and over years of split testing, I would imagine that Kyle and Carson know the numbers well (hence why it has been in use for so long).
(3) The percentage of members that do not upgrade is low enough that it pays to keep the freemium lead magnet in place, in spite of the overhead costs (little cost for freemium lead magnet and offers real but limited value).
Practical uses of this info for readers of this blog...
It is certainly a good idea to be clear with all your promotions/reviews as to what is actually included with the free membership.
There will be some free members that are disillusioned when they discover that "free" is not all they may have hoped it to be if this info is not provided.
Knowing what they get upfront will help you as an affiliate lose the "tire-kickers" (i.e. more targeted referrals if fewer, so your EPC will be higher).
Also when comparing this platform with others, full disclosure makes sense. I have heard lots of criticism from the market about how reviews are written by WA members.
Some of that is deserved, as the bait and switch tactic is used, or they do not offer full disclosure on what is on offer, i.e. what they get as a free member, etc.
It pays to know (literally as you can pass that info on and get more referrals and commissions)...People who read your reviews are expecting that you know what you are writing about.
Cheers!
Dave : )
The important thing is that the free starter members will receive regular in-browser reminders that they should upgrade. If you collect enough of these reminders you can recycle the bits in order to create a web site.
It takes rather a lot of ones and zeroes to prepare a web site, and the free reminders are a great place to obtain them!
Good morning Diane,
Thank you for your very useful and comprehensive blog post.
I'm going to bookmark this page as it's useful to refer to. To be fair, I have never quite known what free members receive. I do know that with any business we have to invest and Wealthy Affiliate is a very worthy investment. However, we do have to take action.
Have a great day.
Roy
Good afternoon I beg your difference, the free starter membership, it's a beautiful thing indeed. It gives the person the opportunity to walk through the campus and see what wealthy affiliate actually is offering with a unique bird eye view. I've have been a member of wealthy affiliate since 2018 and the free starter membership is the reason why I joined like so many others that I have brought into our family. And it's a excellent selling tool, May prosperity and good health be always with you.
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Thanks Diane for this post. It helped me dispel a couple of incorrect assumptions.
I agree that we should be promoting the Premium and Premium Plus in our WA reviews or promotions. I created a new WA review and make the point you made.
I just took a class by Eric Cantu on WA messaging campaigns. He put it this way. The free membership benefit is just to test drive the platform before upgrading to Premium or Premium Plus. Its restrictions do not allow to create a business.
Cheers.
Edwin