The site which I plan to make is purely content based - this is how I plan to run it.

Build a website - content is education based - revision notes etc etc.
- Website is login only - membership $xx/year.

Build matching iPad & iPhone app with the same content, only available to people who have already signed up to the website.

The content is very good quality - I have no doubt that people will want it - I will give them a couple of sample pages to make sure they realize how hard I worked on this!

The only thing I want to change now is my payment structure - I realize that the old fashioned pay $xx for 1 year is not very appealing to the youth whom this is targeted at - they all want something for nothing! So what alternative ways have I got to monetize this? Make them complete a survey to view the site? (Though that looked very unprofessional and guarantees that 99% of visitors immediately hit the x button!), do I just stick adverts on it?

I would love to hear your innovative ways to make money which do not involve the traditional pay a certain amount for membership.

Thanks a lot

Originally Posted by Vostro15

The site which I plan to make is purely content based - this is how I plan to run it.

Build a website - content is education based - revision notes etc etc.
- Website is login only - membership $xx/year.

Build matching iPad & iPhone app with the same content, only available to people who have already signed up to the website.

The content is very good quality - I have no doubt that people will want it - I will give them a couple of sample pages to make sure they realize how hard I worked on this!

The only thing I want to change now is my payment structure - I realize that the old fashioned pay $xx for 1 year is not very appealing to the youth whom this is targeted at - they all want something for nothing! So what alternative ways have I got to monetize this? Make them complete a survey to view the site? (Though that looked very unprofessional and guarantees that 99% of visitors immediately hit the x button!), do I just stick adverts on it?

I would love to hear your innovative ways to make money which do not involve the traditional pay a certain amount for membership.

Thanks a lot

I deal with this sort of thing all the time with my clients. I recommend charging a steady and AFFORDABLE monthly rate for the membership, make the user add the domain/domains they will be using through the system and then simply add a javascript link or some other choice means of calling home and tracking link verification.

IF they don't list and link their domains they are using the service for, they risk termination of their account. Without some serious coding work, you really don't have much of a choice but to take what you can get and push the honor system with your clients.

In your favor though, is the fact that 98% of the world's internet users that will buy your service either don't know any better to question you out of lack of knowledge for doing it on their own...or, they are too lazy to do it themselves and want a quick and easy out for doing it.

I handle off-site/remote site services like this all the time. Counter measuers are easy enough if you want to put the time, effort and money into getting it coded properly.

I wouldn't say drop annually totally, just add more options. A lot of sites do multiple lengths, take a look at Rapidshare. Do something like that and offer 1 month, 3 months (at XX% Discount), 6 months, and annually. You might have a better conversion if you offer it by days.

I would go with the above method, because with students (I'm assuming college) they might not be going for a full year, or need your service for that long so they would be put off by the larger price, but you also want to get the students that are going to be going for a longer time, which it would make better sense to buy long-term.

Originally Posted by aftershock2020

In your favor though, is the fact that 98% of the world's internet users that will buy your service either don't know any better to question you out of lack of knowledge for doing it on their own...or, they are too lazy to do it themselves and want a quick and easy out for doing it.

That, Sir, is true!

I used to make documents and forms for a doctor's office. It actually bothered me slightly that they would pay me just to make a documents with Word; it was like they just wanted the reassurance of KNOWING that a "professional" was doing the job for them////but I seriously could have had my 12 year-old brother do it

It would help to know a bit more about your content...but in general, you could offer something for free, and a premium level at a cost.

A youth market needs a youth payment system.
Micropayments via mobile phone, charged as a premium text/message service will usually do the trick.
Charge them something small, under a buck, for each document they want. A lot of micropayment processors will have a nifty code integration that will allow them to put the mobile number in a box on the site, directly below the link they'd like to access, they hit the 'charge me' button and their server sends a text to their phone with a code. They then enter the code in the box and that's when the payment happens and the content is unlocked.

As well as this option, I'd also offer the traditional monthly/yearly subscription for heavy users at a discount.
Because you aren't using adult content, you should be able to find a micropayment processor in your desired region that will sign you up online and not require very much in terms of paperwork.
Best of luck

Go for continuity. A free 3-day trial and an automatic credit card charge for a month's membership after that. But depends on the type of content you've really.