Configuring Members-Only Access in eDirectory Version 13.5+

Introduction

In the realm of online directories, offering exclusive content to registered members is a powerful strategy for fostering community engagement and generating revenue. The members-only content feature within eDirectory provides site managers with precise control over content visibility, allowing you to gate access to valuable information and create premium offerings. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of configuring the members-only content feature on your eDirectory website, enabling you to effectively manage restricted content and unlock new monetization opportunities.

Understanding the Power of Members-Only Content:

Members-only content, at its core, refers to digital assets on your website that are intentionally restricted, becoming accessible only to users who have either registered an account or hold a paid membership. This strategic approach allows site owners to curate and offer valuable or exclusive information, features, or resources, thereby incentivizing user registration and driving subscription revenue.

For a deeper understanding of the concept of members-only content and its potential benefits for your online business, we encourage you to consult our dedicated article: Understanding the Members-only Content.

Let's now proceed with the practical steps to implement and manage members-only access for your restricted content within the eDirectory system.

1. Enabling the Core Members-Only Content Feature:

The first step in implementing this powerful feature is to activate it within your eDirectory settings:

1. Navigate to the Settings section in your Site Manager dashboard.
2. Click on Products & Plans from the available options.
3. Select Additional Settings & Payment Gateways.

4. Locate the option labeled "Members-only content" and ensure the corresponding checkbox is enabled.

By activating this foundational setting, you lay the groundwork for restricting access to specific content elements across your eDirectory website, ensuring that only registered or subscribed users can view them.

2. Activating Subscription-Based Products:

With the members-only content feature enabled, the next crucial step is to designate which of your products or services will require a subscription for access.

1. Go to Settings in your Site Manager dashboard.
2. Click on Products & Plans.
3. Select Manage Products.

4. Within the "Manage Products" section, identify the products (e.g., enhanced listings, premium articles, exclusive events) that you intend to gate behind a members-only access requirement. Ensure that the subscription-based option is enabled for these specific products.

If you are new to creating subscription-based products or configuring membership plans, our detailed guide "Products and Plans for New Clients" provides comprehensive instructions.

3. Configuring Membership Plans for Members-Only Access:

Once your subscription-based products are activated, you need to link them to specific membership plans to grant access to the restricted members-only content.

1. Navigate to the Plans section within Settings > Products & Plans.

2. Choose an existing plan that you want to include access to members-only content within, and click to edit it. Alternatively, click the button to create a new plan.

3. Within the plan configuration settings, locate the option labeled "Access to members-only content" and ensure that this checkbox is enabled for the plans that should grant access to your premium restricted content.

By enabling this option for a particular plan, you ensure that users who subscribe to that plan will automatically gain access to the designated members-only content across your eDirectory website.

4. Understanding the Display of Members-Only Modules:

After the members-only content feature is enabled and your plans are configured, you will observe visual cues indicating restricted content on your site:

• Locked Details: Important information within restricted modules, such as Phone Numbers and Locations, will be visually locked or hidden from non-members.
• "Members only" Label: A clear "Members only" label will be prominently displayed on restricted content modules, immediately informing users that access to the full details requires membership.

When unregistered users or non-subscribing visitors attempt to access the detailed page of a members-only module, they will be either redirected to a signup or login page, or prompted to register or log in to gain full access.

5. Implementing Members-Only Access for Blog Posts:

For granular control over your blog content, eDirectory allows you to designate individual blog posts as members-only:

1. Navigate to the settings or editing interface for the specific blog post you wish to restrict.
2. Within the blog post settings, you will find an option to restrict access to that particular post. Simply enable this option to make the blog post viewable only to logged-in members.

This feature provides flexibility, allowing you to offer a mix of publicly accessible and exclusive blog content to your audience.

Important Considerations:

• Customizing Locked Page Text: To effectively communicate the value proposition of your premium content and encourage visitors to sign up, you can customize the text displayed on locked pages. This can be done through the Page Editor > Listing detail section. Click to edit the listing detail widget and tailor the messaging to your audience.

• SEO Impact: It's important to note that while the content itself will be restricted to members, the presence of members-only content will still be indexed by search engines. This means that the existence of premium content will not negatively impact your site's overall SEO ranking.

Conclusion

By diligently following these steps, you can seamlessly configure the members-only content feature on your eDirectory website, creating a valuable opportunity to monetize your exclusive content while providing significant value to your registered and subscribing members.