How Much Would You Donate?

[Thomas]

So I've been looking at what to set the bench mark for my premium membership of my website but I wanted to get opinions from all of you.

 

Do you like monthly, yearly or lifetime? Or how about how much would you be willing to pay to get the shiney title on a forum?

[Grumpy]

I think all of the questions you asked depend on what the forum is about and what extra features premium membership will give to members.

 

For example, will they get any extra permissions, aside from the group/usertitle than normal members? Will there be anything exclusive for premium members only? What kinds of things? Do they have any decent monetary value?

 

Most new sites work on lifetime memberships. The price, as I previously said, needs to be decided based upon what you can offer in terms of extras for premium users.

[KevinN]

I'd probably donate a good $10/month. Cool features would however be appreciated.

[Grumpy]

I'd probably donate a good $10/month. Cool features would however be appreciated.

 

Would you really? Would you donate that kind of amount purely to support the site, or for the added privileges and benefits you'd be getting from the premium membership?

[Collin1000]

Would you really? Would you donate that kind of amount purely to support the site, or for the added privileges and benefits you'd be getting from the premium membership?

It depends on how much I liked the site. Wikipedia asks me for donations, I'll chip in because I love Wikipedia and rely on it. But if some random forum asked me for donations, depending on how much I rely on it and love it, that would dictate how much I donate. $10 one time, maybe, but I can't see myself doing that monthly unless there's some perk tied to the monthly membership.

[Jessi]

I have never actually donated to a forum before. I have made small donations to other sites and projects before, but I have no interest in paying for a premium membership on a forum that likely isn't offering me anything that I can't get elsewhere for free. I really don't think most people would pay 10 bucks a month for any given forum.

 

That being said, I have seen scaled systems work out nicely for some boards. Instead of having just a premium membership, they offer specific perks for much smaller amounts....like a customized title for $1, etc.

[Collin1000]

I have never actually donated to a forum before. I have made small donations to other sites and projects before, but I have no interest in paying for a premium membership on a forum that likely isn't offering me anything that I can't get elsewhere for free. I really don't think most people would pay 10 bucks a month for any given forum.

 

That being said, I have seen scaled systems work out nicely for some boards. Instead of having just a premium membership, they offer specific perks for much smaller amounts....like a customized title for $1, etc.

Yes that's true. If you scale it down it might work. Something more incentivized.

[ljepilo]

I'd probably donate a good $10/month. Cool features would however be appreciated.

10$/month in my opinion is way too much for a donation.Perhaps 5$/month would be normal ,but 10 is way too much.

[tetutato]

As others have said, it all depends on benefits. If the forum is really active and the premium can get a lot out of it, I know people can charge like even $25 per month.

[rcturbos]

I dont know, when I actually buy VIPs on a forum I usually only spend $5-8 at the max.. I just don't donate that much unless I really like the forum, because if you ask me I dont see a point in a shiny name really. Cool in all but doesn't really give it a WOW factor unless the owner really tries to. If you do it right you could get $10 easily.

[SpikeTheLobster]

I have never actually donated to a forum before. I have made small donations to other sites and projects before, but I have no interest in paying for a premium membership on a forum that likely isn't offering me anything that I can't get elsewhere for free. I really don't think most people would pay 10 bucks a month for any given forum.

 

Ditto. Have never paid for premium anything, anywhere - simply because the information is available for free somewhere else. Donations (of money, time or content) are another matter, though. I'm generally up for those if the site's nice and the people friendly.

 

The thing that surprises me the most in the freelance writing area at the moment is how everyone seems to be pushing a particular $5/month forum. It doesn't offer anything new or different but they all seem to enjoy coughing up $5 a month for it. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

[Jessi]

It doesn't offer anything new or different but they all seem to enjoy coughing up $5 a month for it. Bizarre. Truly bizarre.

 

ARE people actually coughing it up?

 

For the most part, the only people I see paying for premium memberships like that are:

 

1. Friends of the owner and doing it out of guilt/obligation/support

or

2. Got pulled into it by some outside promise (like a powerful online 'celebrity' who encouraged them to join, but only really works for big sites that would get that backing anyway).

 

I really can't recall very many other people who don't fall into one of those groups somehow.

[merlyn73]

I think $10.00 a month is pretty steep unless there were some limited admin privileges involved or exclusive content. It's a steep slope, because most people who consider themselves 'denizens' of the Internet aren't easily convinced to hand over money for anything let alone a forum membership. That's just my opinion though...

[Godric]

5$/ month is ok for me. But I still need features to make its worth. Also why not add all options, monthly and yearly.

 

Also multiple types of payment would help a lot.

[ljepilo]

5$/ month is ok for me. But I still need features to make its worth. Also why not add all options, monthly and yearly.

 

Also multiple types of payment would help a lot.

 

5-10$/month is totally okay.

[SpikeTheLobster]

ARE people actually coughing it up?

 

That was my first thought, for similar reasons. But the people I've seen promoting it are all "luminaries" who I'd trust not to throw aside their ethics, which is why I'm surprised. I suspect it's still the guilty support thing but even so... they're not the kind of people I'd expect to do that on something involving money. If it were free, sure.

[Jessi]

That was my first thought, for similar reasons. But the people I've seen promoting it are all "luminaries" who I'd trust not to throw aside their ethics, which is why I'm surprised. I suspect it's still the guilty support thing but even so... they're not the kind of people I'd expect to do that on something involving money. If it were free, sure.

 

Maybe you should send some of those people my way then....

 

And I suppose maybe there are some perks they're gaining. Maybe they're the type who likes their name being colored different on the board and they're getting more exposure?

[Fallace]

I haven't ever donated/paid for any sort of benefits at a forum, so I'm not sure what it is that I'd need to pull the trigger, but it would have to be good.

 

Like someone said earlier, information on the internet is a dime a dozen, if you can't get it one place, you can in another, and probably for free. So you have to offer something truly unique, that people want.

[LosAngelesLover]

Pay-as-you-go has usually worked out in the past for me, I've earned more then monthly services anyway,

 

If you have quite good offers for premium, I'd say around $0.50-$1/day or $7 a month.

[ridwan sameer]

Really depends on what your offering, If it's just the "Premium member" Badge.. Then i Dont think Even a DOllar is worth it

If you have some good stuff though, can go up to 10$

[Marc]

This highly depends on the site, and indeed your reasons for running the site (commercial/hobbiest).

 

Personally I run a hobbiest site for siberian huskies that was set up by myself and my wife. The primary aim being for it to always pay for itself with regards to money. I have found the best approach for me was to let the member decide what they think the donation for site sponsor title and privilege is worth so I have these options.

 

£10-£30 every 3 month

 

£5-£20 every month

 

Supprisingly you do get some who will pick to pay more.

[dexterlablab1]

I think if it's on this site, you should focus on monthly first if you're planning this.

 

This site is great and has quality. But you'll be very hard pressed to find many people that will actually pay beyond a monthly basis. But then again, I could be wrong.

 

Just what would these tiers offer the members upon purchasing them?

[CHiLL]

Unfortunately I just can't afford to donate at the moment. But if I were, I'd prefer to have a 'lifetime' thing, rather than just for that month I donated.

[ridwan sameer]

This highly depends on the site, and indeed your reasons for running the site (commercial/hobbiest).

 

Personally I run a hobbiest site for siberian huskies that was set up by myself and my wife. The primary aim being for it to always pay for itself with regards to money. I have found the best approach for me was to let the member decide what they think the donation for site sponsor title and privilege is worth so I have these options.

 

£10-£30 every 3 month

 

£5-£20 every month

 

Supprisingly you do get some who will pick to pay more.

I actually think that is an excellent Idea.

It will help poorer members be able to afford those extra features, and richer members to contribute more if they wish.

[Victor Leigh]

I think if you start from 1usd per week, you can't go far wrong. 1usd is not a big sum of money, so members who are friendly to you wouldn't have to think too long before parting with that amount. A week is just a nice period of time. Not too much of a commitment like one month and not so much of a hustle as one day.

 

I have seen this 1usd thing used successfully on another forum. What they offered for the 1usd was enhanced points for posts. And they have put up a hefty cash prize for the most points accumulated in one month. So for the members, paying that 1usd is simply an investment to make more points to get the cash prize.