If you’re looking for a static website for your side hustle or new online pop-up, head on over to Squarespace. They offer a simple, static website that has a beautiful image and is simple to set up.
There’s only one problem. Once someone checks it out, they probably won’t ever come back. It’s static. There’s nothing to do there.
That’s why coaches, creators, entrepreneurs, and brands are choosing a new way to build a website: a community website. It’s an approach that prioritizes dynamic website, community-powered content, and engagement. We’re seeing more and more brands switching to a community website builder for the advantages it offers.
Here’s everything you need to know about a community website builder.
If you want more support in building your online community, come join OUR Mighty Community for free and meet other new and established community owners! We’d love to meet you. Join for free!
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What is a community website builder?
A community website builder integrates and/or replaces the functions of a website with a full set of community features. Community website builders make it easy to create and run your online community, but also let you build and host content (without needing a separate blog or landing page).
Why a community website builder?
At the beginning, there were a lot of WordPress websites run by brands and businesses. There were also some online communities happening on different social media platforms. (You can read the history here, if you’re interested.)
When creators started trying to create their own communities on websites they owned, the first results were–let’s say–clunky.
Usually making a community of your own required tying together programs that never really worked well, didn’t feel right for UX, and crashed.
Or, creators would try to build community on Facebook, Flickr, Myspace (remember that one?), or Twitter and realize the platforms weren’t made to build your business. Your social media followers don’t really see everything you post and you can’t build true engagement.
A community platform fixes two problems:
- It gives you an awesome community engine without having to awkwardly stick it to an existing website.
- It meets or replaces the need for an online space that a traditional website fills.
Here are some of the other awesome things a community website builder can do for you:
- Easily build an engaged community around your content–without coding: for example, discussions, different content options, livestreams, long-form blogs, videos, polls & questions, etc.
- Host landing pages, log-ons and payment gateways, opt-ins, and the public-facing features of a traditional membership website.
- Build a paid membership that you can gate with access, or upsell into courses, private Spaces, or premium events.
- Build out programs and courses easily–ideally these can happen either live or asynchronously.
- Create live and virtual events that connect with your audience and keep people coming back.
- Add in unique assets, branding, and styles that fit your brand.
- Manage new and emerging connection technology: AI automations, discussion prompts, text improvements, auto-landing pages and course outlines, etc.
These things alone make a community website builder a no-brainer for those wanting to build an online community. If you think about trying to do all this on a traditional website, it would be a nightmare. And it probably wouldn’t be mobile friendly or app-ready.
A community website builder lets you have it all with less fuss.
Why a community website builder is a brand advantage
Building a flywheel business
We’ve found that a good community website isn’t just about sharing content. It’s creating conversation, leveraging the network effect. The result is what we call a community flywheel: basically, a beautiful cycle of engagement, content creation, user-generated content, and sales. We’ve found that flywheel businesses can quickly get to 6-, 7- and even 8+ figures in revenue when based around a community website builder.
The real magic of a modern community website builder is in all of the ways it gets people to come back, explore, engage, and meet other people also interested in the niche you’ve carved out. That’s the real value of the brand.
Whether they’re consuming your content, answering your polls, asking their own questions, or sending you a message, a community website builder embraces the fact that after a steady diet of social media, your people want to connect with you and other people who share the same passion, even on a website.
The next generation of community platforms makes these features super simple to manage all in one place, all under your brand.
Organizing and creating content
For creators wanting to build around their own brand, a great community website builder makes it easy. There’s no need to sacrifice content creation efforts–especially if it’s what you love to do!
In fact, your content creation goes further. You don’t need to fight algorithms. You can still create the content you want, but also weave in more ways for people to contribute, whether that be with polls, questions, live events, or just a simple threaded conversation around your brand, purpose, or ideas.
A community website builder takes a holistic view of all of the things you want to share, and all the ways that people want to contribute–then delivers on them beautifully.
Add a digital business engine
We mentioned the flywheel business above, and every creative business needs a powerful digital business engine. You can get to revenue quickly with paid online courses, membership sites, private groups, masterminds, or premium events.
Even if you want to keep things simple today with just your basic brand copy and a handful of content articles, knowing that you can launch courses or paid groups if or when you’re ready (at the same price that you’re spending with Squarespace or another website builder) should give you confidence in your ability to scale from here.
That’s why we created a Mighty Network.
Mighty Network is the ultimate community website builder
A Mighty Network is a powerful community engine that replaces a traditional website; in fact, we’re G2’s top-ranked Community Management Software. Only Mighty has people magic, software designed to turn strangers into friends.
Here are some of the other incredible features of a Mighty Network:
- Engagement everywhere with native discussion forums, chat & messaging, livestreaming, video, long-form content creation, and polls & questions.
- A flexible course engine that can create live and/or pre-recorded courses and integrate community through every aspect.
- Virtual events with RSVP that can either use native livestreaming or a Zoom integration.
- Built-in payments and bundles, sell memberships, courses, masterminds, programs, private groups, events, or bundle any and all of these. 135 different currencies to choose from.
- Add your own branding, choose from light/dark mode, and customize every Space to meet your needs
- Integrated AI features meant to boost–not replace–human creativity: think auto-course outlines, the “make-it better” text editor, icebreaker generator, member profile help, and instant landing pages.
- ConvertKit integration to connect your community website to one of the best email marketing platforms on the market.
The best part? You can get started for free on a 100% ad-free, private website that’s all yours to explore and launch whenever you’re ready.
