SubHub – is a software that represents a blend of membership functionality and the integrated website builder. It was designed with a focus on entrepreneurs and organizations looking for a chance to attract more potential customers and keep their membership optimized. The platform comes with a built-in content management system to deliver relevant content to users. It has analytic and reports tools as well as instruments that make it easy to keep both membership and content under control.
With this system, you will be able to acquire more potential users and decide what pages you want them to see. The platform is good for various promotional needs. It will suit not only small business owners and organizations but also online merchants who will appreciate an integrated shopping cart feature.
Sounds like an effective and versatile web tool for different needs. It is time we checked how it works in reality.
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1. Pros and Cons
Subhub looks like a worthy marketing solution with a reasonable price tag and a set of obvious benefits. On the other hand, it has some minor downsides. For example, beginners will need some time to understand how the system works while general settings miss domain and asset management as well as some other crucial points.
Pros: | Cons: |
| ✔ Integrated CMS. ✔ A built-in website manager. ✔ SEO and reporting features. ✔ Ready-to-use shopping cart for online stores. ✔ Integration capabilities. ✔ Membership management. | ✘ Confusing building process. ✘ Some functions are hard to find. ✘ Limited customization opportunities. |
2. What is It Good for?
As stated earlier, the membership software was created with entrepreneurs and organizations in mind. It can be used for corporate purposes as well as by individual experts, who earn money from online coaching, tutoring, etc. They will have a chance to build a membership platform letting their potential clients subscribe and sign up for particular events.
Entrepreneurs will appreciate a set of baseline eCommerce tools such as an integrated shopping cart. Besides, the system has a couple of handy advertising functions. The main benefit is that website owners will be able to manage all pages and decide, which content will be shown to a particular members’ group. Merchants will be able to launch a subscription-based business.
Organizations can use Subhub to grow their internal community and keep members aware of the latest company news, events, and so on. Users may take part in specific discussions, provide feedback, communicate, and engage with each other. What’s more, managers will have an opportunity to track their employees’ activities.
Here are several Subhub website examples to see how versatile the platform can be:
1. Steel Compliance Wave
The company delivers advanced compliance solutions to organizations. It comes as a huge digital knowledge base with different training materials for managers and staff. It develops automated cloud-based systems with the aim of improving the workflow.
2. Running Restaurants
The company was launched with the aim of helping restaurant owners and managers to improve their business. Local specialists provide qualified assistance to both new and well-established venues. They boast more than two decades of experience represented in endless webinars, guides, seminars, and other educational materials shared via a website built with Subhub.
3. Lab Bulletin
For more than 10 years, Lab Bulletin has been delivering the latest scientific and laboratory news gathered from across the globe. The main mission is to provide the most relevant and up-to-date information on different pharmacy products along with detailed reviews and researches. What’s more, it comes with a comprehensive database of suppliers and manufacturers to contact them directly. All the info is shared via membership software.
3. Ease of Use
The platform was designed with the idea of helping non-technicians and newbies build their own platform from scratch. It does not require special programming or coding skills. On the one hand, the building process is very straightforward. On the other hand, some issues may seem a bit confusing.
Getting Started
Users will have a chance to try the system at no cost. It has a 14-day free trial with no need to provide your billing or credit card info right from the start. All you need is to type in your first and last name. Then type in the email and confirm it to move to the next stage.
Now, you need to create a password and type it in the spaces provided. That is it. No confirmation letters or additional actions to start building your first website. Everything is very simple.
Building a Website
The next stages are a bit confusing. First of all, the system will automatically generate the default domain without a chance to change it. Those who hope to find that opportunity in the general settings will be frustrated. General settings do not contain tools to manage the domain either they have options to indicate the website title and description, which looks very strange.
Another confusing thing is the fact that Subhub will assign a template right at once without asking, what kind of business do you have or why you actually need the system. We did not find it possible to switch to another theme as well. In other words, you have to work with a default layout right from the start.
The good news is that some of the issues are described in the FAQ section. For example, users will learn how to apply a custom domain, change theme styling, and more. It is all here on the dashboard. The editing process is very simple. You may change the content, add new images and photos, change the way your buttons look, and more. This is where you will hardly face difficulties.
To go live, you only need to publish the website.
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4. Features & Flexibility
The system comes with a set of standard features that are available for all Subhub users by default. The set of advanced options will depend on the plan and your particular needs. The baseline functionality is enough to create memberships, acquire users, divide members into categories, and manage some of the website assets. All users will have full access to the following features:
Website Editor
A simple SaaS website editor means that you get an all-in-one managed and hosted solution. As for the editing functions, you will use a comprehensive CMS to change and modify content as well as some of the website pages. The control panel lets you choose the type of page to work with. They include public, members, and customized pages. Users will be able to edit them separately.
If you have a complex project with multiple blocks, the system helps to navigate all available sections and edit the one you need. Choose a section from the list and customize it. Subhub lets you change the content, upload new images, apply various styles, or integrate a video media player.
SEO
The platform lets users improve website SEO. They will be able to set Alt Tag for images as well as enable the feature that will automatically optimize all images you have on a specific page. No need to resize them manually. Also, you can type in SEO-friendly titles and descriptions to make it easier for potential users to find your site on Google.
Events
There is a separate event block for those who want to deliver scheduled content or launch limited ad campaigns, special offers, deals, etc. The feature will fit those who want to create courses or lessons and provide scheduled access to the site members. All you need is to add the event title and description, choose the date and connect it with a specific category.
Integrations
You should not expect much of this particular feature. Subhub does not offer plenty of integration capabilities. They are mainly limited to the MailChimp API key. On the other hand, some of the baseline options are built-in and ready to use. They include Google Analytics to track stats as well as a shopping cart and some of the major payment gateways (Stripe and PayPal) for those, who run an online shop.
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5. Design & Templates
Despite the fact the system claims to have a selection of responsive themes, we failed to find them. You get a single default layout to edit instead. However, they offer an extra service with template design and configuration costing $750. Hardly a good idea in case of a limited budget.
Another drawback is the absence of a mobile preview. The situation with the preview mode is a bit strange. You actually have a chance to see the website with your users’ eyes. But it will only deliver you back to the public page inside the editor.
The good news is that users will have a chance to change colors and styling for texts, headings, links, buttons, and so on. What’s more, it is possible to add custom CSS, change banners positioning and sizes, choose banner type, and more.
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6. Customer Support
The support team offers standard tools to get in touch or find the answer to the question that may arise during the building process. First of all, you will find a comprehensive FAQ inside the dashboard when getting started. It may help.
Secondly, there is a vast selection of video tutorials and guides. They show how to add and edit content, create banners, add new sections, launch scheduled events, create password-protected content, and more. Some may use a typical ticketing system and contact the team via email. There is no Live Chat or phone to consult the manager instantly.
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7. Plans & Pricing
When the 14-day free trial is over, you will need to choose one of three available plans deepening on your goals. They include:
- Starter costs $47 per month for up to 500 members with a custom domain, free SSL, and built-in store included in the price.
- Pro costs $97 per month with all standard features plus password protect site areas, integrated payment processor, different levels and categories for site members.
- Premium costs $147 per month with unlimited members, up to 200 GB of storage, course creation, and premium support by phone and email.
Additional services include template designing and configuration (starts at $750), custom page, and website development (the price is quoted).
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8. Website Examples
With all Subhub features in mind, let’s have a look at several website examples:
Growing for Market – flowering and farming books
Property Checklist – key steps to handle the property project
Martin Roberts – property advisor
AEC – project management association
Kelly Leclair – an individual coach
Stable Select – online equine community
9. Conclusion
- Membership software
- Integrated website builder
- Scheduled courses and events
- Password-protected areas
Subhub is a comprehensive membership software to attract users, divide them into groups, and let them participate in your project directly. It will be a good option for tutors, coaches, and corporations that deliver relevant content on a regular basis. The system makes it possible to create protected areas and provide access to specific user categories. It has a simple built-in website builder to create new projects from the ground.
Our review showed some strange issues with the building process. Besides, some of the paid services look overwhelming. A few are ready to pay $750 for template design and configuration. Some users will feel the lack of web designing tools although there is a chance to add custom CSS. While organizations may find this platform useful, individual entrepreneurs may look for a more flexible and cheaper option.
