Renewing should be easy

You've done everything to keep your members happy, now make sure they can show their appreciation to you by renewing easily  Renewals should be a simple process. When they are, members will reward you with their loyal and continuing support. Clear, easy-to-follow instructions are always appreciated. No one wants to spend hours trying to figure out what's next.  Your website renewal process should make re-joining easy and transparent. Always give members an option to send in a check.   Outline all the steps necessary in simple, bulleted directions. For instance: 1. log in with your user id, and password 2. if you cannot remember your password, one will be provided quickly and easily 3. choose the renewal option from the menu at the side of our site 4. use the auto-fill information from your current profile 5. proceed to check out. Members don't want to have to fuss to renew their membership. Make it simple.

Year to year rollover renewals vs Calendar year renewals? Which works best?  There are advantages in managing calendar year renewals, but really, since we are looking for "Best Practices," year to date renewals are a better way to go.  Here's a few reasons why: Members don't feel gypped when they sign up in February because they will get a full year of benefits through the following February. Your cash flow is spread out over the course of the whole year as members sign up every month. You never have to scramble to make pro-rated offers to spur new prospects into joining your group. The one advantage in having calendar year registration is that all your members have the same membership expiration and renewal dates.  Membership may vary month to month, of course, but prospects won't wait for a better time to sign up because your doors are always open to them.