Site Builder Features
Layout and Design
Wild Apricot’s site builder comes with numerous themes and templates to choose from. You can access these through a simple menu, and browsing through your options is easy thanks to the gallery format. A theme takes care of overall design for your site, and you can customize everything from colors to organization logos with a few simple clicks. Wild Apricot also lets you preview any theme selections before you apply them, so you can check how your site will look before making any permanent changes.
Templates, meanwhile, serve as the master formats that will guide the look of the different pages on your website. Wild Apricot gives you a few to start with: members-only pages, landing pages, or regular site pages. You can modify any of these, or you can create your own page templates through a simple point-click-edit process. Any modifications automatically apply to all the pages using that template, saving you time and effort.
Webpage Options
Adding or editing individual pages is as easy as clicking a button on the site builder menu. Various stylistic options allow you to use different layouts and formatting for your content. “Content gadgets,” which are basically drag-and-drop boxes that you can position and edit as you like, give you more creative freedom. Content gadgets are just one type of gadget, though — Wild Apricot has an extensive library that you can use throughout your site, letting you drag-and-drop everything from placeholders to social media widgets for instant use.
Aside from the usual content pages, you can also deploy what Wild Apricot calls “system pages”: event registration, membership information, and other functional pages. You embed your chosen functionality through “system gadgets” — there’s one for each common process, like registration or calendar creation. You can also put up sub-sections like blogs or discussion forums, and create portals to access these using select system gadgets. Like content gadgets, modifying the details for these is as simple as clicking and editing.
Beyond basic themes, Wild Apricot lets you customize the look of your site through extensive style settings. These let you set colors and fonts, or even override some pre-designed aspects of your chosen theme if you’re so inclined. If you’re comfortable with CSS and JavaScript, you can also use those to further customize both the look and functionality of your site.
Site Management and Integrations
Wild Apricot gives you extensive management options for your website. You can designate members-only sections of your site, or authorize select members to gain access to settings if you want to share the administrative burden. You can also avail of traffic encryption for greater security both for you and your members. If your site involves financial transactions — for example, membership fee payments — Wild Apricot automatically encrypts these as well.
If you already have an existing site, you can instead opt to integrate Wild Apricot functions through its many widgets. This means you can use Wild Apricot’s pre-designed system gadgets without having to slog through a complete migration of your current website. Wild Apricot also allows for WordPress integration, so you can use the WordPress Content Management System if you’re more comfortable with that. For mobile usage, Wild Apricot has API integration so you can bake its functionalities into mobile apps, and there are mobile apps readily available for administrators who want to manage their sites on the go.
Pricing and Support
Wild Apricot offers six different price tiers depending on your community size. The Free plan limits you to 50 “contacts” and one administrative account. The Group plan costs $40 a month and allows for 250 “contacts” and 5 admin accounts.
Going up to the Community tier, you pay $70 monthly for a maximum of 500 “contacts” and 10 admin accounts. This tier also unlocks automated recurring member charges, a functionality that continues in higher tiers. The Professional tier, which costs $130 monthly, has room for 2000 “contacts” and 25 admin accounts. The Network tier, for $240 monthly, allows for 5000 “contacts” and unlimited admin accounts. Meanwhile, the Enterprise tier, for $270 monthly, gives you a maximum of 15,000 “contacts.” Take note that these contacts also include others who are part of your online community regardless of actual membership, like newsletter subscribers.
Wild Apricot also gives you a free 30-day trial. You can explore the Community tier’s features, and if you choose not to sign up for a payment plan, Wild Apricot automatically places you in the Free tier to avoid accidental charges once the trial ends.
Customer Support
Wild Apricot boasts of an in-house support staff, whom you can contact through the company’s online ticket system, email, or phone. Bear in mind, though, that support is only available from Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM – 6 PM EST. Aside from the support team, Wild Apricot also maintains a comprehensive help center / knowledge base, as well as a library of tutorial videos and webinars.
What's the Verdict on Wild Apricot?
Wild Apricot Membership Website Builder Review 2020 – Conclusion
All in all, Wild Apricot offers you all of the tools you’ll need to build a site that integrates organization/community management functions well. The site’s cluttered layout will have you fumbling through the initial steps of signing up or gathering more information, but once you do opt into Wild Apricot’s services, building your actual website is a breeze. The theme gallery, template and page editors, style settings, and large collection of customizable “gadgets” lets you design your site through a few simple clicks, and this simple interface also means keeping your site up to date takes as little time as possible. Wild Apricot has reasonably priced plans considering the features it offers, though it isn’t well-suited for organizations that need large amounts of storage or groups with memberships beyond 15,000. Still, for most users who want a site builder that won’t eat into their community management time, Wild Apricot is one of the best choices around.
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