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Membership Site and LMS Services

Turn paid access into a smooth, reliable experience for every member.

We'll reply with a written proposal: the work, what we need from you and an estimated timeline.

The hidden problems

Where membership sites and LMS platforms quietly go wrong

Membership and course platforms go wrong when payments, access rights, course sign-ups, user roles, progress and support each tell a different story. Paying members get locked out, and admins end up making risky fixes on the fly.

  • Payments and access don't match

    A paying member is locked out, a canceled member still has access, or a payment retry quietly changes access, because there is no rule for which system wins when the payment provider and your site disagree.

  • Roles leak across organizations

    Permissions for members, learners, instructors, group leaders and admins are copied too widely, without checking each person's access to each specific item.

  • Nobody can explain progress

    Page views, ticked boxes, scores, manual changes and content edits create completion records that nobody can recreate or explain.

  • Fixing problems causes new ones

    Password resets, failed renewals, access given by hand and fixes after moving data skip the normal permission checks or lose the record of what happened.

  • Connections fail with no safe fallback

    Links to login, billing, email, video, learning tools or your CRM (customer database) time out and leave duplicate, half-finished or out-of-date records.

  • Day-to-day running starts after launch

    Backups, proof you can restore them, alerts, runbooks (step-by-step fix guides), support roles and re-checks that old features still work are assumed instead of agreed.

Exactly what's included

One clear, owned system that tracks every member's and learner's status

Softscotch plans and builds the connected system behind paid memberships and online courses. That covers logging in, user roles, plans, what each member can access, course sign-ups (enrollment), protected content, progress, billing updates, account recovery and support. An LMS (learning management system) is the software that runs your online courses. You get a clearly named set of features, member and learner journeys that have been tested from start to finish, and a handover your team can run. Writing the courses, your login provider's rules, payment decisions and any legal or accreditation conclusions stay with the people responsible for them.

The work connects your plans, user roles, protected content, course progress, billing updates, account recovery, moving data from old systems, testing, training your admin and support team and who runs things after launch, in one agreed way of working.

Requirements and member status map

Agree who uses the system, organizations, plans, user roles, what each person can access, course sign-ups, content, progress, billing statuses, support cases and which status changes are allowed.

Access and user roles

Design rules that give each role only the access it needs, for each item and action, with everything blocked unless allowed, clear admin limits and realistic tests.

Memberships, course sign-ups and content access

Connect plan terms, protected content, class groups (cohorts), courses, required earlier lessons, content released on a schedule, expiry dates and manual exceptions.

Learner and member journeys

Build and test sign-up, login, getting started, the member dashboard, menus, progress, quizzes and tests, renewals and what happens when someone needs help to get back in.

Billing and connections to other tools

Match up subscriptions, invoices, payments, access rights, webhooks (automatic messages between systems), login and learning tool links, so each update is handled exactly once even if it arrives twice.

Moving data, security and recovery

Map data from your old system, check every import, think through how key actions could be attacked or misused, prove backups can be restored and keep a safe way to roll back.

Testing, monitoring and handover

Run tests on every connection and re-checks that old features still work, add monitoring to key steps, agree alerts and dashboards, and hand over runbooks with named owners.

Training for your admin and support team

Show your admins and support staff how to add members, change what someone can access, handle billing questions, help people get back into their accounts and make exceptions safely, with short step-by-step guides they can keep.

Why Softscotch

A membership site built to help you make real decisions, not to look busy

Before anything goes live, every important member status has a clear source, a list of allowed changes, a permission rule, a plan for when it fails, a test case, a measure and a named person in charge.

Member status comes before screens

We map how membership, learning and billing statuses change before any screen design shortcut can hide a contradiction.

Permissions are really tested

Role names are turned into checks on each item and action, tests of what should be blocked, limits on manual overrides and a record of who did what.

Updates from other systems always match up

Webhooks, data pulled through APIs (secure links between software) and your own records use fixed IDs, are handled once only, and send problems to a review list.

Recovery is part of the journey

Login problems, failed payments, expired access, lost progress and escalating to support each have a safe route the user can see.

Accessibility covers whole journeys

Sign-up, logging in, learning, tests and support are checked for accessibility (use by people with disabilities) across complete, realistic journeys.

Day-to-day running survives the handover

Tests, monitoring, backups, runbooks, logins, alerts and the people who make decisions all still work after launch.

The full delivery system

Everything our membership and LMS review covers

The review covers your membership products, access rights, user roles, course sign-ups, content, progress, billing connections, recovery, security, links with other learning tools and day-to-day running.

Basics and limits
Is this service right for you, and who owns whatWe confirm that a membership or course platform is the right fix and agree who owns each part. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
What members and learners should be able to doWe agree the results members and learners should get from the platform, in plain terms. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Starting point for platform, plugins and connectionsWe record the platform, plugins and links to other tools you have today, before anything changes. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Map of where access, billing and sign-ups come fromWe map which system decides access, which handles billing and which handles course sign-ups. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Who owns courses, content and testsWe agree where our build work ends and where course writing, content and test design by your team begins. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Sign-off, measurement and running planWe agree what must be true before you approve, what we will measure and how the platform will be run day to day. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Information and proof
Separate organizations and permission rulesWe set how separate organizations or client accounts (tenants) are kept apart and who may do what in each. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Map of every member and course statusWe map every status a member, course or payment can be in, and how it can change from one to another. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Membership products and access rightsWe set out each membership product and exactly what access (entitlement) it gives and for how long. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Table of roles, abilities and limited adminsWe build a table of what each role can do, including group leaders or managers who get limited admin powers. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Structure and definitions
Sign-up, login and getting back into an accountWe design how people create an account, log in safely and get back in if they forget their password. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Link to subscriptions and billing updatesWe connect your platform to your payment provider, so new, renewed, failed and canceled payments update access correctly. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Course sign-ups, class groups and giving accessWe set how people are signed up to courses, put into class groups (cohorts) and given access automatically. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Structure of courses, modules, files and required lessonsWe organize courses into modules and lessons, link files and set which lessons must be finished first. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Making the changes
What progress, completion and manual changes meanWe define what counts as progress and completion, and how a manual change by staff is recorded. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Rules for test attempts and resultsWe set how many tries a learner gets on a quiz or test, how it is scored and how results are kept. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Member dashboard, menus and getting helpWe design the member home page, the menus and an easy way to reach support when something goes wrong. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Accessible learning, videos and loginWe make lessons, videos and login work for people with disabilities, such as keyboard and screen-reader users. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Safety checks
Member messages, reminders and preference settingsWe link account emails and reminders to each member's real status, and let members choose what they receive. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Admin tasks and limited override toolsWe give admins the tools they need, with overrides limited to what each person should be able to change. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Importing, moving and matching up dataWe import data from old systems, move it safely and check the new records match the old ones. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Agreed rules for login and learning tool linksWe agree exactly what data passes between your platform and your login provider or outside learning tools. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Testing and improving
Testing how new members get startedWe test changes to the first steps new members take, to see what helps them get value sooner. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Finding why members stay active or leaveWe compare groups of members who joined at different times to see where people stay active or drop off. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Speed, capacity and reducing support requestsWe make the platform fast, able to handle busy times and less likely to create support requests. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Planning for misuse and attacks on data linksWe think through how someone could misuse your platform or its data links (APIs) and put protections in place. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Advanced work
Proof that backups can be restoredWe don't just switch backups on: we restore one in a test area and prove that everything comes back. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Connection tests and re-checks of old featuresWe test each connection with other tools and re-check that old features still work after every change. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Monitoring and who handles problemsWe set up monitoring so problems are spotted quickly, and name who responds when something breaks. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Matching up access rights and logging exceptionsWe regularly check that each member's access matches what they paid for, and log every exception. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Failed payments and grace periodsWe set what happens when a payment fails, including any grace period before access changes and how members can fix it. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Rules, upkeep and growth
Moving progress and handling course updatesWe decide how learner progress is kept when courses are updated or moved, and which course version counts. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Privacy, keeping data, exporting and deleting everywhereWe make sure data is kept only as long as agreed, can be exported and is deleted from every connected system. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Releasing content on a scheduleWe set up drip content (lessons released over time) and schedules, so members see the right lessons at the right time. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Agreed rules for tracking learning activityWe agree which learning actions and results are tracked, what each one means and where the data goes. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof of what "done" looks like and clear limits.
Support tools and safe "view as member" controlsWe give support staff tools to find problems and, where needed, a safe, logged way to see the site as a member sees it. It is written down with dates, a named owner, proof and clear limits.
Research and implementation tools

The membership and LMS tools we use, and what each one is for

We name platforms only as current examples of what we use. Before we rely on any of them, we check your access, your plan, your region and how each feature really behaves.

Look under the hood

Our membership and LMS audit: seven checks before anything is approved

Each area of work ends with dated proof of what we found, a clear test of what "done" means, a list of exceptions and a named person who looks after it from then on.

Check 01 · Requirements and member status map

Requirements and member status map

Agree who uses the system, organizations, plans, user roles, what each person can access, course sign-ups, content, progress, billing statuses, support cases and which status changes are allowed.

The first review fixes the limits of what we are building and the status rules that every screen, connection and support action must follow.

What members and learners need to do proveName the sign-up, access, learning, renewal and support results that each group of users needs, before choosing any platform features.
Users and organizations defineList members, learners, instructors, group leaders, support staff and admins, plus any limits between separate organizations or class groups.
Plans and access rights buildMap each plan, purchase, invitation or exception to the exact content and the time-limited access it should give each person.
Who owns the courses riskKeep building the platform separate from writing courses, designing lessons, making sure tests are fair and expert approval of the subject.
Systems and data sign-offList the live platform, plugins, login, billing, messaging, video, analytics, test and live setups and the main records, each with an owner.
What "done" includes decideApprove the first journeys, the statuses they need, the features left out, measurable launch criteria and owners before design or data moving begins.
Check 02 · Access and user roles

Access and user roles

Design rules that give each role only the access it needs, for each item and action, with everything blocked unless allowed, clear admin limits and realistic tests.

Role names alone don't protect your content. Access has to be checked for the real organization, item, action and the member's current status.

Limits between organizations proveAgree which organization, class group or customer account owns each member, each course, each report and each admin action.
Table of roles and actions defineTurn role names into the items and actions each one may use, for learners, instructors, group leaders, support staff and admins.
Only the access needed buildGive the minimum access needed, block any unknown combination and check permission on every request for protected content.
Admin overrides riskLimit "view as member", access given by hand and support fixes by purpose, time, approval and a saved record of what was done.
Login and recovery rules sign-offTest login, logout, timed-out sessions, password resets, reused invitations and account changes, without revealing whether an email has an account.
Testing what should be blocked decideBefore launch, try access from the wrong organization, from expired, canceled and unenrolled accounts and from lower roles, alongside the normal path.
Check 03 · Memberships, course sign-ups and content access

Memberships, course sign-ups and content access

Connect plan terms, protected content, class groups (cohorts), courses, required earlier lessons, content released on a schedule, expiry dates and manual exceptions.

Payment, subscription, access rights and course sign-up stay as separate statuses, with an agreed rule for which one wins and how to fix a mismatch.

Where access comes from, and which wins proveName whether the plan, access right, course sign-up, invitation or an approved exception controls each piece of content when systems disagree.
Course sign-up and class group rules defineAgree sign-up by the learner, by staff, by group, by purchase or from another system, plus start dates, expiry, removal and what happens with duplicates.
How content unlocks buildMap courses, modules, files, required earlier lessons, release dates and drip schedules to clear "locked" and "available" states learners can see.
Billing status changes riskSet what access people have during free trials, unfinished payments, successful renewals, overdue periods, cancellations, refunds and payment disputes.
Manual exception controls sign-offGive support a time-limited way to fix access, with a stated reason, that doesn't skip the normal permission rules.
Matching up access rights decideCompare payment provider updates, your platform's access rights and course sign-ups on a schedule, then list mismatches with an owner and a safe fix.
Check 04 · Learner and member journeys

Learner and member journeys

Build and test sign-up, login, getting started, the member dashboard, menus, progress, quizzes and tests, renewals and what happens when someone needs help to get back in.

What we deliver includes what happens when things fail and how people recover, not just a polished dashboard for a fully paid, perfectly set-up user.

Sign-up and getting started proveTest open sign-up, invite-only and company-managed entry, with form checks, consent, duplicate accounts and journeys that get interrupted halfway.
Menus and access signals defineShow what is available, locked, scheduled, finished or expired, and give users a sensible next step without revealing protected information.
What progress means buildAgree whether progress is based on views, ticked boxes, scores, required activities or staff changes, and link it to the version of the content used.
How tests work riskSet the number of tries, time limits, scoring, feedback, required earlier lessons, manual marking and rules for old results with the course owner.
Accessible journeys from start to finish sign-offTry sign-up, login, learning, tests and support using only a keyboard, with assistive technology like screen readers, and with realistic users.
Support and recovery decideGive safe routes for failed logins, lost access, missing progress, billing mix-ups and escalation, with the details support needs to find the problem.
Check 05 · Billing and connections to other tools

Billing and connections to other tools

Match up subscriptions, invoices, payments, access rights, webhooks (automatic messages between systems), login and learning tool links, so each update is handled exactly once even if it arrives twice.

Outside systems send updates at their own pace, so every connection needs a secure login, duplicate handling, retries, regular matching up and a failure state people can see.

Map of payment provider statuses proveMap subscription, invoice, payment and access statuses to the access rule you approved, instead of relying on a single "paid" yes/no switch.
Trusting automatic updates defineCheck each update's digital signature, store fixed IDs for each update and item, and allow each handler to make only the change it is meant to.
Order and retries buildHandle duplicate, late, out-of-order and failed updates so each one only counts once, with retry limits and a problem list someone can check.
Login and learning tools riskDocument how your platform handles OpenID Connect (a standard way to log in with another account) or LTI (a standard for plugging in outside learning tools), roles, shared data and failures, without claiming certification.
Member messages sign-offConnect account notices, reminders and preferences to each member's real status, while legal wording and permission to send stay with you.
Matching up connections decideCompare the payment provider's records with your own after problems and on a schedule, then log mismatches, the effect on members and who is fixing it.
Check 06 · Moving data, security and recovery

Moving data, security and recovery

Map data from your old system, check every import, think through how key actions could be attacked or misused, prove backups can be restored and keep a safe way to roll back.

A data move is approved only when every status matches up and problems can be recovered, not just because the number of rows copied looks right.

Mapping old data proveList members, organizations, plans, subscriptions, course sign-ups, progress, results and content versions, each with a fixed ID from the old system.
Changing data and keeping its history defineWrite down the rules for fields, time zones, statuses, duplicates and default values, while keeping the original value and the reason any record was held back.
Misuse and permission review buildThink through attacks on sign-up, login, account recovery, files, data links (APIs), admin actions and valuable content, and add limits on repeated attempts and activity records.
Privacy and keeping data riskApply the rules you approve for collecting, accessing, exporting, deleting and keeping data, across the platform and every connected system.
Proof that restoring works sign-offRestore a realistic backup into a separate test area and check accounts, permissions, course sign-ups, content and key settings all come back correctly.
Switch-over day and rollback decideMatch the numbers from the practice run and the final move, pause risky changes, name who decides go or no-go and keep a tested rollback and member support plan.
Check 07 · Testing, monitoring and handover

Testing, monitoring and handover

Run tests on every connection and re-checks that old features still work, add monitoring to key steps, agree alerts and dashboards, and hand over runbooks with named owners.

The final check proves that users and your own team can spot, fix and explain important problems after the project team hands over.

Table of test cases proveCover realistic roles, plans, devices, content states, payment results, connections and recovery routes, each with the expected result.
Protecting what already works defineAutomate the riskiest tests for permissions, access rights, billing and learning statuses, and keep reviewed manual checks of full journeys.
Warning signs we track buildTrack errors, slow pages, background tasks, delays in automatic updates, access mismatches and failed journeys, without exposing private data.
Problems and runbooks riskPractice alerts, sorting problems by urgency, messages to members, safe fixes, escalation, restoring data and follow-up after a problem, with named owners.
What each number means sign-offKeep sign-ups, active users, course sign-ups, progress, completion, support, renewals and revenue as separate numbers, each with what is left out and what it is a share of.
Handover and next update decideHand over the test and live setups, logins, dashboards, tests, runbooks, known exceptions and change approval to the team that will run them.
Your type of business

The approach changes with your type of business

We fit the system to your audience, your level of risk, your data, how often things change and what a good result means for your business, while keeping the work focused on your membership or course platform.

Local

Local services

For local services, a membership or course platform has to take into account location, service area, availability, calls, bookings and who is responsible for replying.

FocusSeparate organizations and permission rules; Map of every member and course status; Membership products and access rights
MeasureCorrect access for every member, Sign-up and account recovery, Proof of learning progress
Ecommerce

Online stores and direct-to-consumer brands

For online stores and direct-to-consumer brands, a membership or course platform has to take into account accurate product details, stock levels, offer terms, checkout steps, returns and profit margin.

FocusSign-up, login and getting back into an account; Link to subscriptions and billing updates; Course sign-ups, class groups and giving access
MeasureSign-up and account recovery, Proof of learning progress, Billing and connection health
Software

Software companies (SaaS)

For software companies (SaaS, software sold by subscription), a membership or course platform has to take into account each use case, product proof, free trial or demo steps, connections to other tools and how new users get started.

FocusWhat progress, completion and manual changes mean; Rules for test attempts and results; Member dashboard, menus and getting help
MeasureProof of learning progress, Billing and connection health, Reliability and problem handling
B2B

Business-to-business (B2B) and professional services

For business-to-business (B2B) and professional services, a membership or course platform has to take into account groups of decision makers, expert proof, checking lead fit, handover to sales and the long gap before a deal closes.

FocusMember messages, reminders and preference settings; Admin tasks and limited override tools; Importing, moving and matching up data
MeasureBilling and connection health, Reliability and problem handling, Member and sales trends
Health

Healthcare and wellness

For healthcare and wellness, a membership or course platform has to take into account accuracy, privacy, who is eligible, appointment status and medical boundaries.

FocusTesting how new members get started; Finding why members stay active or leave; Speed, capacity and reducing support requests
MeasureCorrect access for every member, Sign-up and account recovery, Proof of learning progress
Regulated

Finance, insurance and legal

For finance, insurance and legal, a membership or course platform has to take into account the rules in each region, approvals, required disclosures, sensitive data and terms that change.

FocusProof that backups can be restored; Connection tests and re-checks of old features; Monitoring and who handles problems
MeasureSign-up and account recovery, Proof of learning progress, Billing and connection health
Education

Education and training

For education and training, a membership or course platform has to take into account course details, dates, who can join, enrollment steps, results and accessibility.

FocusMoving progress and handling course updates; Privacy, keeping data, exporting and deleting everywhere; Releasing content on a schedule
MeasureProof of learning progress, Billing and connection health, Reliability and problem handling
Media

Publishers and media

For publishers and media, a membership or course platform has to take into account who wrote what, content rights, subscriptions, fast publishing cycles and original reporting.

FocusIs this service right for you, and who owns what; What members and learners should be able to do; Starting point for platform, plugins and connections
MeasureBilling and connection health, Reliability and problem handling, Member and sales trends
Marketplaces

Marketplaces and directories

For marketplaces and directories, a membership or course platform has to take into account value for both buyers and sellers, identity, listings, data quality and the same action being counted twice.

FocusSeparate organizations and permission rules; Map of every member and course status; Membership products and access rights
MeasureCorrect access for every member, Sign-up and account recovery, Proof of learning progress
Travel

Travel and hospitality

For travel and hospitality, a membership or course platform has to take into account busy and quiet seasons, location, availability, booking value, cancellations and policy changes.

FocusSign-up, login and getting back into an account; Link to subscriptions and billing updates; Course sign-ups, class groups and giving access
MeasureSign-up and account recovery, Proof of learning progress, Billing and connection health
Industrial

Industrial and manufacturing

For industrial and manufacturing businesses, a membership or course platform has to take into account product specs, what fits with what, distributors, long buying decisions and good-quality inquiries.

FocusWhat progress, completion and manual changes mean; Rules for test attempts and results; Member dashboard, menus and getting help
MeasureProof of learning progress, Billing and connection health, Reliability and problem handling
Membership

Memberships and communities

For memberships and communities, a membership or course platform has to take into account each member's access level, ongoing value, moderation, renewals and member support.

FocusMember messages, reminders and preference settings; Admin tasks and limited override tools; Importing, moving and matching up data
MeasureBilling and connection health, Reliability and problem handling, Member and sales trends
Clear ownership

Who does what on your membership or course site, with no hidden handovers

This service looks after the agreed membership or course platform and its links to other tools. Your login and security rules, writing the courses, choices about your payment provider and specialist legal advice stay with named owners.

We do the work

The agreed membership or course platform, plus proof that it works.

  • A map of every member, course and access status
  • User roles and permission controls
  • Member and learner journeys
  • Billing and connections to other tools
  • Moving data, testing and pre-launch quality checks
  • Monitoring, recovery and runbooks (step-by-step fix guides)
We coordinate

Connections where the facts or the day-to-day running sit with someone else.

  • Your login owner, for sign-in and single sign-on (one login for many tools)
  • Your finance owner, for billing and refunds
  • Your learning owner, for course and test content
  • Your privacy and legal owners, for data and terms
  • Your hosting owner, for servers and backups
  • Your support and messaging owners, for helping members recover
You keep

Your authority, your content and ongoing decisions.

  • Your membership offer, price and terms
  • Course content and whether it teaches well
  • Approving users, roles and organizations
  • Payment, tax, refund and dispute decisions
  • Legal, privacy and accessibility duties
  • Access to the live site, launch approval and decisions during problems
How it fits together

How a membership platform works: nine connected records

Every piece of work can be traced from the original proof, through the build and the "it works" check, to reporting and ongoing upkeep.

Membership and LMS Services

01
Map of users and organizations

Defines members, learners, instructors, group leaders, admins, organizations and the limits of any shared admin powers.

02
Membership product guide

Connects each plan to its price, term, renewal, free trial, cancellation, upgrade and protected benefits.

03
Access rights log

Records the source, start date, expiry, status, reason, version and owner behind each person's access.

04
Course and content map

Keeps numbered versions of courses, modules, activities, required earlier lessons, drip schedules, files and outside tools.

05
Progress and test rules

Defines attempts, what counts as complete, scores, staff changes, certificates and how old results are read.

06
Billing update link

Maps customer, subscription, invoice, payment and automatic update messages to the agreed actions on your platform.

07
List of agreed connections

Tracks the data shared with your login provider, LTI learning tools, messaging, analytics and CRM, plus permissions, retries and failures.

08
Test and data move pack

Contains test data, expected data changes, tests of what should be blocked, re-checks of old features and rollback proof.

09
Running and recovery record

Links monitoring, alerts, problems, support tools, backup tests, runbooks and the people in charge.

The connected growth engine

Product and learning

Approve the value of membership, course structure, what completion means, roles and learner support.

Finance and billing

Own prices, tax, refunds, disputes, payment provider settings and the agreed payment statuses.

Login and security

Own the login rules, while agreeing to the platform's own permission, recovery and activity-record controls.

Content and accessibility

Approve accurate content, usage rights, captions and text versions of media, and testing with real people.

Developers and data

Build the platform, its connections, data moves, tests, monitoring, backups and a way to roll back.

Support and day-to-day running

Own live problem sorting, limited fixes, messages to members, handling problems and upkeep decisions.

One connected scope. Membership and LMS Services is coordinated with the strategy, creative, experience, data and reporting it depends on, so responsibilities and handoffs stay visible in one written plan.

What to expect

Your membership platform build timeline, and the wider growth plan

A membership or LMS project goes from a clear goal and a map of how members and courses work to a tested trial version and a careful, controlled launch. The exact timing depends on the features, moving data from old systems, connections to other tools, security, recovery and final checks. This build sits inside the six-month Softscotch growth plan shown below.

Membership and LMS, from discovery to a controlled launch

Week 1

Limits and goals

Agree what members, learners, your sales and your day-to-day team need, plus the work that is clearly not a fit.

KPI Limits agreed
Weeks 1–2

Platform and connections check

Check your live plans, plugins, data links (APIs), login, billing, messaging, data and test and live setups.

KPI Check done
Weeks 2–4

Building the experience

Build accessible member, learner and admin screens for every status, using real examples of your content.

KPI Built
Weeks 4–8

Security and re-check testing

Test permissions, misuse, recovery, billing, connections and course version cases, and re-check that old features still work.

KPI Tested
Weeks 8–12

Controlled launch

Move or launch a limited first group of members, with matching checks, support cover and a named person who can roll back.

KPI Go live
Months 3–4

Results and upkeep review

Review reliability, correct access, member activity, support, renewal trends and the next piece of work.

KPI Reviewed

Our full growth plan (all services together), month by month

Month 1

Setup and first launch

Agree priorities, fix the biggest problems and launch the first approved work once we have access, content, budget and your sign-off.

KPI First work live
Month 2

Build and improve

Use the first report to improve the live work and build the next agreed materials, campaigns, pages or follow-up steps.

KPI Improvements live
Month 3

Do more of what works

Do more of the messages, audiences, pages or channels that the results show are working, while keeping budgets and quality checks within the limits we agreed.

KPI What works, expanded
Month 4

Strengthen results

Fix weak handovers between teams, gaps in tracking and anything slowing delivery, then test the next priorities against measures that matter to your business, such as lead quality and sales.

KPI Blockers removed
Month 5

Turn more visitors into customers

Improve the offer, message, page and follow-up steps wherever the results show people getting stuck or leads that aren't a good fit.

KPI Improvements to win more customers live
Month 6

Plan the next round

Review what changed, what the results really show, what should stop and which work deserves budget and attention in the next period.

KPI Next round agreed
How we compare

A member platform your team can actually run

The difference isn't a longer list of plugins. It is a signed-off map of every member status, tested permissions, billing updates that always match up, problems you can recover from and proof at every handover.

The risk of using a different agency for everything
  • Starts with a favorite course plugin
  • Treats one payment as access forever
  • Uses role names as the only permission check
  • Assumes finishing a course means learning
  • Builds only the dashboard for when everything goes right
  • Handles automatic updates once and hopes
  • Copies data without checking statuses match
  • Runs only an automatic accessibility scan
  • Calls switching on backups "recovery"
  • Hands over with nobody owning problems
vs
Softscotch
  • Starts with what users need and clear system limits
  • Matches up billing, access rights and course sign-ups
  • Tests permissions for each item and action
  • Defines completion rules, versions and staff changes
  • Builds journeys for failure and recovery too
  • Handles each update once, retries and matches records
  • Tests data changes, counts and exceptions
  • Tests complete journeys with real people and tools
  • Proves a realistic backup can be restored
  • Hands over monitoring, runbooks and named owners
The numbers

Results from Softscotch client work.

These totals come from work for Softscotch clients across search, paid ads, websites and lead generation, as published on softscotch.com. Past results don't guarantee future results.

$12M+Ad spend managed for clients
87,200+Leads generated for clients
2,140+Search terms ranked on Google's first page
$28M+Revenue generated for clients
Client case studies

All six Softscotch client stories.

Every Quick Story currently published on Softscotch.com, covering education, ecommerce, healthcare and SaaS. Stock photography represents each client industry; the figures are reported historical results and do not guarantee future performance.

Education consultant speaking with a prospective student Education Ads + local SEO
+183%leads

183% more leads for an education consultancy

WordPressQuora adsLocal SEO
The challenge

An education consulting business in India needed to build its digital presence and lead flow from scratch.

What changed
  • Built a new WordPress website
  • Used Quora ads to grow daily lead volume
  • Added Local SEO and community engagement
+183% leads25+ leads/day-38% bounce rate+273% new users
Bright modern home interior representing the home-solutions client Home solutions Shopify + SEO
+82%Shopify sales

Home-solutions ecommerce growth

ShopifyOrganic searchAmazon ads
The challenge

A home-solutions business was dependent on business-to-business (B2B) marketplaces, losing sales and recovering from a Google penalty.

What changed
  • Resolved the Google penalty
  • Revamped the website and online store
  • Improved organic visibility and Amazon campaign performance
+82% Shopify sales+147% organic+23% Amazon ROAS
Mother and baby representing the lactation-consultant client Health consultant $20/day
5/daybooked calls

Five booked calls a day for a health consultant

Facebook adsGoogle AdsLocal SEO
The challenge

A Houston lactation consultant needed to recover a malware-damaged website and rebuild local patient acquisition.

What changed
  • Rebuilt the hacked site and migrated it to secure hosting
  • Ran targeted Facebook and Google campaigns
  • Reached top-three local Google positions
5 calls/day$20 daily spend+87% local traffic+34% new users
Ecommerce owner preparing customer orders beside a laptop Ecommerce 10 months
+315%organic traffic

315% organic growth for an ecommerce site

Content strategyOn-page SEO
The result

Softscotch reports a 315% increase in ecommerce organic traffic over 10 months through focused on-page SEO.

What changed
  • Optimized product and collection pages
  • Improved the links between pages and the page addresses (URLs)
  • Made the site easier for Google to explore and better matched to what people search for
+315% organic10 monthsProductsCollections
SaaS team reviewing campaign data around a laptop SaaS platform Cold outreach
16%reply rate

9% close rate for a transcription SaaS

ProspectingSMTP
The challenge

A transcription platform needed a qualified prospect list and a reliable email-sending setup for outreach we managed.

What changed
  • Built a comprehensive prospecting list
  • Managed the cold outreach campaigns
  • Set up reliable email-sending servers (SMTP)
9% close rate16% reply rateSaaSManaged outreach
Healthcare professional consulting with a patient Healthcare 6 months
+182%organic traffic

182% organic growth for a healthcare clinic

HealthcareOn-page SEOOff-page SEO
The challenge

A clinic in a competitive location needed to build organic search visibility from the ground up.

What changed
  • Built the clinic's foundation for unpaid (organic) Google search
  • Combined on-page and off-page SEO
  • Reached top-five positions in Google Search
+182% organic6 monthsTop 5 Google
01 / 06
In their words

Teams that stopped leaving clicks on the table.

★★★★★

"The Softscotch team has been a solid partner as our business evolved over the last five years. Unlike most agencies, they have never charged us for work that falls outside the agreement. That is what sets them apart."

IM
Imtiyaz MominHairareus
★★★★★

"Without their knowledge, we would be in a very different place than we are now. Whenever they find something that can be improved, they implement it quickly. I could not be happier with their performance and response time."

AP
Aaron PaulsonBaby Pavilion
★★★★★

"Softscotch goes above and beyond the scope. The time, effort and dedication they put in is like having your own in-house marketing team. They are not just another marketing company."

TM
Tabassum MithaniTRS Care
★★★★★

"We are extremely happy with Softscotch, such an attentive team. No project is too small, and they give their 100%. We are extremely satisfied with their work."

SH
Safiya HafiziSimply Lactation
★★★★★

"Softscotch is a great team to work with: transparent, reliable and genuinely invested in the growth of your company. They are good partners to have by your side."

MJ
Malvika JainCyclop
★★★★★

"The Softscotch team has been a solid partner as our business evolved over the last five years. Unlike most agencies, they have never charged us for work that falls outside the agreement. That is what sets them apart."

IM
Imtiyaz MominHairareus
★★★★★

"Without their knowledge, we would be in a very different place than we are now. Whenever they find something that can be improved, they implement it quickly. I could not be happier with their performance and response time."

AP
Aaron PaulsonBaby Pavilion
★★★★★

"Softscotch goes above and beyond the scope. The time, effort and dedication they put in is like having your own in-house marketing team. They are not just another marketing company."

TM
Tabassum MithaniTRS Care
★★★★★

"We are extremely happy with Softscotch, such an attentive team. No project is too small, and they give their 100%. We are extremely satisfied with their work."

SH
Safiya HafiziSimply Lactation
No black box

You'll always know exactly what we changed.

Plenty of agencies go quiet after the audit and you never quite know what you're paying for. We do the opposite. You get a live view of every change and what it moved, in plain language you can act on.

Your delivery, at a glanceSample
Changes shipped12
Pages reviewed28
StartMidpointNow
Delivery activity✓ Up to date
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Live client dashboard

Every change, score and ranking in one place you can open any time, not a monthly PDF you wait around for.

This week, explainedSample
✓Titles updated
Ready for your review
SSSoftscotch weekly update
0:00
2:00
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Weekly video summary

A short screen-recorded video (Loom) each week walking you through exactly what shipped and what it moved, so nothing is a mystery.

The change is clearSample

Before

Titles30 / 100
Structure42 / 100
Content28 / 100

After

Titles84 / 100
Structure79 / 100
Content90 / 100
Same page. Reviewed changes.
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Before/after score per page

See the exact lift on every page we touch, not a vague "it's improving" you have to take on faith.

Your weekly reportSample
01
What shipped

Approved page updates are live.

02
What we learned

Product details need a review.

03
What happens next

Confirm the next priority pages.

HTML mockupExplore mockup ↗

Plain-English reporting

Clicks, rankings and revenue, explained in words you can act on, instead of a wall of charts about how often you were seen (impression charts.

Your data. Your view.Sample
Organic search
StartMidpointNow
Sample report preview↗
HTML mockupExplore mockup ↗

Reports on demand

Ask for any cut of the data whenever you need it and get it, no waiting for the end of the month.

Every step, visibleSample
  1. ✓
    Proposed

    Softscotch prepares the change.

  2. ✓
    Approved

    Your team gives the go-ahead.

  3. ✓
    Published

    Checked live and recorded.

HTML mockupExplore mockup ↗

Ethical, transparent, always on

One accountable team, strictly white-hat (only methods search engines and platforms allow), no shortcuts and no surprises. Support whenever you need it.

One plan, full-stack access

One Softscotch plan gives you access to the full service stack, coordinated around your priorities.

You do not need a separate agency or retainer for every channel. Your plan can draw from search, paid media, web, ecommerce, outreach, automation, lead generation, messaging, content, creative and operations. The agreed scope sets what is active, in what order and at what capacity.

Pricing approach

One price for everything, not a stack of separate retainers.

You get one price for your whole marketing, not a separate retainer for every service. SEO, paid ads, your website, automations, cold email and newsletters, we run all of it as a single scope, so you get the most result for what you pay. Agencies sell each of these on its own, so the invoice climbs whether or not that line drives a single lead.

Bought separately, service by service

A different agency or retainer for each service. The bill stacks up fast, and keeps climbing whether or not each one moves a single lead.

SEO (technical, on-page, content)$2,000–3,500/mo
Local SEO+$750–1,500/mo
Programmatic SEO+$1,000–2,500/mo
CRO & landing pages+$2,000–3,500/mo
Paid ads (Google & Meta)+$2,500–4,000/mo
Marketing automations+$1,500–3,000/mo
Cold email outreach+$1,500–2,500/mo
Email marketing & newsletters+$750–1,500/mo
Website management & care+$750–1,500/mo
WordPress build & setup+$2,500–6,000 once
10 separate services$12,750–23,500/mo

Plus the one-off build, and a fresh contract, kickoff and onboarding delay for every new service you add.

All of it, one scope

We run your whole marketing as one engagement, so you get the most result for what you pay, not a pile of disconnected invoices.

  • SEO: technical, on-page, content, local and AI search
  • Template-built pages (programmatic SEO), links from other websites (backlinks) and authority
  • CRO and landing pages
  • Paid ads across Google and Meta
  • Automations, cold email and newsletters
  • WordPress build, setup and ongoing care
  • One team, one roadmap and one point of contact
  • Reporting tied to qualified leads and revenue
Everything above. One flat monthly fee.A fraction of the cost of the stack on the left
Plus free access to our own platforms
Post InstantlyVerified WidgetsTrending FunnelsBrands for CreatorsDarnItSEOGoHighLevel

Priced to your site after the audit. No sticker price, and no per-service creep.

What shapes your quote
Site sizePage count, templates and how much of the site actually needs work.
Market competitionHow hard the terms you want to win are, and who you are up against.
Content needsHow much new writing, rewriting and production the plan calls for.
Build complexityYour website platform (CMS, the system you edit your site in), your other tools and how involved the changes are to make.
Final pricing comes after the audit, once we have seen the four things above on your actual site. You get a written scope and a fixed quote before any work begins: no lock-in, no surprise line items, and no upfront number that ignores your market.
Request a custom scope
Questions, answered

Membership and LMS questions to ask before you hire anyone

These answers are honest about the limits set by platforms, the law, your data and results before any work starts.

Filter
What is included in membership and LMS services?

The work can include requirements, a map of member statuses and user roles, setting up memberships and course sign-ups, member and learner journeys, billing and login connections, moving data, security, accessibility, testing, monitoring, recovery, training for your admin and support team and a handover your team can run. LMS stands for learning management system, the software that runs online courses.

Do you work with the membership or course platform we already use?

Yes, when what it can do today, and its limits, fit the agreed requirements. We look at your live setup, plans, plugins, data links (APIs) and data before deciding whether to configure it, extend it, move away from it or replace it.

Can you build a custom membership or learning platform?

Yes, when a custom build makes sense for how your business works, your processes, the tools it must connect to, your size and who will own it. The proposal names exactly which part we build and leaves out open-ended platform work.

How do you stop the wrong person seeing protected content?

We set permissions by organization, role, item and action, block everything unless it is allowed, check permission on every request for protected content and test both allowed and blocked cases every time something changes.

Does a successful payment automatically give access?

Only through the access rule you agreed. Payment, invoice and subscription statuses can differ, so checked updates from the payment provider, your platform's own records, retries and regular matching decide the right change to access.

What happens when a renewal payment fails?

The agreed rules set out the payment provider's statuses, any grace period, how members are told, how they can retry or update their card, what access they keep, when support steps in and the final check. Softscotch doesn't make up your business or legal policy.

How do you define course completion?

We name the activity, the rule for finishing it, the attempt, the score or mark, who can override it, the content version and how old records are treated. "Complete" is a status in the platform, not proof that someone understood the material or a guaranteed result.

Do you write the courses and tests?

Not by default. This service builds the parts of the platform that hold content and track learning. Writing courses, designing lessons, making sure tests are fair and expert approval of the subject need their own agreed scope and owner.

Can you move our members, subscriptions and progress to a new platform?

Yes, when the old system's exports, IDs and payment provider limits allow it. We map how data changes, keep its history, test realistic records, check that the numbers match and agree how to handle exceptions and roll back before launch.

Do you control our login provider and single sign-on rules?

No. We can build and test your platform's side of OpenID Connect (a standard way to log in with another account) or another agreed link. Your own login owner keeps control of the provider's rules, accounts, groups, two-step login (MFA) and company-wide access decisions.

Can you connect outside learning tools using LTI?

LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) is a standard for plugging outside learning tools into a course platform. Where both your platform and the tool support the LTI features needed, we can build and test the agreed launch, roles, content or grade sharing. We don't claim official certification without going through the official process.

Can you guarantee our platform meets accessibility law?

No. We can design to an agreed WCAG level (the main web accessibility guidelines) and combine automatic scans, keyboard-only checks, screen-reader checks and realistic journey testing. Whether a law applies to you, and any formal claim that you meet a standard, stay with the reviewers responsible.

What security testing is included?

The agreed work can include permission, login session and account recovery cases, misuse of data links (APIs) and processes, limits on repeated attempts, file handling, sensitive actions, activity records and re-checks after changes. No web page can promise complete security.

How do you check that backup and recovery really work?

We write down which data and settings are backed up, how long backups are kept and how quickly you need to recover. Then we run a realistic restore or recovery practice, with checks that nothing is broken, timings, exceptions and a named owner.

What do you report after launch?

We report whether people have the right access, sign-up and recovery results, learning progress, billing and connection health, reliability, problems and the member or sales trends we can back up, each with clear definitions and limits.

Can you guarantee course completion, member retention or renewals?

No. We can be responsible for the agreed build, tests, day-to-day running and proof. Content quality, what your members need, pricing, the market and how your business runs also affect the results.

How long does a membership or LMS project take?

Once the member journeys, platform access, sample content, connections and decision makers are ready, discovery and a review of your live platform usually take 5 to 10 business days. A limited new build or trial version is often planned over 6 to 10 weeks. Complex roles, custom features, large or messy data moves, payment or login connections, accessibility fixes, security findings and slow approvals can all make it take longer than planned.

How is membership and LMS work priced?

Pricing depends on the confirmed platform and build scope, user roles, plans, how your content is organized, connections to other tools, how much data is moved, test and live setups, quality checks, security, accessibility, reporting and handover. Platform and plugin licenses, hosting, payment fees, email or video tools, making courses and specialist reviews are separate unless listed in your proposal.

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