What Signup process do you use?

As none off the Cheetahwsb members answered this question, I've decided to try a less demanding approach. Unfortunately I'm not sure if Cheetah can handle my request and I wouldn't know how to do most of the setup even if it did.

Deano, maybe you can help me here?

What I'd like to do is this:

1. A person signs up but only has certain privileges such as updating their profile, uploading photos and viewing other profiles.

2. These limited  privileges would remain in place until Admin approves the membership status from (say) Pending to Basic. 

I've played with Membership Levels, but it seems "Promotional" is somehow linked to the payment system, but I'm happy to use it.

What I need is:

1. The person signs up and is redirected to a page that spells out what limitations apply until their membership is approved. At present they get a page saying an email has been sent. I need to replace that.

2. Once they've read that page they can go to the site, but with limited privileges.  This will allow them to upload a profile pic and update their profile, but little else. I can create  a new membership  level or maybe use Promotinal.

3. Admin can then look in the "Pending Members" page on the Dashboard and change the membership to basic, or sack them.

What I don't know is this:

1. How do I make all new signups become "Pending Members?" I don't recall seeing a place to do this on the dashboard.

2. The URL for the redirect page, or where to change it so that I can create a new page with Page Builder.

3. Whether all of the above is possible.

It's probably the wrong place to ask this question because I seem to be the only one using this forum lately and Deano is the only one answering my questions.

However, I'll give it a go!

Do you use the "signup and you're in" version, or do you use email confirmation where the new member gets an email with a code they must use to log in for the first time? Most sites use the latter method, but I find that most people signing up on my site don't proceed.

The site is quite small, but 50% of the people signing up continue to remain as unconfirmed members.

I go through each of the unconfirmed members regularly and most look very genuine. There's the odd person we could do without, but I don't see much in the way of bot activity.

I'm inclined to think the site's emails aren't getting through to the person's inbox and I'm beginning to think most people out there NEVER look in their spam folder.  I've asked a few friends if they look and most say "What's the Spam folder?"

Your comments and thoughts please. What method do you use?