Quote:
Originally posted by Vick@Oct 19 2003, 09:45 PM
Actually no one has addressed any reasons why adult on line revenue generation won't continue to decline for the majority
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That is the main reason *why* I'm happy, in a way.
I don't think it will continue to improve for the majority. The crowd in this business is thick and it's hard to be heard above the din when you're trying to attract a surfer.
Take away the crowd, and what happens? Shades of '97-'99, I'm thinking.
I've sent you signups that have rebilled for what seems like forever.
I have a few other sponsors where there is almost *never* a rebill.
Methinks when the dust settles your site will still be here and theirs won't - simple culling of the herd.
Look, I'm not afraid to name names. I went into Lightspeed18 last week and sat there wondering if I should even try to count all of the upsell plugins. I am hoping it's just because it's Steve's generic site and that his other sites are more focused on giving the customer what he saw on the tour. I know they shoot a bunch of exclusive content; I was just left wondering where it was. I still look at member's areas as if I were a surfer and to me, that member's area was really lacking.
People tell me the inside of Silvercash's sites are even worse, and Silvercash is one of my best sponsors - of course I only do PPS with them.
I got SO mad at Brad Shaw a year ago when he said on GFY that anyone who wants to get into this business should have to pay $5k just to enter. My thinking was, that puts 99% of the amateur girls out on the street. Plus it takes smaller would-be site owners who *can* deliver quality stuff and tosses them out, too. But I see where Brad is coming from. Anyone can throw up a paysite and water down the market, piss off the members they do get, and turn those members off of ever signing up for porn again. It got a little harder when Visa brought down the $750 fee and $100 - $500 business registration costs... Brad is getting his wish.
My own wishlist to make things better will never happen. Sponsor programs have grown too dependant on the webmasters to bring them traffic and as such, are groveling at the feet of the webmasters - whether they've proven themselves able to send signups or not. So they end up doing everything *for* the webmaster, who in turn never learns to sell, never learns to actually do the work, never even has a reason to refine his technique and get better. It reminds me of an old commercial about a guy being on cocaine. He buys coke so he can work harder and longer. So that he can buy more coke. So that he can work even more. So that he can buy more coke. So that he... it's a never-ending circle.
The sponsors give *everything* to the webmasters so they can get more of the traffic that's out there. By doing so, they make the traffic situation worse. So they give the webmasters even more. And make the situation worse. Lather, rinse, repeat.
In the end all you can do is focus on your own business and not worry about the majority. Sure, some of your friends' businesses might end up being casualties, but business is business. Customer service has *always* been key.
Wal-mart moves into a small town and within 6 months, most of the mom and pop stores are gone. But some survive and get even stronger, even with that goliath supercenter right down the street; even though they can't compete with those bulk-bought prices. What's the difference between the ones that survive and the ones that end up working for Wal-Mart?
They don't find a new way to charge the customer, they don't form co-ops with the other businesses so they can have more buying power... they keep and strengthen their focus on the customer and use *that* to set themselves apart.
Anyway I'm rambling and this looks like a russian novel already, even though I'd love to keep going. It's too early in the morning for people to read long posts like this
