Serious Thread :: If you had to start over today, in this economy and business enviro

I'd do a poo...

I'd probably research a hell of a lot more than I did. I'd be more motivated and really look into everything I was doing indepth but not taking forever. I think the main thing today is everyone and their mother is pushing something, it's saturated in most areas and people shave a lot more. I think I'd just take things a little more serious and do a lot more research and not listen to what everyone says as opposed to trusting my instincts. I think it's mostly to do with confidence, if you have that and you're true to yourself and straight shooting and trust yourself you're good no matter what. Not juggling 50 things at once helps too, stick to 2-5 projects and work to the best of your ability and LOVE what you do and what you sell. Lot of people get in this for fast cash and burn out fast, you have to love it I believe.

I'd come back as a woman capable of hypnotizing my very rich clients.

They say the definition of true success is taking what you love to do and finding a way to make money at it...thus I have a guitar instructional website that will be finished...some day LOL

doesn't that get old? flying your flag in a supposed serious thread, shame shame...


As for being on topic for the OP. If I had to start with no money (meaning little money right?). If it had to be porn I say I would get a few affiliates and start promoting with whatever ways of getting traffic I could think of. Maybe try to sell a few memberships to my friends. Invent new ways to get exposure even offline.

Serious answer?
I would go EXTREEME MICRO NICHE...
Shoot my OWN exclusive content, then make it available online on a PPV basis... The videos would NOT be downloadable. The pics WOULD be downloadable, as part of a 'freebie' for those PAYING to view the video online.

Videos would NOT be watermarked. Pics would be HEAVILY Watermarked...

I would NOT use an affiliate model, but I would monetize the payment methods across the broadest range possible. Id have full geo pages in diff languages and allow credit card, SMS TEXT, Payment by phone and everything else on the market I could...
(Not having to worry about affiliate tracking would free me up to accept payments HOWEVER I want... Even via the post!)

I would sell at premium price and encourage the watermarked pics to be shared, as a method of advertising within the community of the chosen niche...

The above is just a generalization. I have much more specific details... But thats cause Im actually doing this RIGHT NOW !

I'm not 'Starting From Scratch' overall... But I am starting this project from scratch at the moment !

Sure...memberships to what?

Nope... Never will

See my post sbove with my serious answer...

And how are you acquiring your traffic? PPC or do you already have a source of traffic?

I hate to say it,but I think I would do the exact same shit i've done, the exact same way. I do fuck up from time to time, but I have managed to do both mainstream and adult without ever pissing anyone off, or being dishonest.
I would continue to pay the bills when due and collect the cash I am owed, just like always. And I would start the same way, I got mine in 97 or 98 selling glass pipes for smoking with online. I borrowed $500 from my mom for product (thanks mom, love you), had an off-line source to move the pipes when the web wouldn't and never had a problem.
I got into adult on accident really, I was fucking around with directnic and found a few good adult url's and figured why not. Good move on my part. I'm happy with the way things have worked out, and they just keep getting better..

to any of the affiliates I signed on with.

but if you were talking about paysite of your own, then theguyinthecorner's serious post is 100% great info.

I found a solution to his posts a long time ago...

Time and expense to creating my own adult site is not appealing to me right now. Over the last 3 years I have put in over 2,000 hours into my guitar instructional website (which is still not 100% ready to go) and that kind of time investment isn't in the cards again LOL And, seriously, with the exception of an affiliate program and PPC through Google, Yahoo and MSN I am clueless as to how to market the thing online once it is finished anyway.

Source of traffic will be from surfer forums dedicated to the niche.

As preparation, I joined 10 of the largest forums relevant to the niche, approx 8 months ago... I have been posting pics as I shoot, interacting with others, praising other peoples stuff (Even if I think its shit) and generally integrating myself within the communities built up around the fetish...

I have a coming soon up on my URL with an email collection box for those interested. It has served me well... Also, due to my good, healthy relationship with the forum owners, and my intention to purchase paid advertising etc... I am also able to place a link in some of the forums regualr 'news letters' etc

I already have a fair bit of interest and feedback from people waiting for the launch. They really like the idea of just paying to see the 'clip' that they fancy with the girl they fancy... Without the obligation of having to 'join' a site...

The fetish ISNT poo... I'm NOT going to give it away, but Its an established fetish that I have a unique twist on... I'm doing something just a little different to others. The fetish is generally a softer fetish... Usually using 'soft-core' models... But I have 'upped the anti' by using established well known hardcore models... Just just go a 'little further'...

I dont mean im taking a X rated fetish and making it XXX... But my girls are a little bit more relaxed infront of the cameras than usual girls, are comftobale talking about what they are doing, as they do it, behaving in a more provactive sexual way, and in doing so, they take it to a more intense level... But without it going too far and becoming Full On Hardcore...

Plus lots more things that are 'slightly different' as well

Finally, before I give my ENTIRE Business plan away... I will say that it helps if you are 'Into' the fetish yourself... If your not... IT WONT WORK... But, I am... So I am looking forward to the launch with very positive, high expectations

I would do exactly what I am doing now.

Good information. It reminds me of a book I recently read on new ways to market on the web (I cannot recall the name but it is on the bookshelf behind me). I am following a similar plan for my guitar site but I am more into tangibles and feel I am "missing it" when my efforts are not immediately fruitful. I think it's why I have always been a designer...work, get paid. Repeat.

As would I -- design. But I would do a whole lot more. And the "whole lot more" escapes me...

Perhaps one thing I would do differently in the design arena...I would have not taken any in-house positions. It took me out of the loop. I was very popular and extremely busy for years. Then I got dumb and took an in-house position in 2004. It never stuck and when I find myself freelancing again I tend to be chasing my tail. I end up working for other design companies for peanuts (which I do a lot of now) and the end result is I cannot even show my wares in my personal portfolio. So the other design guys get the benefit of attracting more and new business using my work to do so. Aggravating. Sure, after a period of struggle I end up making the kind of money I am more accustomed to but the interim tests me.

</pity_party>

I'd hire Jon Clark to start and manage my porn business.

In these times I wouldn't start in Adult anymoe, the good/easy times are over since years. I started back in 2001, and even that was almost too late.

The core elements of building an on-line business and building traffic are about the same as they've always been.

Yeah, the economy sucks but there is nothing you can do about that so don't even consider it.

I've only been in adult for 2 years but I was in mainstream before that. All I'm really seeing is adult becoming more competitive and more difficult, just like mainstream. A lot of the bitching you hear is from people who are accustomed to opening a site and being profitable on day one. Or affiliates who worked an hour a day and made a ton of cash. You could never do that in mainstream and the days of doing that in adult are fading away quickly. Doesn't mean adult is dying, it's just maturing.

Unfortunately, a lot of insiders saw a naturally maturing market and thought that meant the industry was dying, not just maturing. So they got desperate and started cross selling and giving everything away to grab what they saw as the last few scraps before the industry collapsed. But the industry was never collapsing or dying, it was just maturing as all markets do.

But that's the double edged sword of adult. It's cool because anybody who's clever and hard working can do well but it also means there is a serious lack of people with formal business knowledge.

Gotta take the good with the bad if you want to be in adult I guess.

Oh man, I slap myself daily for shit I didn't do right or that I didn't continue with... to much shit to mention here, but one thing I would of done was NOT BECOME A SITE FLIPPER

I sold some good sites making good money for pennies on the dollar, just for the quick cash.

Some good nuggets of wisdom there. I believe there is always a way to prosper in any economy and in any market (even adult). It's just a matter of seeing "what's next," much of like the innovators of the dreaded tubes. The days of jumping on the coat tails of someone else's success to grab some coin for yourself are gone. Change happens too fast these days.

great info here

stop talking and start doing

And thus the topic of the thread...doing what?