Ambush Interview #56 Marc De - Page 3 - GoFuckYourself.com

woj · 08-26-2005, 04:29 PM

100..........

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2005, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vitasoy

I'm all eyes on this one

You aiin't gonna learn no sig whoring tips. Go see pimpdogs threads.

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2005, 04:37 PM

Really impressed @ the 3500 sales a day ... that's just insane ...

Sami · 08-26-2005, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor Dre

Really impressed @ the 3500 sales a day ... that's just insane ...

Hit me up on icq asap please.

Shap · 08-26-2005, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

the peak how many sales was ARS pulling a day?

In its peak which lasted about 40 months ARS averaged 3500 sales / day and 70,000,000 uniques / mo We never dropped below 15,000,000 uniques / mo and now do significantly more

Wow! I had an idea about the sales but no idea you'd ever post that.

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 04:52 PM

11. Is it true you washed dishes for Jackson's elite?

Yes, washing dishes was my first job... I actually enjoyed it, after work on the busy nights I would hang out and chat with some of the regulars while having a 'virgin' (of course) Strawberry Dacquiri.

12. Talk about Toy R Us

The 2nd job I landed was a cashier at Toys R Us. I really really enjoyed this job and when I was old enough I was immediately promoted. I worked 50 hours / week, commuted an hour each way and took a full load of classes when I was a freshman in college. I learned a lot about time management and driving while you're sleeping ;)

13. What was the most amount of washing machines you sold in one day? discuss

I have absolutely NO clue - I think the largest sales day I had was $8000... no matter what he tells you I'm a better appliance salesman than Steve (Webmaster Central).

14. How did Sears have a role in getting you into online porn?

I was making enough money at Sears to easily pay my bills as well as accumulate some cash to invest in my online business (ya know, get off geocities hehe) It was all up from there

15. What was your first paysite? & 16. Why did ARS start with mostly gay porn? Was it revenue or personal taste?

My first paysite was Breathless Boys (which started as my second free site). I started in gay when there were virtually NO players at the time. It was a wide open market. Now, don't get me wrong, I like a nice penis as much as the next guy, but my decision to move heavily towards the gay market was purely business

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shap

Wow! I had an idea about the sales but no idea you'd ever post that.

Ya know, so much of this business is about ego, who is bigger... Ya, its fun to be big, its fun to be compared to others, its fun to ask who is the biggest and wonder, but its just not that important to me.

Hey, I could do 5000 sign ups / day pretty quickly and lose $1-2mm / mo doing it. I'd rather do 1000 sign ups / day and make $1mm / mo

I questioned whether I should actually post the info, but hell, its the past and a lot of people will guess numbers close to it!

tapatio · 08-26-2005, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor Dre

Really impressed @ the 3500 sales a day ... that's just insane ...

For a 40 month period

INSANE

warlock5 · 08-26-2005, 05:01 PM

I've been waiting for this Ambush Interview for a long time!

Any random business/wealth-building related thoughts or tips you care to share with us?

polish_aristocrat · 08-26-2005, 05:07 PM

Great thread, but I have an idea why Sleazy uses the past form when speaking about ARS.

It's been simply an impression from many people that ARS lost significant market share and made some bad business decisions... you made the right decisions as you say but people can't know it.

And you changed constantly lots of things, changed payouts, some sites had paid trials, then free trials, then paid trials again, Champs was created as BYOT replacement, then moved to PimpRoll, not to mention all the addition of maisntream programs, that didnt really took off ( ? )

I mean ARS was adult revenue service, then advertising revenue service, then arsri.com etc . Now it's adultrevenueservice.com again, heh

some webmasters like stability but I am glad to see that ARS is growing again

Anna_O · 08-26-2005, 05:11 PM

Damn, Sleazy, why do such a great interbiew on a Friday night when people are getting drunk? Bookmarked this thread for some nice reading on Sunday.

Minte · 08-26-2005, 05:14 PM

Its a good businessman that realizes getting rich isn't that hard.Staying rich is the trick.Congrats to you MarcDe for learning that lesson at a young age.

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polish_aristocrat

Great thread, but I have an idea why Sleazy uses the past form when speaking about ARS.

Yes, it was quite obvious to me perhaps WHY he would, doesn't mean its right and I felt it needs to be corrected

Quote:

Originally Posted by polish_aristocrat

And you changed constantly lots of things, changed payouts, some sites had paid trials, then free trials, then paid trials again, Champs was created as BYOT replacement, then moved to PimpRoll, not to mention all the addition of maisntream programs, that didnt really took off ( ? )

I mean ARS was adult revenue service, then advertising revenue service, then arsri.com etc . Now it's adultrevenueservice.com again, heh

You have to change to stay competitive. You have to be willing to try new ideas and adjust with the times. I 'd rather make change and make tough decisions to stay competitive than die a slow death

Quote:

Originally Posted by polish_aristocrat

some webmasters like stability but I am glad to see that ARS is growing again

ALL webmasters should like stability and ARS has been stable. You can always count on your money weekly and our servers are always up. We can be guaranteed to get a fast honest reply to any support needs.

DaddyHalbucks · 08-26-2005, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polish_aristocrat

Great thread, but I have an idea why Sleazy uses the past form when speaking about ARS.

It's been simply an impression from many people that ARS lost significant market share and made some bad business decisions... you made the right decisions as you say but people can't know it.

And you changed constantly lots of things, changed payouts, some sites had paid trials, then free trials, then paid trials again, Champs was created as BYOT replacement, then moved to PimpRoll, not to mention all the addition of maisntream programs, that didnt really took off ( ? )

I mean ARS was adult revenue service, then advertising revenue service, then arsri.com etc . Now it's adultrevenueservice.com again, heh

some webmasters like stability but I am glad to see that ARS is growing again

Business is a moving target by its very nature.

Some people don't like change, but it's an inherent part of entrepreneurship. Change can be especially fast paced in the technology field or where lots of competition joins the party.

It looks like Marc is doing a good job managing it, because that's all you ever do is manage it, you don't prevent change, because life is change.

Rui · 08-26-2005, 05:43 PM

outstanding Ambush

Bookmarked :D

Jay_StandAhead · 08-26-2005, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

ALL webmasters should like stability and ARS has been stable. You can always count on your money weekly and our servers are always up. We can be guaranteed to get a fast honest reply to any support needs.

true... ARS is by far the most accomodating affiliate program I've ever delt with. My rep there back then was Laura, and she helped me out of sticky situations many times, and she always went out of her way anytime she could.

I would trust ARS with my kids! (if I had kids)

ARS never missed a payment, even when you told me yourself you were losing $20,000/week on my traffic!

remember that Marc?

Spunky · 08-26-2005, 06:19 PM

Very intresting interview..good read

frankfortuna · 08-26-2005, 06:34 PM

Marc,

If I may ask, your operations are located in the Kalamazoo area, correct? We're right next to Holland.

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2005, 06:35 PM

Really impressed @ the 3500 sales a day ... that's just insane ...

SilverTab · 08-26-2005, 06:35 PM

wow definitly my favorite interview so far!....

ARS is the first sponsor I promoted, good interview Sleazy! Good replies Marc!...

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2005, 06:36 PM

Polish ... 40 months on top of the adult game ... and I really do mean on TOP of everything else ... that's some stability for a constantly moving business.

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2005, 06:43 PM

err double post ... I thought I haden't post it ... opened my screen and it was there with no forward button so I figured out I only typed it

Shoehorn! · 08-26-2005, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankfortuna

Marc,

If I may ask, your operations are located in the Kalamazoo area, correct? We're right next to Holland.

I live on Lake Fenton 3 months a year.

Toolz · 08-26-2005, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay[neX]

true... ARS is by far the most accomodating affiliate program I've ever delt with. My rep there back then was Laura, and she helped me out of sticky situations many times, and she always went out of her way anytime she could.

I would trust ARS with my kids! (if I had kids)

ARS never missed a payment, even when you told me yourself you were losing $20,000/week on my traffic!

remember that Marc?

LOL yep, you drove your S4 across Canada or something and stopped in the office

KRL · 08-26-2005, 07:04 PM

Marc, have you found the average duration for your rebills has pretty much stayed consistent over the years or gone down or up?

What do you see as the best way to increase customer retaintions on pay sites?

Adult-biz · 08-26-2005, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

4. At the peak how many sales was ARS pulling a day?

In its peak which lasted about 40 months ARS averaged 3500 sales / day and 70,000,000 uniques / mo We never dropped below 15,000,000 uniques / mo and now do significantly more

Hi Marc, these numbers that you mentioned. To your knowledge, are these the largest ever achieved consistently by any sponsor at any time?

Probably a dense question because I am sure that these volumes are quite unique.

Thanks.

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KRL

Marc, have you found the average duration for your rebills has pretty much stayed consistent over the years or gone down or up?

What do you see as the best way to increase customer retaintions on pay sites?

Retention has obviously gone down over the years. The best way to retain in my opinion is with reasonable monthly recurring costs and constantly content updates with easily navigated members areas.

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexus

Hi Marc, these numbers that you mentioned. To your knowledge, are these the largest ever achieved consistently by any sponsor at any time?

Probably a dense question because I am sure that these volumes are quite unique.

Thanks.

Truthfully, I have no clue. I know that I did really well and we were extremely profitable. You'll never see me say I am (or was) the biggest around. I'm not that naive nor would I be that presumptuous. Have you ever heard the saying, no matter how bad you are there is someone worse and no matter how good you are there is someone better? That always makes you want to improve and do better. This business has a real issue with "Who is NUMBER ONE?" "I know who the biggest is" "They're HUGE, massive..."

The fact is, really nobody knows and its all a guessing game. Until we're all publicly traded companies and filing SEC financials nobody will know

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 07:17 PM

BTW - I made a mistake in using past tense on saying "we were really profitable". The fact is we're MORE profitable now than we ever were. Our profit % flirts with 50%

Of course a hefty recurring DB helps with that ;)

Adult-biz · 08-26-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

Truthfully, I have no clue. I know that I did really well and we were extremely profitable. You'll never see me say I am (or was) the biggest around. I'm not that naive nor would I be that presumptuous. Have you ever heard the saying, no matter how bad you are there is someone worse and no matter how good you are there is someone better? That always makes you want to improve and do better. This business has a real issue with "Who is NUMBER ONE?" "I know who the biggest is" "They're HUGE, massive..."

The fact is, really nobody knows and its all a guessing game. Until we're all publicly traded companies and filing SEC financials nobody will know

Thanks for the reply.

Genuinely nice to see a level headed answer as opposed to some of the boasting & bs that is seen.

KRL · 08-26-2005, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

Retention has obviously gone down over the years. The best way to retain in my opinion is with reasonable monthly recurring costs and constantly content updates with easily navigated members areas.

I agree completely on keeping recurring costs more reasonable for users.

Shap · 08-26-2005, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexus

Hi Marc, these numbers that you mentioned. To your knowledge, are these the largest ever achieved consistently by any sponsor at any time?

Probably a dense question because I am sure that these volumes are quite unique.

Thanks.

The numbers are HUGE but not the biggest I've seen. Over a shorter period of time (maybe 8 to 12 months) xpics was averaging almost double that daily.

GTS Mark · 08-26-2005, 08:18 PM

Ahhh another fellow Sears employee that has achieved greatness... It warms my heart, I sold stuff thru product code 57...

Remember which department that was Marc? ;)

DH

emthree · 08-26-2005, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

6. Is it true you're addicted to video games?

Yes

Want to buy computergamers.com from me

Good stuff Marc, It's great to see you earned all that you have

Shap · 08-26-2005, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shap

The numbers are HUGE but not the biggest I've seen. Over a shorter period of time (maybe 8 to 12 months) xpics was averaging almost double that daily.

Mind you that was in the free signup days and before ars. I think it's much more impressive to have those numbers more recently as opposed to back in the wild west days.

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrinkingMODerately

Ahhh another fellow Sears employee that has achieved greatness... It warms my heart, I sold stuff thru product code 57...

Remember which department that was Marc? ;)

DH

I rang up 22, 26, and 1 other I can't recall. I'm not sure what 57 was, perhaps electronics?

GTS Mark · 08-26-2005, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

I rang up 22, 26, and 1 other I can't recall. I'm not sure what 57 was, perhaps electronics?

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner

I used to love ringing up sales in your department when people needed help, nothing was below $500 and everything was 5% commission minimum.

Sears paved the way for my internet career as well

DH

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2005, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shap

Mind you that was in the free signup days and before ars. I think it's much more impressive to have those numbers more recently as opposed to back in the wild west days.

Let's just say there was a good reason why Xpics got that many signups ...

Shap · 08-26-2005, 08:40 PM

They got that many signups because they paid out more than anyone. They were able to pay so much because they made more per surfer than probably any other site ever.

Nicky · 08-26-2005, 08:44 PM

This is BIG interview!

Juicy D. Links · 08-26-2005, 08:50 PM

Fuck man , I am getting a pt job at Sears now

Mutt · 08-26-2005, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shap

They got that many signups because they paid out more than anyone. They were able to pay so much because they made more per surfer than probably any other site ever.

because they were thieves - simple as that - and thousands of webmasters were complicit with the thievery. those douchebags should be doing time.

BradShaw · 08-26-2005, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mutt

because they were thieves - simple as that - and thousands of webmasters were complicit with the thievery. those douchebags should be doing time.

What about your buddies who made millions off the biggest scam of all time, Crescent?

Doctor Dre · 08-26-2005, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shap

They got that many signups because they paid out more than anyone. They were able to pay so much because they made more per surfer than probably any other site ever.

You forgot one thing ... it was fraud

SomeCreep · 08-26-2005, 09:06 PM

good interview so far

GTS Mark · 08-26-2005, 09:09 PM

Hey Marc, do you have your pre-order in yet for Quake 4?

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/q4preview.html

DH

AdultInsider Cloner · 08-26-2005, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

6. Is it true you're addicted to video games?

Yes, I'm so addicted to video games that I had to create a company that makes them (S2 Games) and a company that distributes them (iGames). I've spent 10+ hours / week playling games since I was 4 years old. Currently I'm addicted to Warcraft III. I also purchased happypuppy.com from the public company that paid $48 million for the asset. Happy Puppy is currently the 4th largest video game website getting over 30,000,000 hits / mo S2 Games created Savage, which won multiple awards, including Independent Game of 2004

We're currently working on Savage 2

I'm currently into Battlefield 2 and Lineage II, but the first game I was addicted to was Starcraft

Marc De · 08-26-2005, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrinkingMODerately

Hey Marc, do you have your pre-order in yet for Quake 4?

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/q4preview.html

DH

Not yet...

Hey guys - I'll get to the rest of the questions tomorrow when I get to my next campsite. Keep the comments and questions rolling. I'll try to get to all the questions you guys ask as well.

AdultInsider Cloner · 08-26-2005, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc De

Not yet...

Hey guys - I'll get to the rest of the questions tomorrow when I get to my next campsite. Keep the comments and questions rolling. I'll try to get to all the questions you guys ask as well.

Cool Marc..have fun!!!

Shap · 08-26-2005, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor Dre

You forgot one thing ... it was fraud

I never said it was legal

08-26-2005, 04:29 PM	#101
woj <&(©¿©)&> Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 47,882	100.......... __________________ Custom Software Development, email: woj#at#wojfun#.#com to discuss details or skype: wojl2000 or gchat: wojfun or telegram: wojl2000 Affiliate program tools: Hosted Galleries Manager Banner Manager Video Manager Wordpress Affiliate Plugin Pic/Movie of the Day Fansign Generator Zip Manager

08-26-2005, 04:52 PM	#106
Marc De Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 632	11. Is it true you washed dishes for Jackson's elite? Yes, washing dishes was my first job... I actually enjoyed it, after work on the busy nights I would hang out and chat with some of the regulars while having a 'virgin' (of course) Strawberry Dacquiri. 12. Talk about Toy R Us The 2nd job I landed was a cashier at Toys R Us. I really really enjoyed this job and when I was old enough I was immediately promoted. I worked 50 hours / week, commuted an hour each way and took a full load of classes when I was a freshman in college. I learned a lot about time management and driving while you're sleeping ;) 13. What was the most amount of washing machines you sold in one day? discuss I have absolutely NO clue - I think the largest sales day I had was $8000... no matter what he tells you I'm a better appliance salesman than Steve (Webmaster Central). 14. How did Sears have a role in getting you into online porn? I was making enough money at Sears to easily pay my bills as well as accumulate some cash to invest in my online business (ya know, get off geocities hehe) It was all up from there 15. What was your first paysite? & 16. Why did ARS start with mostly gay porn? Was it revenue or personal taste? My first paysite was Breathless Boys (which started as my second free site). I started in gay when there were virtually NO players at the time. It was a wide open market. Now, don't get me wrong, I like a nice penis as much as the next guy, but my decision to move heavily towards the gay market was purely business __________________ 650+ Tours in Every Niche • Automated Dynamic Free Hosted Gallery System online now - The BEST FHG System!

08-26-2005, 05:07 PM	#110
polish_aristocrat Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 40,377	Great thread, but I have an idea why Sleazy uses the past form when speaking about ARS. It's been simply an impression from many people that ARS lost significant market share and made some bad business decisions... you made the right decisions as you say but people can't know it. And you changed constantly lots of things, changed payouts, some sites had paid trials, then free trials, then paid trials again, Champs was created as BYOT replacement, then moved to PimpRoll, not to mention all the addition of maisntream programs, that didnt really took off ( ? ) I mean ARS was adult revenue service, then advertising revenue service, then arsri.com etc . Now it's adultrevenueservice.com again, heh some webmasters like stability but I am glad to see that ARS is growing again __________________ I don't use ICQ anymore.

08-26-2005, 05:11 PM	#111
Anna_O Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 5,773	Damn, Sleazy, why do such a great interbiew on a Friday night when people are getting drunk? Bookmarked this thread for some nice reading on Sunday. __________________ Fetish by Anna Paysite - Nylons Bondage Latex Lesbians Glamour Annas Dungeon - 70k / day Fetish TGP ICQ 246797915

08-26-2005, 05:14 PM	#112
Minte Babemeister Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Madison Posts: 7,081	Its a good businessman that realizes getting rich isn't that hard.Staying rich is the trick.Congrats to you MarcDe for learning that lesson at a young age. __________________ You might not be as anonymous as you think you are.

08-26-2005, 05:01 PM	#109
warlock5 Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Uranus Posts: 2,808	I've been waiting for this Ambush Interview for a long time! Any random business/wealth-building related thoughts or tips you care to share with us?

08-26-2005, 05:43 PM	#115
Rui web Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: On icq: 85-483-060 Posts: 9,533	outstanding Ambush Bookmarked :D

08-26-2005, 06:19 PM	#117
Spunky I need a beer Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: ♠ Toiletville ♠ Posts: 133,970	Very intresting interview..good read __________________ *YOUR INFORMATION HERE*

08-26-2005, 06:34 PM	#118
frankfortuna Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,504	Marc, If I may ask, your operations are located in the Kalamazoo area, correct? We're right next to Holland.

08-26-2005, 06:35 PM	#120
SilverTab Confirmed User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: MTL Posts: 5,060	wow definitly my favorite interview so far!.... ARS is the first sponsor I promoted, good interview Sleazy! Good replies Marc!... __________________ mmm my sig was too big... no more cool animation but hey still! need php? ICQ: 94586959

08-26-2005, 07:04 PM	#125
KRL Entrepreneur Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: USA Posts: 31,429	Marc, have you found the average duration for your rebills has pretty much stayed consistent over the years or gone down or up? What do you see as the best way to increase customer retaintions on pay sites? __________________ If you would like to develop your domains, you can lease inexpensive foreign labor from the leaders in the field at iWebmasters.com TO LOWER YOUR COSTS AND INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTION! * * * * * * * * * * * * Domains Adult News KRL's Newsletter Biz Tips Just Listed Domains

08-26-2005, 07:17 PM	#129
Marc De Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 632	BTW - I made a mistake in using past tense on saying "we were really profitable". The fact is we're MORE profitable now than we ever were. Our profit % flirts with 50% Of course a hefty recurring DB helps with that ;) __________________ 650+ Tours in Every Niche • Automated Dynamic Free Hosted Gallery System online now - The BEST FHG System!

08-26-2005, 08:18 PM	#133
GTS Mark Vrume Mark Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 20,912	Ahhh another fellow Sears employee that has achieved greatness... It warms my heart, I sold stuff thru product code 57... Remember which department that was Marc? ;) DH

08-26-2005, 08:40 PM	#139
Shap Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 8,313	They got that many signups because they paid out more than anyone. They were able to pay so much because they made more per surfer than probably any other site ever.

08-26-2005, 08:44 PM	#140
Nicky Too lazy to set a custom title Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 30,071	This is BIG interview! __________________ gfynicky @ gmail.com

08-26-2005, 08:50 PM	#141
Juicy D. Links So Fucking Banned Industry Role: Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: N.Y. -Long Island -- Posts: 122,992	Fuck man , I am getting a pt job at Sears now

08-26-2005, 09:06 PM	#145
SomeCreep :glugglug Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Where the Wild Things Are Posts: 26,118	good interview so far __________________ Webair Hosting I use and recommend Webair for hosting.

08-26-2005, 09:09 PM	#146
GTS Mark Vrume Mark Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 20,912	Hey Marc, do you have your pre-order in yet for Quake 4? http://www.big-boys.com/articles/q4preview.html DH