I'm just going to play devils advocate here for a minute.

Everyone says the tubes are killing them. But I've also read in this thread many people saying their traffic is up. If surfers are getting their porn from tubes, why are they still surfing and visiting your sites/galleries/blogs?

Maybe the surfers are looking for something, it's just not there so they settle on the tubes.

I've talked to COUNTLESS people who say they hate modern porn. The steroid guy with the huge cock just fucking like a jackhammer on a girl who's faking it, usually the same girl you've seen in 20 other galleries being sold as a teen or an amateur or a "real girlfriend".

Maybe the prices need to come down, or maybe the quality needs to go up. I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud here.

"Also, mega sites like videobox are providing so much value even the largest programs can't compete with them." - BrandonStills Summer 2008

Let me just say...
Thats a bold statement.
I think you are missing alot in that statement videobox is nice but it hardly meets the breadth of desires of the worlds adult questing traffic. Maybe a part and thats good and well but really its just another tube site thats legit, videobox is competing with 20 other guys like it that are free.

Wouldnt you think that if all tubesites were to either close shop or charge for access the numbers would be alot better?

Wouldnt you think that if Americans were not going into recession mode numbers would be better?

Yes traffic is up infact it's quite alot of traffic available these days but they tend to buy less as the years go by. At least thats what I am seeing.

Roger that.

Back in the day I didn't really work at this at all...

I've got the same traffic I've had for a few years now. And according to some it's the worst kind there is (although I know it's not coz I've got worse stuff than that!).

Same traffic, maybe 25% less sales, rebills up slightly.

Can't say my experience has been as bad as others. In fact my sales have increased this month for the first time in a while. I'm wondering if I'm benefiting from all my competition giving up and moving on.

Tube sites + recession + fuel prices = bad for the industry generally. But it doesn't seem to be universal. No doubt in my mind that the big companies are getting hit the most.

My big frustration is the US dollar. If it weren't for that I'd be doing the same as I have for years now. But that is irrelevant :|

Ok I really took a look at Mandy Blake.....Correct me if I'm wrong but is she doing any fucking on that site or is that site like a model site where she just poses and uses dildos?

If she's not fucking, then you need to put some dick inside of her and on the tour and fast.......

no boy girl and there wont be.You're funny lol

my ears are ringing

Sales dropped off some Im not broke the bills are covered just have to work harder. Like Alien said dropped doesnt mean broke. lol

BVF must not be married because if he was he would know. You just dont make wives do anything. lol

How many sales a day each do you think the top 10 affiliate programs are doing now man ?

It would be really nice to know.
I couldnt take a fair guess.

The only thing I think would be fair to say with an educated guess is this.
Most are doing less than they were even 6 months ago as whole and definalty less when compared to a year ago. Thats what I would bet.

if you look it up somewhere here xxxjay showed how things were off and he gave numbers if I remember.

Give me a ball park bro

i can also confirm that the numbers are down. same traffic levels, ratios are down though.

Everyone fucking thinks if they show a little more than the other guy, they will get more traffic and signups. We're saturating our own shit.

WE RUN THIS BITCH!

We, as a whole, decide what the fuck we give away for free and how it's displayed.

If we all pulled some tgp2 type of shit, the surfers would be pissed. If it stuck around and everyone did it, they would buy just as much if not more as they do now. Unless some cock ass has to show a little more...

I agree with pretty much everything you are saying. It was an over-generalization to call attention to a point. Although, I would hardly call videobox a tube site.

The questions you pose are rhetorical in nature, as I'm sure you intended, but I think they are extremely valuable in that they call attention to the general state of mind of the industry. Obviously it would be better if those things were true, but does anyone really have any control over it?

Part of the reason I think people are struggling in the industry is because their strategies, business models and processes were copied, with little thought as to why, from previous people when the business climate was dramatically different. Things have changed since then and consequentially so must the industry.

Any successful formation of strategy must first start with an assessment of how things currently are (the terrain) followed by an inventory of what you have available to work with (talent, resources, energy, passion, etc). ONLY when these 2 have been properly identified are you free to develop a plan.

It would seem the industry as a whole is cognizant of these changing conditions, and even quite vocal, but for some reason chooses to ignore them. It reminds me of the bible when it talks about the foolish man that built his house upon the sand. Well, it's raining now and the winds are blowing.

Take a look at the current situation around you and ask what can I do, given the circumstances, to profit here? Think outside the box. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and come up with something they want. Don't copy what everyone else is doing, innovate!

Try to see the positive side. Labor is cheaper. Memberships are more affordable to foreign customers.

What paysites do you run?

LOL! Yes, I confide in the fact that my expenses are hedged.

or do you do affiliate stuff? Im curious.:)

There is something on its way... :thumbsup

Curious, why do you ask?

You've had lots of opinions,wanted to know what they are based on, your working experience getting sales or are they ideas,opinions. No wrong answer just was curious where you were seeing it from.

by the way looked at your pics, you are an amazing photographer. I wish I was half as good.

Adult used to be the cutting edge of the web with new innovations and ideas but that all ended several years ago as far as sales and promotion go and it’s been the same old same old ever since. Stuck in the TGP and blog rut for so long this industry was just perfect for the tube sites to come into with a bang.

Not from my own experiences. There's something people will say about that, I'm sure.

My statements are from studying businesses in other industries with similar histories/circumstances and from generally accepted business teachings. History has a habit of repeating itself and I believe studying what made some businesses succeed and other fails is a worthy exercise.

I enjoy following technology and business news and have done so from a young age. I have always had a gift for predicting trends and knowing what the next big trend is going to be. I also love strategy. Sun Tzu especially. What I was talking about above is taken directly from that. It just makes sense. You don't need experience to know if you ignore reality and just keep doing the same thing you're not going to have much success.

Other businesses have faced similar challenges and have adapted. So will porn. It's inevitable.

Also, I've had the unique opportunity to see the industry from many perspectives (porn consumer, photographer, videographer, agent at an agency, programmer, webmaster, affiliate).

I'm holding back a lot of my strategy because it would be extremely easy for someone with the right resources to completely dominate the industry if they saw the future I see and had the plan I have. Bold claim, yes, but I am confident of it.

Yup, where has all the innovation gone? The industry was brilliant to come up with those things. Why are they so ignorant of other technologies that are right under their noses that other business are already using to amazing success?

LOTS of threads like this recently.

This isn't anymore some exaggerated 2257 BS...

It's an important topic it think. It's worth having something like this at least once a week.
People are losing money yet traffic remains the same and in some cases traffic is higher yet sales are lower. It is unusual and the drop has been happening pretty fast, faster than usual I think, I only got my little numbers but from what I am seeing in this thread I am not the only guy feeling it.

At least 2257 had us spooked about content, this is about bottom dollar for affiliates. I'd rather fret about 2257 issues than lose a cent honestly...

I agree sales are getting harder to come by and after years of webmasters pumping out free content it's catching up to us fast!

Well, we're going up. We're giving a kickass product for free, users get a new girl dancing on their desktop every day for free and they can buy for as low as $2 if they want to see her naked. We show the whole member's area, don't fuck them (no adware/spyware/xsells) and guess what? They come back and buy more.

I'm not saying Desktop Strippers are the answer to the problems of the industry, we convert extremely well on traffic that suits us (up to $0.20 cents per click sent, check all our affiliates detailed statistics here: http://www2.totemcash.com/free/statistics.php) but this is not where I'm going. I believe the dominant business model in this industry (recuring membership, PPS for affiliates) should change. We're doing way more money today charging users per girl and building trust than before trying to sell membership. I guess it was a close call before between the two models, but it's not anymore with all the tube sites around. I personaly believe the next model revolves around tube site selling scenes in HD pay per view/download. Once the user found the niche he wants to jerk off on, it's the best time to provide him with the best video on that niche, in good quality for a very low price. Of course you won't be able to advertise for $35 per free trial with that, but maybe one day affiliates will start looking at how much they do per click...

my 2 cents, bash away :)

http://cbanners.virtuagirlhd.com/cus...banner/526.gif

it exists already: www.ero-advertising.com :)

It has nothing to do with quality (there are lots of good quality out there), but all to do with free content.

Conversions have and will find a new bottom each time the industry decide to give more free away... Anyone who have been in business for more than 8 years now this, because it has happen again and again.

Sure people might grow tired of specific content, models or even fear billing, but the vast majority of surfers use porn when mastrubating, and if they couldn´t get it for free, then they would be paying for it - maybe not monthly but atleast a few months per year to get some fresh content :2 cents:

Old business partner of mine posted around year 2000 that within 10 years webmasters would be happy with 1/3000 signup ratio (at that time it was about 1/300) with all the counter wanking taking place (people were focusing more on be #1 on some worthless counter, then on their bottomline - nothing much have changed)... and I think he will be right :2 cents:

Those who will prosper will focus on "their" niche, and build things around the content, which will make it better :2 cents:

Oh, and today this old business partner does 1/100 in mainstream, because the products are not given away for free :2 cents:

Idiocy killed the golden goose in adult...

I have quadruple my traffic but my sales have remained the same. I got something in the works that will add more quality traffic and niche specific to live cams and dating sites.

I am always evolving to get better....if you don't change you die....

I like the challenge of being a self-employed web developer in the adult industry. It definitely exercises the mind and forces creativity.

I ain't no big dog, but I do have a solo girl that does 3 webcam shows EACH and every week, and does a diary 5 times a week, and answers members emails herself. Plus I have EXCLUSIVE content in the panty niche and pantyhose niche that I shoot myself.... and lots of it (Hundreds and hundreds of hours in the members area) ALL shot by me, and only me:

All sites (all tours) from 01/01-06/11:
2007: 1:530 1445 sales/1501 rebills
2008: 1:467 1178 sales/1376 rebills

So I'm working harder, but due to my working smarter (Hiring Dickmans Design to redo my first 2 sites - one of the dickman tours still hasn't been released and is going to ROCK) my conversion rate has gotten better, but my sales are off. This isn't including my clips sales, and VOD which totally make up for the slipping sales, and surpass my income for the same time last year. I've been spending more time working that then trying to get affiliates. Plus I've been WAY busy shooting models for 4 new micro niche sites.

The sky isn't falling. Just gotta put your energy into multiple fronts. I'd be surpised if any other programs are as honest and up front about their numbers. Anyone that has panty, pantyhose, or teen traffic - hit me up.... I'll give ya anything you need to work some good numbers.

I just ran May 1 to June 10 2007 and compared to May 1 to June 10 for 2008. We are up 17% in sales this year versus last year.

We are actually enjoying our best year ever. We've worked our ass off to achieve these results. If we would have sat back we'd be nowhere near where we are right now.

Times are tougher. Working harder isn't good enough. You have to sit down and really have a solid forward thinking plan to be successful today and in the future.

This is really easy to see. I'm in this business since humm about 10 years now and I never saw free porn and big movies like that. They are not hidden or everything they are really easy to find in google. With Tube sites, 30$ a signup will never be the same in the next years as pay per click for 0.12$ a click. We will need to find another way to get signups or we will die. My two cents