Your list of MUSTS for any new paysite
 

If you had to list five things that are absolutely essential that a new paysite have in order to attract and cultivate a membership what would they be?

I'm new to it, but if I had to take a stab at it I'd say:

1. Solid hosting
2. High quality content updated frequently
3. Strong budget for buying traffic/advertising
4. Reliable CC processor
5. Compelling tour

Am I wrong? Or better yet, what am I missing?

i would say that item #4 on your list should be #1

Change number 3 to knowing what you are doing with traffic.

Meaning an ability to select the right traffic that will wind up converting for you? Or something else?

Il'd say creativity and being unique with the content
there is too much of the "same ole cookie cutter shit" around

but I agree with Tango #4 should be #1
without that you're dead in the water

exclusive high quality content.

A new paysite has to differ from the paysites which exist :)

How much more expensive to exclusive shoots run versus the normal non-exclusive licensing deals that are out there?

I'd throw good advertising materials (banners, etc) into the mix.

Which leads to the merchant account versus no merchant account debate as well...

- exclusive high quality content
- user friendly webmaster section

:winkwink:

not really....some of our biggest and best sites use totally non-exclusive content

by biggest and best i mean most members and best converting

You are all wrong so far,






A pay site is totally useless unless...






It has a join page

1. Solid Hosting
2. Great processing with ontime payments
3. Innovative Tour
4. Exclusive Content
5. Skills to drive traffic that converts to it myself
6. Great Security in place

Hosting & Security
 

The elements of hosting, security and some content can be taken care of if you use an AEN/AVS system as your host. For example, Adults Allowed earns the webmaster $14 per join/rebill on a $23.95 sale, and allows for the creation of an affiliate program paying out $10/sale to the affiliate with $4 going to the webmaster of the site (you).

All you need to supply is creative content, great tour, innovative presentation and traffic.

You missed an important one (or two). A solid program and a shitload of great affiliates.

So many new little programs popping up as of late.

reliabe cc processor is the most important

*Lotsa mailers! :winkwink:

Traffic of course.

Paycom/CCBill combo pretty much the standard now, always wondering if there's a better alternative...

Member Retention
Good Customer Service
Exclusive Content

At least 3 months evolving the tour so that it hits a minimum threashold re certain "standard" traffic sources.

i want to tell you a secret trick we play on unsuspecting members

we put a few super freaky niche feeds in

retention

exactly affiliates make the difference, whats the use of having a great site and no affiliates? look at any bigger program and they all have 1000s of affiliates, most sites have 35-50% affiliate turnover some even more...

Maybe optimizing differing tours depending on traffic source?

As in TGP traffic needing a more hardcore tour and say SE traffic needing a more descriptive tour?

Lots, in no particular order.

1.Solid host, good customer support, and no bullshit on credit card processing.
2.Navigation, navigation, navigation.. It must be super easy. You got them in, don't lose them.
3. Ease of updates, and directory structure for you. Whether scripts, or layout.
4. Daily updates to build and maintain traffic.
5. Some tweak, niche, twist, different than the 10,000 other sharks in same market.

:pimp

Perhaps, but really it all boils down to having your promotional materials being responsive to your largest categories of traffic. "Averaging" out your design will yield "average" conversions. Optimizing based on referrers maximizes results for those categories of traffic thereby increasing your ROI and attracting more affiliates.

Build your sites based on your traffic instead of the other way around. :2 cents:

I'm an old fashioned guy, I run porn sites like my mainstream businesses - provide a great concept not available anywhere else at a good value, treat customers like gold and keep costs down. I focus on adding value to the web site for the customer rather than a zillion different marketing plans, may sound kind of primative but it works for me. :2 cents:

well ...

the more different that paysite is , the more different results you get ...

1. great processing (multiple processors)
2. solid hosting
3. stick to your schedule when updating...if you say you update nightly, then update nightly, if you say you update on Friday, unpdate on Friday
4. top notch support...the days of ignoring surfer emails and praying they forget to cancel are pretty much over)
5. your own traffic sources (just because you put money into a fancy affiliate program design, it doesn't mean affiliates will signup, muchless send you any traffic and of course there is no loyalty amongst affiliates, so you'll need your own traffic for the lulls)
6. don't be afraid to upsell...your members have already shown you they have credit cards and will use them, why not get them to buy other non-competing products?
7. navigation...if your surfers can't find what they are looking for, they'll cancel faster
8. an aftersale strategy...after they've joined your site and stayed awhile then cancel, how are you going to make some money aftermarketing to them? find a way ;-)

and so many other little things that add up to big things if you fuck them up...

#? Security. -> http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.php?t=459989
Without properly securing your shit you are dead in the water.