My first Phoenix Forum proved to be an incredible event. Not only was a superb show organized by all of the sponsors, but the number of gay site Webmasters in attendance and events centering on the gay side of the adult online industry was outstanding.My first Phoenix Forum proved to be an incredible event. Not only was a superb show organized by all of the sponsors, but the number of gay site Webmasters in attendance and events centering on the gay side of the adult online industry was outstanding. When I was asked to report on the “Gay Webmaster Marketing Seminar”, I found myself looking forward to sitting down and learning more about one of the most lucrative sides of the adult online industry – gay site traffic. Although the seminar differed from what I’d expected, it was most definitely a useful learning experience and I felt that I left that room with a greater understanding of the issues, both positive and negative, which the gay site industry negotiates. Sitting on the panel were Dean Barbella (Twinkcash.com), Craig Tant (ManSites.com and SexKey.com), Lori Deak (MenOnTheNet.com), Andy Fair (DickMag.com), and Karl Edwards (Bedfellow.com).

The seminar began with the panellists addressing one of the most pervasive myths existing in the gay adult online industry – that only gay surfers are interested in viewing and purchasing gay porn. Craig Tant pointed out that straight adult sites that offer gay content have shown that straight sites also draw gay traffic – that many people surfing for porn already have a more open perspective towards sexuality and may be gay-curious. For instance, Sexkey.com, one of the largest free AVS offerings that cater to both straight and gay content, sees more gay traffic then Mansites.com, which is solely dedicated to gay content. Agreeing with Craig, several of the panellists added that the best method to see how well traffic coming from straight sources seems to convert for websites with gay content is simply to TEST it – put some banners or links up and see how well those convert for you. An important point that all of the panellists made was that the flow of traffic doesn’t work in reverse – trying to drive traffic to straight sites from gay offerings just doesn’t seem to work as well.

The seminar then opened to questions from the floor and the discussion flowed around each of these. An important question asked dealt with the legal ramifications for websites offering “twink” content with respect to the legality of age when dealing with this kind of niche. Karl Edwards addressed this by stating that the issue really isn’t any more of a problem for the gay side of the adult online industry then it is for the straight, and that the most important thing is that website owners need to keep their content licences and age verification records in order. In agreement, Andy Fair pointed out that many websites that cater to the “teen” niche in the straight side of adult online also deal with this issue, and advocated that website owners do their homework and buy content from reputable content providers.

The discussion then touched on the issue of the lack of activity and information sharing found on gay Webmaster resource boards. There seemed to be some agreement from the discussants and members in the audience that there is a lack of cohesiveness among Webmasters of gay content sites in general, and a reticence to share information as freely with one another. Karl Edwards highlighted the lack of seminars and forums provided for Webmasters centering on the issues they deal with in running websites with gay content. However, Craig Tant raised the important issue that the straight side of this industry has actually been quite good about sharing information with each other and that, perhaps, this is one area where both the gay and straight content sides of this industry could benefit from more open lines of communication and discussion.

Several interesting tips were shared by the discussants with respect to marketing in the gay adult market. Craig Tant raised awareness about the prevailing misconception in the gay adult industry that surfers only buy one site at a time. For instance, his analysis has found that the average gay surfer is a member of anywhere from 3 to 7 websites at any given time. As well, he illuminated that it is possible for most mid-size websites to double their revenues in 60 days simply by focusing on the most often neglected side of the adult online business – rebills and retention levels. By more effectively monetizing the traffic you already have, you can significantly increase your profit margins. Andy Fair added that using gay persons for the design of gay sites, in order to improve the quality, also has a positive impact on retention levels. Use people who actually understand and enjoy the niche or content, and you’ll make the sale to your surfers.

Karl Edwards added that an excellent way to improve your website’s retention levels is to build a function which allows members to communicate with the Webmaster and share their input – for instance, Bedfellow.com has a forum for members to communicate with the site operators and each other. A further suggestion was raised by the crew from LatinGuys.com who were in the audience. They found that sharing who they were with their surfers had a positive effect on conversions and retention levels, and gave their members a source to talk to directly about their needs and wants. Andy Fair agreed and added that when surfers/members realize that there is actually a real person or group of people running a website it gives them incentive to share their opinions. Lori Deak took this suggestion even further by bringing in the same element to Webmaster affiliate programs for gay content sites – in that case, it’s necessary to provide an open source of communication for both Webmasters and surfers alike and to listen to what their needs and wants are.

An excellent discussion centered around the question of where the most appropriate place is for gay content websites to monetize on upsells to complimentary products. Most of the panellists maintained that there should be a differentiation between what is marketed on feeder sites as opposed to within the members’ sections of gay paysites. For instance, Dean Barbella advocated maintaining an untainted relationship with members by leaving the members’ sections of gay content paysites free of upsells to other products. He proposed feeder sites, as well as the cancellation page, as good places to give surfers access to other complimentary products. In agreement, Craig Tant reiterated that the majority of any gay content website’s revenues should be coming from recurring memberships, and that promoting alternative products and services would be better served on the outside of a paysite and not within the members’ area.

A good deal of disagreement, predominantly from audience members, arose surrounding this issue. Several people maintained that there is inherent value in continuing the upsell process within a given paysite’s members’ section since the member is already qualified to spend online – for instance, through co-branded products like toy stores, video stores, etc. However, several of the discussants maintained that the surfer/member wants what they are specifically looking for, and that the rebill is generally worth more then the referral or upsell to a complimentary product. An important distinction was raised by Craig Tant when he pointed out that what is most important in determining what to promote inside paysites is which products or services are drawing the most response from your members. For example, if you have a live sex feed which generates $20,000/month in additional revenues as opposed to a toy store which only pulls in $700, then your focus should be on promoting that live sex feed.

The discussion then touched on the issue of affiliate program marketing and how Webmasters might benefit from this online marketing tool. A major point that was raised was that it is very difficult for Webmasters to push affiliate programs for gay content sites that are based on the rev-share model since most Webmasters for straight content sites (who may have rich sources of gay traffic to send) have become accustomed to the per-join model. Karl Edwards maintained that it was time for the gay adult online industry to analyze the overall business models and trends of the adult industry, including the straight side’s use of various business models, and to get into the “loop”.

Finally, the area of new markets for Webmasters of gay content sites was raised in terms of how international markets can be tapped into as a new, rich source of traffic. Great advice came from the floor, most particularly from the crew at LatinGuys.com who advocated that Webmasters should find out how different cultures spend their money. As well, they made the most significant point by highlighting that international surfers don’t usually qualify the same sexual behaviours as “gay” as we do in North America. For instance, bi-sexual curiosity and experiences among “straight” men in relationships are considered far more normal and mainstream. Craig Tant also raised the importance of finding out how to allow for several different billing options in order to make them more internationally-friendly. The fact is most foreign surfers aren’t culturally inclined and/or able at all to use credit cards online – as such, other types of billing options like a good dialer solution become necessary.

Lisa (AKA sweetums) is Marketing Manager for DialerDude – A dedicated revenue source for your gay international traffic. Please feel free to contact Lisa at lisa@trafficdude.com or visit www.dialerdude.com for more information.