SAN DIEGO, CA – In Medieval Latin, the word “affiliatus” referred to the adoption of a son. It’s not quite that permanent in the adult online world, but the term “affiliate” does connote a certain sense of connection and association. It’s a source of considerable income for some webmasters and fine-tuning its profit making ability is always a subject of interest whether one is a newbie or an old hand.Fortunately, affiliate programs don’t just benefit the professionals associated with them. They also make it easier for surfers to find content that appeals to them. Given that online fans don’t tend to join just one site but, according to Craig Tant of Mansites.com, are more likely to purchase in multiples, affiliations can be a wise investment in a site’s future, both as a revenue source and way of hooking visitors up with other sites of interest.

This was the topic that, with the able assistance of moderator Q. Boyer of Nichebucks.com, kept PornDollar’s Jason Edwards, TwistCash’s Buzz Aziani, Girls Gone Wild’s Reena Patel, TrueCash’s Twinkley, and SpookCash’s AmeliaG talking during Cybernet Expo’s Saturday afternoon “Affiliate Program Operation” seminar.

Tant warned against those tempted to start their own affiliate program to do so after careful assessment of their readiness for such a move, cautioning that some begin too soon. Patel agreed, pointing to an earlier affiliate launch by her own company as a prime example of a web presence not quite ready for its own success. Having learned from its earlier mistakes, Girls Gone Wild has revamped its content and released new webmaster tools after getting a better idea of what affiliate members want and need.

All assembled agreed that it is important to provide affiliated webmasters with the right tools to make sales as easy as possible while providing site members with the kind of content they crave. The question of course, is what those tools are.

“Content is content,” Aziani opined. “It’s all the same. It’s all pink. Personality is what pays, whether it’s a niche or a special girl or what Amelia’s doing.”

Personality can also be shown in how a site or company handles its members. In order to exhibit the best possible personality to one’s affiliate members, Twinkley proposed that program owners be available, be prompt, and communicate. AmeliaG absolutely agreed, insisting that “communication with affiliates is key” if, for no other reason, the fact that they will know what they need, and if one person needs something, chances are good others need it, as well.

Where those tool seeking webmasters come from ranges from virtual contacts via boards to face-to-face meetings at conventions. Edwards reported good results from Google’s AdWords and Twinkley proposed that many in the industry underestimate the value of webmaster boards as a way to find out who is available and what they have to offer. Once the existence of a company is known, all agreed that email contact, especially if thanks to a referral, was the best way to get things rolling, with telephone contact being an unpopular option.

During a lively Q&A period, the panel provided an informal list of favorite affiliate programs (other than their own) which included SexKey, PrideBucks, HotMovies, NakedSword, VividCash, Hustler, TopBucks, WebCamCash, LightspeedCash, SexSearch, NaughtyAmerica, and SilverCash.