Just what is meant by an “amateur” porn site, and how can you build one that will convert sales effectively? Nina Marachino has experience targeting the amateur niche, and she has a few tips you can use when you set out to build your next amateur site.Just what is meant by an “amateur” porn site, and how can you build one that will convert sales effectively? Nina Marachino has experience targeting the amateur niche, and she has a few tips you can use when you set out to build your next amateur site. But before you start, you’d better know the answer to a few questions. Take a look and see where you stand.

Ready to design that amateur site you’ve been meaning to build? Before you begin, I’d like to ask you a couple of questions and see if you’re really ready to join the ranks of the other amateur sites currently online. It’s important in any business to know your market and offer it something new. Without that knowledge of the audience and competition, you are destined for failure. Take a look at the following questions and get ready to master the amateur market.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT AMATEUR MEANS?

A lot of people think they know what the amateur market is all about, but when asked to define the phenomena they can’t put it into words. In other words, they don’t really know. In fairness, “amateur” is not easily reducible to a single-sentence explanation (and you will see that there are few different types of amateur sites). As a rule of thumb, I describe “the amateur” as an average individual willing to share his or her sexuality publicly. The potency of this market is the appeal of the “regular” or “person-next-door” feel that is conveyed in the images and the site design. So I wouldn’t build a site with an amateur feel for porn star. That’s a different fantasy and a different market. The amateur “fantasy” is about reality.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF AMATEUR SITES?

I would be oversimplifying the amateur realm if I reduced it into two major movements. There are so many niches and exceptions to the rule that defy such simplification. But I will do so anyway. Basically, in the amateur world, there are Web girls and first timers. We’ll discuss each and look at different approaches to designing these sites.

WHAT’S A WEB GIRL?

The Web girl is usually associated with her own site (run by herself or with a husband/boyfriend). The appeal here is that the site is a labor of love. It is an intimate look into a person’s life. The key is to convey that feeling of “for-realness.”

WHAT SHOULD A WEB GIRL SITE LOOK LIKE?

When designing a site like this, it is essential to keep it looking like it was created in somebody’s home. I designed a few tours for my site that I thought were visually striking, but eventually I “dumbed” them down because surfers thought it was a corporate site or big pay site operation as opposed to a real amateur site. Keep these sites simple in appearance. Save your Flash skills for some other project. Choose pictures for the outside of the site that enhance the amateur vibe. Maybe a pic of you in your garden, living room, workspace, etc. Amateur porn is exciting to surfers because these girls reveal their intimate activities and environments with the entire online community. Keep that in mind and play up that aspect on your site.

Remember to make the navigation as intuitive as possible. I’ve come across plenty of amateur sites that are so amateur that I couldn’t figure out how to maneuver through the sites. That’s not the idea. The idea for the site should be a real girl who writes about her personal experiences in her natural voice, and the design should not get in the way.

WHO ARE THE FIRST TIMERS?

There are a couple of categories within this division, such as women who submit their naked pictures to newsgroups, but I’m referring to a different type of first timer here. I’m focusing on those girls who don’t seem like the type to become porn stars but do a shoot or two for a big site that features different amateur girls. They don’t have their own sites and they are hired to fulfill the particular need of a bigger amateur site.

These sites benefit from more elaborate site design and do very well by incorporating themes. Mike’s Apartment, Sweetloads, and LS University flirt with the pro-amateur line but are successful as amateur sites. Why? Because they use real girls and offer interesting, funny themes that help them avoid the stiffness of mega sites.

Bangbus is a great example. As almost everyone knows, the concept is these guys drive around in a bus and offer money to everyday girls to have sex with them. The idea is enhanced by the humorous graphics, such as using a school bus on their banners.

If you want to create an amateur site that features many girls, create this first timer type of site. Develop a branded look that will become unmistakable. And here you can use a little bit slicker design looks without going too far toward the flashy porn star look.

Amateur can mean a lot of things, but it certainly doesn’t mean “pro,” so design your sites accordingly. Before you begin, look at as many sites as you can, note what appeals to you and then make something all your own.

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Nina Marachino is an amateur Web girl, hostess for TrueCash adult sites and a staff writer for The ADULTWEBMASTER Magazine. Listen to Nina’s live Webmaster radio show on TheAdultWebmaster.com every Friday at 3:00 PM eastern time.