In The Spotlight: Dave Anderson
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
www.freenetpass.com
Dave Anderson is the CEO of FreeNetPass, whose mission, according to Dave is, “To work closely with our Webmasters/mistresses and respond to their needs and concerns in a timely manner.IN THE SPOTLIGHT
www.freenetpass.com
Dave Anderson is the CEO of FreeNetPass, whose mission, according to Dave is, “To work closely with our Webmasters/mistresses and respond to their needs and concerns in a timely manner. After doing our own AVS sites over the years we know how frustrating it can be to actually get support or even a response to our concerns. FNP knows that without our Webmasters we are nothing, so treating Webmasters with the greatest respect is very important to us. We also try to offer as many resources as possible to our Webmasters such as recommended web hosts, traffic ideas, content providers, etc. We also have an excellent sales bonus program with our top bonus being a 2001 Corvette Convertible.”
YNOT: What drew you to the industry?
Dave: For me personally I really wanted to try to get into some kind of business on the Internet. I knew there was great potential, and everything from selling stereos to doing porn sites crossed my mind. I think I saw a special on 20/20 about 3 1/2 years ago that talked about the excellent money that was being made in this business. That sparked my interest and the rest is history.
YNOT: Was making money in this business easy for you to do in the beginning?
YNOT: What type of work were you doing, if any, before you started in the biz?
Dave: I was still in school and working for Red Lobster as a server.
YNOT: What types of sites and/or targeted business did you start with?
Dave: The first site that I made had 300 pictures and I put it on Age Check. I then started to make sites for every AVS I could find. I made my money in the beginning from sponsor banners on my AVS sites from the excellent converting AVS link list traffic. I was amazed by the potential that I saw.
YNOT: Where did you begin gathering info about the business?
Dave: I learned the basics at the web host that we found in the beginning (www.xxxwebhosting.com ). They had some nice information for new Webmasters that really helped my partner and I get off of the ground
YNOT: Did you already have friends in the business?
Dave: I started a partnership with Sean, but we did not know a soul in the beginning. We got a lot of help though from Webmasters on message boards, etc. If it weren’t for friendly Webmasters, I would probably still be struggling to figure what the heck I am doing.
YNOT: Give us your thoughts on how easy or difficult it was for you to get started.
Dave: Getting started was definitely on the easy side. The initial investment was about $200 for the url, web host and content. I never thought I would get into a business venture for that cheap. The difficult part was finding out how to register a domain and the search for a web host was also challenging.
YNOT: What changes would you like to see made in the adult Internet industry?
Dave: Free sites on the Internet send FNP webmasters hundreds of sales everyday, but how many more sales would they get if there were no free sites on the web? Don’t get me wrong, free sites can be excellent tools for selling your main site, and this is never going to happen anyway. I still wonder how badly the millions of free sites on the net hurt the AVS and pay site business or if they actually do help. I guess what I am saying is if I could change one thing that would be it. No free sites.
YNOT: What do you love about the adult internet industry?
Dave: Working in this industry is great. I think the best part is that it is not the standard 9-5 job day after day. I often take the afternoon off and do some work at night, or vice versa. It is nice to have that flexibility. The girls are great, too.
YNOT: What do you dislike?
Dave: Many companies and Webmasters have screwed me in this business. Part of the reason it is easy to get screwed by these people is the little amount of face to face business that we actually do. It is hard to know who is honest and who isn’t just by visiting their web site or through email contacts.
YNOT: What are your thoughts on the future of the adult Internet industry?
Dave: Things look good in my opinion. There may be some laws passed in the U.S. and other countries dealing with obscenity and extreme pictures on free sites, etc. This however will never take the adult industry off of the Internet. There will always be work for us in the business on the net, and the best thing about it is that not even 10% of the world has Internet access yet. The market is still in its infancy and has plenty of room to grow.
YNOT: If you had one bit advice you could offer new Webmasters, what would it be?
Dave: Be very careful with whom you do business with. If you are going to try out a new sponsor, click program, AVS, etc., be sure to ask around on message boards first for info on these programs. Listen to what other Webmasters/mistresses have to say about the program you are thinking about and then make your decision with those comments in mind. I made the mistake many times of paying people for advertising or choosing click programs that have turned out to be scams. I now never give someone my money without references first. Also, read those message boards!