I’ve been having this discussions a lot lately with people looking to start celebrity membership websites. While the niche really doesn’t matter, from adult, to celeb, to anime, podcasting, doesn’t really matter. The dedication does.

If you do your updates daily/weekly, and know anything about SEO, and promotion angles. You should be able to easily knock back XX,XXX a year or more.

Contrary to popular belief. Few people, even in adult, are knocking back a mint off a single site. Most have a program of 10-100 niche sites, and sure… with that many WHO COULDN’T make millions.?!?!? Especially with affiliates!

You are not reinventing the wheel, nor are you going to be as popular as MySpace. So those are the first misconceptions. Is it possible? Sure. Realistic? No. So stop sweating it and make some money.

Why do I prefer membership sites over all other forms of revenue? Because to some degree (once large enough) you are on auto pilot. I have a site I haven’t updated in TWO YEARS and it still make me $2700 in 2007!!

Also, when you have a down week on new sales, or you are on vacation, busy, whatever…. who cares! You have recurring memberships billing. So you still make your money. There are no 0.00 weeks because you couldn’t run your adwords campaign, or were out of town, whatever.

Membership sites are not as hit and miss as some of the other avenues. Plus you can always mix in link trades sales, affiliate upsells, and a like. You can work it six ways from Sunday!

Over yen years I have tried many different ways to make money. However, I started with a celebrity membership site, and built more along the way. Mainstream, and adult. People really fail to think like a surfer (i.e. laziness).

That is one of the hardest things for people to grasp. Everyone thinks like a webmaster when you are in this business. You start thinking of how YOU do things, or would. Not how some Joe Blow who’s on the net an hour a day to check mail, and MySpace does. Better yet, some AOL user.

It isn’t that difficult. You need some content. Preferrably a nice CMS script to get started with an export for spin off sites later. Then you need a processors. While you could do PayPal. I do not recommend it. You do not need to pay the $750 VISA fee either, or have a merchant account.

There are so many misconceptions when it comes to membership sites that it’s unbelievable. But if you want to get into the online business full time. You want to be able to live, and make some nice money. MEMBERSHIP is where you want to be.

While I could go on and on what I’ve learned over the years. I will give you some basics.

1. Content and lots of it. You do not need to open a site with all of it.

4. Payment processor. Not paypal. Many out there. I recommend Verotel/Zombaio.

You obviously want to set your CMS the best for SEO. Fairly simple, but many forget to do it right. I would also recommend something that lets you do it in advance. So you can schedule a few days, week, month in advance if you like. You may have to have a custom one done (approx $1500) but worth it. The most important things are navigation, and speed. Period.

5. Stop thinking like a webmaster. Talk to your friends outside of this business on how they use, and surf the web. It’s much different. Stop ASSuming people’s behavior.

6. Stop believing that because someone else was out there doing it before you, that you can’t compete.

7. Use creative ways to work your membership site (advertising) into your other ventures. Banner placements, links, SEO, and so on. It’s not that difficult, and you’d be surprised at some of the results.

Those the tips of the iceberg. I am not going to give you the keys to the castle, but hopefully for those interested. It will show you the door.

I do online full time. I have for over 4 years now. I did it part time for years while working in telco after college. It was a nice source of extra spending money then.

If you know the fundamentals. You can make some nice money. Stop trying to break the house on red and black playing the adsense game. Who wants to work for crumbs? Put your efforts into something that will REALLY pay off in the long run.

/2cents

Apparently from the email and IM’s there is some confusion on what a clips store is (http://www.gfy.com/showthread.php?t=887448). So I am going to give you a break down of what it is, and how it works. In my example, I am going to stick to mainly Clips4Sale.com. Mainly because that is the one I make the MOST money with. Although some have better success with FetishVideos, Clips.com, ClipClinic, YouYouGirls, and so on.

When I started my adult business full time. I launched all my sites via Clips4Sale. It allowed me to make some sales, test the waters, and get some good feedback while building up my content for a pay site.

Each site was a bit different on when I launched but it took me roughly around 3 months to get about 6 months of material to launch my pay site, put together some DVD’s. Some sites were launched in 3 months. Some longer. Some shorter. Just depends on how much I shoot, and how many updates I want per week.

So I started out with $3000.00. Bought $500.00 camcorder. Business partner had still camera, and half million dollar house, so we were off. We paid the girls too much at first, and did not know how to best streamline production. We do not shoot on a per scene basis like most of porn. We pay per SHOOT. So we get a number of scenes per SHOOT to maximize revenue, and margins.

Over 9 months we had tinkered with the type of girls, what we shot, how we shot, listened to the feedback, tried different update days and ways of updating until we found our groove. Around the 9 month mark things took off, and we started shooting our stocking project.

We followed the same exact formula as before. First working the C4S connection. We started a new store, and cross linked it. We promoted it on TGP submits. Over the next few months we would make our money back while getting enough content to launch a new pay site. One we did, BAM, sign ups.

Within a couple of months we moved on to tickling. It was something we had received a ton of e-mails on, and apparently few catered to it. We kind of stumbled into it by accident, and started doing… basically what the e-mails told us. Over a few months we build up enough content to launch a site, BAM took off. Even on DVD sales. Which I have to admit was surprising.

Clips4Sale has done some evolution over time. It was mainly a place for fetish and niche webmasters and content producers to sell their wares without building a website. You could just use their interface, and CMS. Their processor, and over time, Neil (the owner) built up some nice traffic. Doing the Howard Stern show, and some other things to make it into the mammoth it is today.

The site now offers a section for selling DVD’s, pictures from your galleries, webcam, and number of other features to help you make some sales via automation among other things. It probably takes some time for a newbie to learn these things, but over time you get the hang of the automation I suppose.

Now, all that said. A lot of store owners rely on the POP of updates for their traffic. They do not have a lot of content, but they are always trying to get that POP. The front page of C4S was changed a few months back and now that is not going to be as beneficial as it was before. I recommend you build your OWN traffic.

For me, I include C4S option on all my sites. I link to it heavily, and even on TGP submits. I have always done this. While Neil’s traffic, and the POP is nice. I do not count on it for my sales. So just a head’s up for those who do not like link building, traffic trading, and the rest.

Other clips stores vary. I am not going to go into my experience with all of them but I encourage you to try them out. It is just more money for your content. The percentage for payouts will differ as well as traffic, admin panels, and offerings. Some more. Some less.

The same can be said for their percentages of money they take from producers. C4S is a 60/40 split. Some are 50/50, some stacked even more to the clip store. Some offer an affiliate program to supposedly boost you up to 70% :rolleyes:. Each has their niches, and grooves.

For a long time Clips4Sale was catering to only the mom and pops. Small and medium market fetish and niche providers. Over the past couple of years it has exploded into something like 20,000 or 30,000 stores!! My store number is 1353/2305/2917/2865/4057 and so on… As you can see I started YEARS ago to give you some idea.

At the conferences, I have talked to any number of programs and people. Some use C4S. Some do not think it is worth their time. Personally I find it an invaluable resource. But, as always in online business and adult, a lot of the success or failure comes down to YOU.

Alright, so by now you should have what will be your corporate address and business name in place (covered in the last guide). You can function as a DBA for now, but you should have the wheel’s in motion for your LLC. It is important you talk to your lawyer and make sure your LLC name of choice is available. After all, you do not want a DBA by one name, and LLC by another and screwing up your tax docs, and checks, business cards etc. For those who do not have lawyers, call one with free consultation and ask.

Alright, so the next step you need to think about are the niches you are planning to do.

What I have found personally is that most people who contact me what to do like 3-5 right out of the gate. Irregardless of their start up budget. This is a mistake. You need to pick ONE that you think will be the flagship, or foundation to build on. Something that is your best foot forward. Personally, from experience, I would recommend you pick whatever you are most passionate about. You are going to have to look at this stuff all day long. So you had better like looking at it. Ultimately your passion for your material will be what shows through to the end user and will make or break you.

If you are into various niches, you may want to look at Clips4Sale and what is on their main pages. Out of some 50,000+ stores, you will find what people are buying on mass. This does not mean they are the ONLY one’s being successful. But you can see some idea on what those stores are doing, how they are shooting, their quality, how often they are updating, etc..

Research is key to your success. Whether you are going to be doing wrestling, tickling, skeezers bouncing on a ball or smoking. There is always a method to the madness. Just shooting from the hip is only going to get you so far. You need to look at your competition and what they are doing, and take the best pieces of 2/5/10 sites that appeal to you and make it your own.

I also have found it VERY useful to go find some blogs, groups, forums that appeal to your target niche. Read the feedback, ask questions. You do not have to post that you are big shot producer, or that you are trying to shoot something at first. Basically post up general quetions or statements on what you like to see. Or how one site is better than another and play some Devil’s Advocate. This should give you much better information to base business decisions on before you are spending thousands of dollars.

Research, research, research.

You need to know who your target audience is in the niche of choice. What are the top sites they are hanging out on. Who is your competition. You should have a notepad out and jotting down elements of their content you like, and do not like. Ultimately you are going to be making your decisions on HOW you shoot your material based on this infomation!

There is nothing more frustrating then spending $XXX or $XXXX on some photo session, and then when you get into the editting kicking yourself for missing shots, or how you did this or that. You have one shot at getting it right. Some models will only work for you ONE TIME and it is a major fucking pisser when you miss key shots and elements at your one shot deal.

So what you should have, or be working on after reading this is….

1. Picking your niche
2. Research your competition.

Including top sites, their forums, and how their clips are done. Lighting, location, qualtiy of girls, length of clips, props or things going on in the clips you will need to buy, or set up, etc.

You should start working out a how, and why, justification in your business plan.

Copyright Marquee Media Networks

I was too busy when making the last post, but here are some direct examples of the B-H-E offerings I was referring to.

1. They make your banner, and splash graphics. Similar to this new BHE site

examples:
http://thefootshow.com/images/pagepics/splash.jpg (splash graphic)
http://thefootshow.com/images/pagepics/header.jpg (header graphic)
http://thefootshow.com/banners.html (banners)

2. Almost all of their generic start ups will have this layout.
http://thefootshow.com/home.html

Obviously if you know some HTML, you can do your own. Or if you have some simple ideas, they will do the work for you in giving you a better page. Here is another example, http://chunkychicafeet.com/home.html. Still very basic. You can find more of their sites here
http://yoursouthernbelle.com/linksbhe.html

3. DVD or Store. This is an example of a simple BHE Store or Shopping Cart.
http://solefootproductions.com/catallvideo.html

You can sell DVD, clothes, autographs or other items. You can also shoot custom content, if you have a set price, and list that as an item and collect payment there. The processing charge for tangible items is around 10% last I knew. So you get 90% on sales from your shopping cart.

4. There is some confusion on the VISA thing. Let me explain.

If you run a pay site. You are going to need processing.

BHE
Now, in the BHE example. They provide the processing. So you do not sign up for anything, or have to pay anything, they do it all and cut you a check every two weeks I believe. If you turn a profit. They take their percentage, and you get the rest.

Their percentage will take care of your hosting, processing fees, etc. You do not pay them monthly like you would for other pay sites. When YOU profit. THEY profit. It’s more like a partnership.

Pay Site, non-BHE

You are going to need a processor to collect your memberships (I am not going to get into tangibles at this point, that is a whole different discussion and rules) which are non-tangles as defined by credit cards companies. Keep in mind I am talking about third-party processing. Not your own merchant account. That as well is a different discussion.

I would recommend you use multiple processors for your pay site. However, whether you are using CCBill, Verotel, or one of the others. Typically you are going to have a VISA fee. It ranges from $750 with CCB to $1500 with Verotel’s Pro. I can’t speak to all of the others out there directly on their fees, but almost all have them. In Europe, you pay Master Card fees instead of VISA. Aussie and Canadians have some different issues.

So, you want to do your own pay site on your own. No B-H-E. Here is what you ultimately will need, after you have your content of course.

1. Hosting. It may not need to be dedicated. But I would recommend it. Adult Host preferred (ex: www.blizzardwebhosting.com). $150.00 a month plus. You need a web host that is friendly to adult sites. Not all of them are.

2. Content Management System (CMS). There are many out there. SiteDepth is inexpensive. But lacks in some areas. Mansion is nice. It’s $4,999 or something to that effect. There is also ElevatedX (Product Purchase: $4995, Monthly Lease Option: $500 down and $150/month) as another example. But as you can see. It gets real expensive, real fast. There is also the Joomla (or equivalent route) if you know a programmer.

http://www.sitedepth.com/ (I can get it for you cheaper in combo with my content deal)
http://www.mansionproductions.com/
http://www.elevatedx.com/

3. Designer. Those graphics examples are going to run you a couple of hundred. A basic tour and site set up package for a new pay site. When I have priced them out you are looking at $250-3000.00 all depending on who does them. I would say you should ball park around $1500.00 for site, and tour.

Here are some examples, and price points.
http://www.15dollargalleries.com/site-design.html
http://www.zuzanadesigns.com/v3/#pricing
http://adult.extremegraphicdesign.com/

4. StrongBox and ThrottleBox. $150.00 one time, or monthly available. These protect your password/members areas. They become essential to keep out password sharing people, also to keep those leech programs from sucking your site dry in a day on a trial.

http://www.bettercgi.com/strongbox/

5. Processing. Whether you go with CCB, or Verotel**, or someone else. You will have to have your pay site up, working, content loaded up and ready to accept customers. You then will apply for processing. This process can be several days up to a few weeks or month before final VISA approval.

The processor is going to want a membership, or access to your members area. They are going to search your site to make sure that the content is legal, and applies to the standards set out by the credit card companies. I am sure you can find a TOS on their sites, but some things you can not get processing for is minors, illegal content, scat, bestiality, some of the pee, crushing, rape, etc. Obviously common sense stuff. However, there are some ‘grey’ areas as well.

Either they can, your host can, or you can install the simple CGI script needed to process the third party billing. Again, I recommend you have more than one processor, and split your risk.

Once approved, you will be able to process transactions. They typically set some kinda of per transaction limit and take 12-15%. You are paid weekly if you meet the threshold ($50-100.00).

Depending on where you live, and who you go with. You will have a VISA or MC fee you must pay. It is annual typically.

No. You cannot use PayPal for adult intangible transactions. Read their TOS.

*A domain I did not include, but is also important, and a subject on it’s own. But as you can see, doing a simple pay site is not so simple in cost or rolling it out. Keep in mind, this is just the infrastructure part. You have not even gotten into driving traffic!

**Lastly, for this post, there are ’some’ exceptions where you do not have to pay the VISA fee. Like Verotel’s Tickets Club. Obviously, there are going to be some trade offs to use it. But it is possible.

Alright, so my buddy recommended the following.

You could probably escape with a $500.00 consumer camcorder like I did for years. But this is a middle of the road recommendation from him, and what I am looking at for myself. So you can opt to go a consumer camera route to minimize your start up expenses. But just giving you both options.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/459129-REG/Sony_HDRFX7_HDR_FX7_3CMOS_HDV_1080i.html

For lightign I like fluorescents with dayalight balanced bulbs. They throw a beautiful soft light and also very important they throw little heat into the room, so you and teh models don’t sweat so much.You need two lights, with stands, ballasts, cables etc. Kits have all but bulbs which you must buy separate.

They have several similar kits and a few different series oif lights but this one is very good. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/504311-REG/Kino_Flo_KIT_D42_120_Diva_Lite_400_Two_Fluorescent.html

You want the 5500 degree bulbs to go with it. Those are daylight.

Unlike mine, you can dim these with a dimmer switch. And it has a travel case. I believe they come with smallish stands so they are easy to set up in a small bedroom or living room.These will last you for years, well worth the investment

I haven’t even changed the bulbs in my bigger Kinos and I have been giving them heavy location use for almost five years now!

Copyright Marquee Media Networks

While some of these may seem remedial emails, they are all covering essential things I have learned myself from experience. I would recommend you copy the e-mails into notepad, and a folder on your computer or hard drive so you have them to reference later down the road.

Alright. First things first.

If you have an office you are planning to run your porn empire out of, and want it listed on your business address and business cards great! If not, you need to go to Mailboxes Etc or one of those places to get one set up. What I personally would recommend, and how I do it is, get yourself a DBA ($25) first. Go into the Mailbox place, and get all the info. Once you decide that is where you will have your box, pick up one of their business cards with the mailing address. That way you can use it on your DBA. A DBA you typcially get from the county courthoue and it runs around $25.00. Although that could vary.

While I recommend a LLC for your adult company, even when dealing with celebrities, you can get some of your stuff set up with just a DBA paperwork. It does not give you the protection you ultimately need in the long term growth of your business. But it will allow for docs, and getting bank accounts, and whatever.

Next, what you need to do to protect yourself and your business is set up an LLC. I am sure you have done one before if you have been in business, but I am not going to make any assumptions as I run down the basics of what is needed on protecting yourself and getting going. They range anywhere from $300-500.00 typically, but they need to be set up correctly to make sure you have protection.

Once you have your LLC in place, you then need to go to the bank and set up a business checking account complete with credit/debit card. Also order your checks. After all, you will need to pay your models and keep an accurate record for taxes and business expenses.

While this seems like basic shit, it is really important when it comes to down the line getting your payment processor and other things in place where you have to fax docs to them for approval. So having all this done in advance saves you frustrations and grief of waiting or being a dead stick.

You may also want to think about applying for a Federal tax ID. You can do this yourself, or have a lawyer do it for you. Depending on your level of paranoia, this will prevent you from having to provide your SSN for adult sponsors, payment processors, and  things of that nature in the near future. While I personally have never had an issue, knock on wood, you simply never know with how some of these companies operate and there have been well publicized hacks in the past. I can’t recall how much this costs, but it probably is money well spent.

Copyright Marquee Media Networks

If you want to start out, and are only half committed or want to see if it will fly first. Do not spend shit out of pocket.

You need to go to B-H-E. They provide you a shared revenue model for hosting and site. Sure, their CMS is not to spicy. But, you get free hosting and billing. No $750.00 VISA fees, etc.

Now, if you make money. They get 50%. If you do not make money. You pay for the domain name (i.e. no monthly hosting fees, etc.).

Once you start making money, then you go start a website of your own, with your own hosting, CMS, pay your processing fees, etc.. When you are new, and if you do not know if you are going to be serious about this, if the idea will succeed or fail. You need to limit your expenses.

This is a business, and it’s a sound business decision to go this B-H-E route, test the market, no major expenditures, and if your idea makes money. THEN invest in all the bells and whistles.

Too many times I see people dropping $2, 5, 10,000.00 on ideas and concepts where you do not know if it is good or not. If this business is cut out for you or not. How about starting small with you, your camera, and your girl. Working it with little capital expense, and test the market first.

http://b-h-e.com/
bhe@b-h-e.com
1-770-682-4808

Contact Phil. Tell him Barefootsies sent you. He can break down more on how it works. It is a good solution for people starting out looking to do what you are. They take care of the CMS, hosting, billing. You can also get a clip store and shopping cart option. Nothing fancy, but they will get you by while looking to see if this is a profitable venture.

However, once you start making any decent money. You will want to consider moving to keep more of your own money.

This is a sound option for those who are on the fence about adult. I talk to many people from this, and other boards, who have money. Or a girlfriend. Or want to do a deal (in sig) but do not know where to start. Especially when considering billing, hosting, design, CMS and that does not even get to the driving traffic and promotion end!

It is a bit different in my deals, as I hold your hand. But not everyone can afford that. So doing the B-H-E option will keep your start up costs to a bare minimum. Costing you little more than time. Unless you explode.

However, in the mean time. You can save money for your VISA registration fees, and better CMS, design work, etc. So for those on the fence, it is a nice alternative. They do not have a board presence, but they have been around a good 10 years or more easily in adult.