Outtakes section vs. Loyalty program

[Abby]

Hiya

I am considering the possibility of a loyalty programme, whereby people who have been a member of the site for three months or more get access to a new section of the site, outtakes, behind the scenes, bloopers, and so on.

I really need to increase retention (website speak for getting you guys to stay as a members for longer!) if this whole thing is going to work out.

The bloopers section would have maybe 25 pics a week added to it, and be archived, so when current new customers stay with us for a few months, they can see everything as well.

I don;t really like having to do this (mainly cos it's manipulative!), but I need to do _something_, so I am open to any other suggestions you might have.

Abby

[mortis]

Sounds good to me. I haven't been here more than a month, but I think its a good idea. I don't have any plans to leave this site anytime soon. More Danny!! :P

M

[artful]

I'd love an outtakes section and don't mind at all if it's loyalty related. It may be the most popular part of the site.

The only guarantee for renewals is, surely, more and more great content. You clearly know that because of the clever way you feed us updates. I do understand the cost element to that so other methods of increasing loyalty are clearly necessary.

I'm also getting an education on the economics of running a porn site. In some fantasies it's a dream job of mine and (I thought) a license to print money. You have opened my eyes to that reality.

Thinking of it from a business perspective though, I wonder if some otherwise great future models may be put off by the possibility of their appearing in such a section? I expect you have your models sign releases that allows abbywinters.com complete control on what is published. However, I also guess there is an implicit understanding that the content will be of a similar standard to what's on the site today.

I can imagine some models getting a kick out of seeing the outtakes, but others may be put off. Is that a consideration?

[Abby]

Hi Artful

You raise a few interesting points. Firstly, if you want to make money, a porn site is not the answer. I suspect that, as I diversify, I'll start to make money shooting boring things like fashion, furniture, food, and so on. The porn stuff will have to be a hobby, cos there's not much money in it.

With regards to legalities, yes, each model does sign a release form, which includes a paragraph on what rights we have, and how the pics can be used. However, there is also a clause abour riducule. We're not allowed to make up obscene compilations of their pictures, and so forth.

With that in mind, the kind of material that would be in the outtakes, bloopers and behind the scenes section is not what you might be thinking from the work of ppl like ALS (they consider it a blooper if the models eyes roll back into her head from the pain of inserting a table into herself). This stuff is more low key. Just moments of levity, people having fun, and things that you might not normally associate with a shoot. Some of it might be explict, but nothing is going to "demean" the models.

I commend you for bringing the issue up, however. The models (both past and future) being comfortable with what is on the site is absolutely foremost in my mind.

Anyway, below, one such picture. Left to right, that's Tahlia, Tia, Rhiannon, and Charlie. Gals havin' fun on a _very_ hot Melbourne summer day (January 2001). http://www.abbywinters.com/discus/clipart/happy.gif

Abby

http://www.abbywinters.com/discus/messages/7/164.jpg

[artful]

The sample pic is great. Is that lipstick on Charlie's right cheek?

I support the outtakes idea 100% and I'm sure the models will like it too given the trust you obviously have built up with them.

Another mercenary idea that you could toy with - at great cost in site management/accounting, is a "gold, silver and bronze" membership levels. Gold members could, for example, get three new models a week or an additional video. Perhaps they would see new content a week sooner than other members. Silver members see two new models per week and so on.

I'm thinking that all existing members would be "gold" by default, but the lower levels could be charged a lower monthly fee. I have not done the mathematics, but it may enhance your bottom line. The trouble is that it would almost triple the site management time and expense.

[kumaraguy]

From my perspective your members don't have to be loyal as all the content you have ever had is always available..
With a high speed connection I would only have to purchase a one month membership every three or four months and I would be able to view everything that the "loyal" member has paid monthly for..
http://www.abbywinters.com/discus/clipart/happy.gif As it is I can barely keep up with all the new stuff with my modem connection so I can't stay, got stuff to do ...

[Abby]

Hi

With regards to the idea of ppl on fast connections being able to come back again later, that's something that has also been bothering me. The only way I can combat that is to have pics on the site for limited periods of time. IE, each model only stays ont he site for a month, then comes back at a later date, again for a month. That really IS manipulative, but I have not discounted it.

Rest assured, there is a reason other sites charge as much as DOUBLE what I do.

Abby

[Abby]

Hi, Artful,

With regards to tiered membership, yes, I had considered that, then discounted it for those very reasons (so labout intensive). However, with a different billing system, it may be more feasable. I am looking at changing the billing system by the end of the year. Existing customers would stay as they are, billed via CCBill, but all new customers would be on the new system (as would renewing old customers). That'd give me a LOT more control, to areas based on usernames, and so on.

And, of course, be cheaper. CCBill cost me an arm and a leg for the "service" they provide.

Thanks for your ideas.

a

[arsby]

Ooh! Ooh!

Before you stop talking about this, I have an idea that I've been nurturing that could be available only for the "family" members. ("Stick around and you're family.")

I've brought this up before. Scoreland used to have something called the "big picture", where they would offer one or two HUGE pictures of one of the models, maybe 2400x1800, or something like that -- over a megabyte. Problem was, they were scoreland models, too professional, too "used up" (and in most cases, breasts outlandishly huge).

Imagine something like that with Danny, or Mikaela, or Zoey, or Jill, or Raven, or Vanessa, or... you get my drift. You browse around the picture, and get closeups of EVERYTHING -- her nose, her nipple, her eyes, her thighs, her pussy, her bellybutton...

I'm dreaming of a huge picture of a closeup -- say, Gabby's genitalia. There's her left labia majoris, there's her left labia minoris, is that her pee-hole?, there's her pierced clitoral hood (word of the week again), is that little bump her clit?...

[Abby]

Hiya

Yup, another thing I'd include in the "loyalty" section, is as Arsby suggests - huge images. Other things might include a small series of pics of each model doing something extra, that is not in with the rest of her pics.

Abby

[kumaraguy]

Now lets get this loyalty period right....
that is three consecutive months as opposed to three accumulative months and if,
after you have qualified as a "loyal " member, you discontinue your membership, you would have to qualify again
if (or when ) you rejoin....
is that how it would work ?

[Abby]

K

Correct, at the moment, that's how I am thinking of working it. People who have bought subs for three months or longer (three, six, twelve) will automatically have access, of course. Monthly payers will have to have been a continuous member for three months.

Does that seem fair?

Abby

[kumaraguy]

Yes, that seems more than fair, logical even http://www.abbywinters.com/discus/clipart/happy.gif

[ruffie]

I've seen some websites offer free memberships to one in every 25 signups or some such number. (I haven't joined a website in a long time but used to enjoy browsing and looking at the offers) Perhaps this same logic could be applied to retention? Perhaps you could prominently offer a free membership for 3, 6, or 12 mos or whatever you feel apropos to a certain number of those who remain members for a certain # of months? (3 or 6?) (I don't think you would need a precise mathematical equation or anything.) Then let those who win such memberships share comments. You can experiment on me. I'll write a very nice comment detailing how thrilled I am with an additional free 6 months of abbywinters.com. I don't think you would have to offer too many of these free spots to entice some folks to remain who were equivocal, though I can't imagine why anyone would be equivocal considering your great site. Thanks.
Ruffie

[Abby]

Hi Ruffie

That's a good idea that I had not considered. Unfortunately, my billing company (CCBill.com) does not allow that kinda stuff, which is partly the reason I plan to leave them by the end of the year.

Thanks for the idea!

Abby

[ruffie]

You're welcome and good luck finding a great billing company that will allow some creativity in attracting new members and retaining current members.
Ruffie