I have asked myself many times "Why it is that some of us desire to be the Webmaster, while others of us are content to play along as the member?" Could it be that just as photographers and models share a voyeur / exhibitionist relationship, that surfers and Webmasters enjoy the same type of unacknowledged relationship?
This is a puzzle that I have spent many days and nights working over, and in conclusion, I have learned what makes them both tick: A Webmaster creates so that the curious prospect might be tantalized into paying to see a little bit more, while the curious member is looking to be teased, satisfied and entertained. What makes the curious become serious enough to actually pay to see what they could see for free (because of the saturated market of free pics)? A little tease!
A Little Tease is Worth Big Cash!
Like the "Chef's Special" made to tease the hungry diner, Webmaster's tease the sexual hunger of the curious prospect. When you eat at a restaurant and the desserts are brought to the table on a tray for you to drool over, it makes you want to taste them — so you pay! You may not have ordered that big dessert off of the menu, but when it teased you, you just had to have it!
Likewise, you don't want to show everything that you have to offer upfront; hold a little back, and then gradually whet the surfer's appetite for more. This is especially true when you are building AVS and pay site tours, but also applies to free sites. How? Show only softcore or "censored" photographs, and then provide a link to the "hardcore series."
Always Make the Tease Unique!
Only you know what you can do to set your web site apart from all the rest. Tell visitors about how your site is unique, then show a few small softcore sample photos of what you have to offer. Like watching a strip tease, surfers will stay to see more and more (or less and less); a peek at what's next, and so on, until the tease is over and all their money is in your bank account.
Come on girls, you know what I mean: like a mating dance, teasing is in your blood! Learn how to tease and you will profit. Never give yourself or your content away for free ~ it's (and you) are worth much more than that!
Follow Through On the Tease!
Nobody likes a cock teaser that doesn't eventually "put out." So if you want to promise your visitors something, make sure that you can deliver. Otherwise you will alienate your members, and not cash in on those all-important recurring memberships. This is especially true when the site in question is your own personal "amateur" site, where keeping members happy is the key to increasing and maintaining profits.
Want a helpful hint? Under-promise and over-deliver! If you make exaggerated promises about the amount or quality of your content, you will lose your inevitably disappointed visitors. But if you give your member's more than you promised, they will be delighted, feeling that they got more than their money's worth... Of course, if you run a free site, then you want your visitors to go away unsatisfied, because that's the reason they'll pay to join your sponsor's site!
Like tasty desserts paraded on a tray, you too can make the hungry pay! ~ Ayrora