opinion

Inevitable Evolution

Target your traffic, build site credibility, and brand - three major elements important to today's successful Web development.

A few years ago when the adult Internet was new there was plenty of traffic. New surfers were getting online access every day and shooting down the Information Super Highway. As Julius at F.U.B.A.R. likes to say, the InterWeb was booming. Of course it was touted as a great way to expand your intellect, learn about new cultures and stay on top of current events around the globe, but a vast majority of those new ‘Netizens were coming online for one thing – easy access to adult entertainment.

Back then the generally held idea was to “build it and forget it.” Webmasters would build site after site, just setting them out on the Web like ships out to sea. It didn’t matter what the surfer wanted – webmasters produced whatever they had to offer. There were a few niches to choose from, but webmasters rarely paid attention to their traffic in terms of finding out what was motivating surfer activity. It was supply and demand – millions of new surfers demanded adult content, and a few thousand webmasters around the world worked to deliver it to them.

A popular concept was to build sites “like 7-11s,” putting one on every virtual “corner” so that by sheer mathematics sooner or later you would generate a sale based upon a limitless volume of eager consumers that happened upon your site. The surfers' wants and needs were completely irrelevant to the equation! The webmaster just built sites around the content that he or she had available - and there wasn't a lot – take it or leave it.

You hear it at every show, some webmaster saying that “those were the days,” but the smart webmasters – the ones who have survived the last decade and adapted and improved their businesses to remain consistently successful over the years – know that things are actually much better today. Sure, the volume of naive new surfers has dwindled dramatically and been replaced by a newer, more savvy consumer that knows how to find “free porn,” knows about circle jerks, and can navigate his way to highly targeted niche sites that fulfill his needs and desires.

Because of this “evolution of the surfer,” the webmaster – or Web developer as they are known more often today – has had to adapt and make changes as well. In today’s online environment, survival of the fittest has taken on a whole new meaning Instead of just building it and forgetting it, Web developers need to understand the wants and needs of their target audience and supply them with the content and services required in order to make the sale, monitor statistics and trends, and respond to changing preferences and technical advancements.

This evolution will continue, and so will today’s Web developer evolve and adapt, because the latest generation of surfers knows exactly what it wants.

Further Reading

Overcoming the Savvy Surfer

Click here to mail me for sensible processing options to boost your bottom line and opportunities for branding and marketing exposure.

Click Here for Additional Help Starting or Improving Your Online Business

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Retailer Tips for STI Awareness Month

Adult retail isn’t all fun and flirty games. We love helping folks navigate pleasure and desire for themselves and with their partners, but brick-and-mortar staff are also on the front lines for myriad educational opportunities — especially in April, which is Sexually Transmitted Infections Awareness Month.

Rin Musick ·
opinion

Strategic Upscaling of Non-4K Content

If content is king in adult, then technical quality is the throne upon which it sits. Technical quality drives customer acquisition and new sales, while cementing retention and long-term loyalty.

Brad Mitchell ·
opinion

A Look at the Evolution of Pleasure-Enhancing Pumps

Even though the pleasure industry is famously innovative, most “new” products are still ultimately reimagined versions of previous ones. They expand on the core idea by introducing a new feature or solution that takes the original concept to a new level of sensation, functionality or convenience.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
profile

AEBN Reflects on 25 Years of Innovation, Success

Reflecting on 25 years of success, AEBN honchos Jay Strowd and Bishop Wages harken back to 1999, when the company that would become a storied brand first broke away from an online DVD/VHS mail-order business to evolve as an entity solely dedicated to streaming video.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

Platforming the Pleasure Industry With Our Collective Voice

Very early in my business career, I learned not to mix business with politics or religion. This was a foundational tenet that just made sense. For much of my career, that was easy. However, it has become increasingly difficult to avoid bringing politics into business.

Ken Sahn ·
profile

WIA Profile: Jessica Jasmin

Jessica Jasmin’s heart has always been in production, but there were a number of stops along her route to becoming creative director for Gamma Entertainment.

Women In Adult ·
opinion

The ABCs of POS Systems for Adult Store Owners

What point-of-sale system is best for your adult business? Figuring that out can be frustrating, since the numerous options and acronyms don’t easily translate into a clear checklist of features and benefits you can weigh.

Sean Quinn ·
profile

Hayley Davies: From New Zealand Math Nerd to Fast-Rising Adult Star

Growing up, New Zealander Hayley Davies was a proud nerd who participated in mathematics competitions against students from much higher grades. Her good looks turned out to be a kind of secret weapon, causing peers to underestimate her intellectual acumen.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

How Pleasure Brands Can Leverage Strategic PR Amid Mainstream Media Layoffs

Thanks to the mainstreaming of intimacy products, pleasure brands can now gain broad exposure in all kinds of publications, from Cosmo to Allure to Good Housekeeping. Unfortunately, the economic uncertainty dominating the world and challenging businesses has hit the media sector particularly hard.

Kathryn Byberg ·
profile

Elly Clutch: English Teacher Turned Creator Shifts Into High Gear

Growing up, Elly Clutch often felt a bit strange and out of place. In fact, that feeling has stuck with her for as long as she can remember. Nevertheless, she has grown a lot of confidence since her youth, and now knows that being an outgoing and fun-loving nerd makes her uniquely memorable.

Alejandro Freixes ·
Show More