opinion

Window Shopping With Transparency

Used wisely, a transparent tour can unleash your site’s selling power. It’s one of the best weapons in a paysite owner’s arsenal and there’s no better way to increase sales through a massive expansion of your site’s reach.

The name “transparent tour” caught on because it’s the most accurate, least confusing way to name a tour that’s essentially a mirror view of a site’s interior.

Transparent tours began as extensions of members areas that needed a way to showcase a large archive of models.

A website with a transparent tour appears not to have a tour at all, or appears to have a tour that’s nearly identical to the members area. Typically the only difference between the inside and outside of the site is that once inside, a visitor has access to the content where on the tour the content may be limited to static photo previews or sample video trailers.

Transparent tours began as extensions of members areas that needed a way to showcase a large archive of models. Big network cash program sites went step further and designed tours with category browsing, search features and top lists. It wasn’t long before these sites totally abandoned the boiler plated multipageepisode style tours they’d been using for the better part of a decade.

The tease factor this kind of tour creates makes it highly effective. It gives surfers the opportunity to sell themselves.

The sales process it creates is a lot like window shopping. The surfer piques their own interest and delves deeper into the site until they convince themselves to sign up.

Another big advantage of this tour setup is SEO, due to the massive amount of pages you can have indexed by search engines. Every model, category and content link gets crawled and it’s not uncommon for a site with a transparent tour to span hundreds or even thousands of pages. Transparency also lets you target traffic and link directly to niche pages that are rich with content matching what the surfer is looking for.

If you’ve got a CMS system that lets you build transparent tours you’re in luck, the benefits of a transparent tour are many. As far as paysite marketing is concerned it’s an ace in the hole.

AJ Hall is a 12-year adult industry veteran, and the cofounder and CEO of Elevated X Inc., a provider of popular adult CMS software for the online adult entertainment industry.

Elevated X powers over 2,000 leading adult sites.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 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

How to Stay Legally Protected When Policies Get Outdated

The adult industry has long operated in a complex legal environment subject to rapid change. Now, a confluence of age verification laws, lawsuits, credit card processing and data privacy rules has created an urgent need for all industry participants — from major platforms to independent creators — to review and potentially overhaul their legal and operational policies.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

From Compliance Chaos to Crypto Clarity: Making the Case for Digital Payments in Adult

These are uncertain times for adult merchants. With compliance tightening and age verification mandates rising, the barrier to entry keeps getting higher.

Cathy Beardsley ·
profile

FSC's Valentine Leads Charge for Sex Worker Rights and Financial Access

Before ever stepping into a courtroom, Valentine already understood the power of presence. After all, they’ve shimmied on stages as a burlesque performer, consulted behind the scenes for creative businesses and moved through the adult industry not just as an advocate, but as a participant.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Breaking Down HB 805 and How it Affects the Adult Industry

North Carolina House Bill 805 was enacted July 29, after the state legislature overrode Governor Josh Stein’s veto. The provisions that relate to the adult industry, imposing requirements for age verification, consent and content removal, are scheduled to become effective Dec. 1. Platforms have until then to update their policies and systems to comply with the new regulations.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Staying Compliant With Payment Standards Across Europe and Australia

So, you’ve got your eye on international growth. Smart move. No matter where adult-industry merchants operate, however, one requirement remains consistent: regulatory compliance. This isn’t just a legal checkbox — it’s a critical component of keeping payments flowing and business operations intact.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

How to Avoid Copyright Pitfalls When Using Music in Adult Content

When creating an adult video, bringing your vision to life often means assembling just the right ingredients — including the right music. However, adding music to adult content can raise complex legal and ethical issues.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

New Visa Rules Adult Merchants Need to Know

In December 2024, I shared an update on the upcoming rollout of Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program, also known as VAMP. The final version went into effect in June, and enforcement will begin in October. With just a month to go, now is the time to review what’s changing and how to stay compliant.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

WIA Profile: Lainie Speiser

With her fiery red hair and a laugh that practically hugs you, Lainie Speiser is impossible to miss. Having repped some of adult’s biggest stars during her 30-plus years in the business, the veteran publicist is also a treasure trove of tales dating back to the days when print was king and social media not even a glimmer in the industry’s eye.

Women in Adult ·
opinion

Fighting Back Against AI-Fueled Fake Takedown Notices

The digital landscape is increasingly being shaped by artificial intelligence, and while AI offers immense potential, it’s also being weaponized. One disturbing trend that directly impacts adult businesses is AI-powered “DMCA takedown services” generating a flood of fraudulent Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
Show More