Over the past few years, website operators have reported declining conversion ratios, which has affected many aspects of the online adult marketing game; making webmasters question how declining visitor value affects traffic acquisition...
Consider that a site that once converted at 1:500 overall, but that now sees 1:1500 on U.S. traffic (or worse), is bound to require a different approach to its traffic generation, especially if trying to maintain a high pay-per-sale affiliate program. The payouts have to match the profitability, which stems from total acquisition costs.
Monitoring these figures on a per-unique-visitor basis, operators can measure the value of their own surfers, to help determine the most profitable acquisition strategies.
For example, are you having to spend more money on “better quality” traffic, or are you dropping traditional broker or affiliate traffic altogether, to focus on organic search, social media and viral efforts — sources that may be more under your control?
For part of the equation, we turn to XBIZ.net members for advice and real numbers from folks buying and selling traffic in 2012, as to the current value of a visitor today:
According to Faceporn (Faceporn.no), determining the value of a visitor depends on a number of things, including the country that visitor is coming from; whether it is clicked or blind traffic; from a banner or text link or pop-under ad; from a mobile device, etc.
“We sell traffic through PlugRush.com,” Faceporn told XBIZ. “The prices are automatically adjusted based on demand and what people are willing to bid for the traffic on a CPC basis.”
Faceporn provided several examples detailing current market conditions; including mixed pop-under traffic from all countries for as low as $1.30 per 1,000 unique visitors; along with the availability of clicked traffic from English-speaking countries priced at a minimum of $4 per 1,000; while German mobile traffic is available at a minimum bid of $80 per 1,000 — illustrating wide variances in visitor value.
“These are the minimum bids for each type of traffic,” Faceporn added. “If you bid more, you’ll get higher priority and get traffic faster.”
Jeff (Dillonaire) Dillon from GameLink.com / Private Media / SureFlixxx agreed that much depends on a particular website’s traffic source, which these days differ greatly.
Alien from SDA Cash believes that the value of traffic is far overrated these days and that it is a bubble that’s due to burst, because much of what is being sold is worthless.
“Basing traffic value on demand is sort of quasi backwards and does have tendencies for exaggerated values,” Alien stated. “I have yet to ever buy traffic and find an ROI on it worth pursuing.”
Visitor value today clearly depends upon numerous factors and is a two-sided coin: the value (cost) of the visitor when it is acquired, as well as the value it presents to your business over its customer lifespan.
By monitoring these figures on a per-unique-visitor basis, operators can measure the value of their own surfers, to help determine the most profitable acquisition strategies — developing their own traffic equation to best suit their needs.