Last week, I ran an article at XBiz about turnkey sites, since with the collapse of many dot-com businesses, a growing influx of technically capable opportunity seekers has been teased with the promise of easy wealth in the online adult entertainment business. The companies I've seen that are making these promises range from very good to very poor, and I had hoped to hear from both the providers, as well as the consumers, of turnkey sites.
A follow-up article by Jayson Jon provided a glimpse at the makings of a reasonable turnkey site program from the perspective of a service provider, but I still had not heard from anyone who has actually bought a turnkey site — until now, that is. Here's the email I received:
Stephen,
Though I do believe that there are some professional adult turn key programs out there, such as the one run by Jayson Jon, there are certainly con artists out there. I am not sure if you would print this, but I will reveal one company by name that is deliberately selling those "garbage" turnkey adult sites that you described in your first article.
Whatever you do, don't order anything from http://www.saturncommunications.com. I ordered their program back in 1999 and got burned BIG TIME. After all was settled, I had lost over $2000. I just hope my experience will shed light on anyone "attracted" to what is advertised as "easy money with adult internet sites." Basically, they are selling you a domain name for anywhere between $500 and $900. The site they claim to sell you is actually their FPA for their sponsor (True Cash) using your newly purchased domain name as an "alias" (most webmasters out there will understand what a domain alias is).
You can't edit your site at ALL. They also throw in a 900 number as well. Now maybe the 900 number by itself might be worth $150 or $200, but definitely not $1000. Also, the fee they charge you for monthly hosting ($49.50/mo back in '99, not sure what it is now) is ridiculous when the site is actually not even yours (you're leasing a domain name, that's it!). You can't even modify the damn site! As with everything else in life, success only comes with hard learning, experience and a lot of loss (in the form of time and money).
Again, the downfall of the program is obvious. With no traffic at the onset, this turnkey site is USELESS since most of the traffic generators out there want their banner on sites submitted to them. However, this is never going to work when you only own an alias domain name and have no rights to edit the site contents directly.It's better to just sign up under the True Cash program yourself and make money promoting it with free site, etc. I agree with you 110% when you say that it is better to start building your own adult sites. As with everything else in life, success only comes with hard learning, experience and a lot of loss (in the form of time and money).
Persistence is the key to winning. These get-rich quick schemes, like the ones promoted by Saturn Communications, are ill-deceived and definitely shaft people who only need to do a little research on how to start building free sites. This is where most of the true, successful Webmasters out there today started. Just hope you pass this on to new Adult Webmasters starting their inquiry into this ever changing, yet still profitable, business.You gotta work long and hard hours to succeed in this adult internet industry, and I think few out there will disagree. There is definitely no free lunch out here!
Dreamer
www.evolutionxxx.net
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I will likely put this topic to bed now, unless I hear from someone who has made 'riches' with a turnkey site, and has been satisfied with the process — in the interest of balanced journalism. For now, I'll leave off with telling you that I have actually received more reader email inspired by these articles than on any other subject in recent memory, showing that there is indeed a high level of curiosity about these oft controversial products. For now, take care — and always read the 'fine print' before signing on the dotted line... ~ Stephen
