educational

How Many is Enough?

Another day begins with my usual routine: coffee, CNN, mail, checking in at XBiz, and then seeing what my friends (and enemies) are all up to today. As I move on to stirring the cauldron of creativity, melting down the remnants of sites past, present (and in some cases, ‘future‘) – all in a literally “vain” attempt to leapfrog the competition – I find I now have to sit back and honestly ask myself: just how much is enough?

We’ve just finished moving into our new home, and I’m sitting in my new office – which is almost totally empty as I longingly await the arrival of my nice new furniture “sometime next month…” The quiet emptiness here gives me adequate time for reflection as I prepare for my annual Spring cleaning – although granted, there’s not much to clean around the house this time around. That is, except for my hard drive…

Getting Organized
If you’re anything like me, you have a collection of digital (as well as “real”) Post-It notes and text files, scattered around a myriad array of folders. Sure, I still have my wonderful “Porn Command” enterprise management system, but being the kind of person who constantly sucks in new tidbits of information, handy tools, code snippets, username / password combos, and a bewildering variety of arcane minutiae, it’s often easier to toss it onto a text file, and put it into my ‘sort’ folder – rather than to properly file it, and update the appropriate HTML page. So, now I am wading through this mountain of ‘digital debris’ that I have accumulated over the years – collating, filing, updating, and archiving all of the important information, while discarding the irrelevant.

I mention all of these mundane ‘housekeeping’ matters to you because they are a part of a larger endeavor, involving the periodic restructuring of my little online empire; and rather than being an occasional chore, I’ve always considered this continual re-evaluation to be an ongoing business necessity – especially when given the fluid nature of our industry.

The More the Merrier?
You see, among all of the little treasures I am uncovering while building my new Porn Command system, are lists containing links to most of my adult sites. While the very oldest of my adult sites (circa 1996 TGP galleries on long forgotten free-hosts), are now lost to the nether regions of the Internet, a few of my very earliest free and AVS sites are still (somewhat) alive, languishing on a trickle of traffic from ‘who knows where.’ Scores of old, neglected, and abandoned properties from my “build and forget” days presented for a nostalgic trip down memory lane, awaiting nothing more than a ‘click’ to be revisited by their creator…

Like many others in this business, I once built as many porn sites as I could, in order to cast as wide a net as possible. “Get ‘em in, sell ‘em a membership, up sell ‘em again, and then trade ‘em for someone new!” was (and in many respects, still is) my mantra, and I logically reasoned that the more sites I had (covering as many niches as possible, and promoting as many sponsors as possible), then the more opportunities that I would have to make some sales.

While that approach may have been ‘a good idea’ once upon a time, just a few clicks down my list was all that it took to reveal that not only were some of the sites I had once built now ‘gone,’ but the hosts that hosted them gone, and in some cases, even the sponsors that I had once received checks from (and often even ‘still’ advertise) were also gone... Sure, those Web sites served their purpose, “once upon a time” – and I am still happily surprised by ‘mystery’ checks on occasion, but I can’t really help but consider the ‘limited’ “shelf life” of those projects, and the time and energy that now seem “wasted” on them…

Pass the Tabasco Sauce
Another thing that has become apparent to me as I click my way down these lists, is that while most of these sites are remarkably similar, there are a few exceptions which stand out as being innovative and surprisingly unique – but even the ‘unique’ ones share a striking sameness. Sure, I’m a big fan of using templates to speed production, but it goes beyond that. Browsing my portfolio reveals perhaps too much consistency, delivering a “kind of the same, but different” feeling, as though I made these sites with a set of “blinders” on – following the same old formulas, even if some had a pinch of seasoning here, a bit of frosting there. A standard recipe that tastes bland over time, and which has now left me with a sour after-taste when viewing some of my more current projects. Like eating MRE’s – where no amount of Tabasco sauce will hide the fact that you’re eating an MRE (“Meals Ready to Eat” for those who have not dined on Uncle Sam’s idea of “dinner al fresco”), you can’t help but long for a change.

As I prepare to embark upon some new (and renewed) projects designed to stir my creativity and get my blood pumping again, all of this is causing me to re-evaluate my old past practices in light of my current realities, and the realities of our evolving marketplace. Quantity over quality? Not anymore; it’s now time for a change. Stability and retention is the key to profit in our maturing industry, and that requires a level of commitment that is not feasible for yesterday’s “disposable” sites. And a whole new approach that will “raise the bar” – not necessarily for the industry, but for myself. Yep, it’s time to grow – no longer is it enough to cast my net wide, I must now focus on casting it well…

Every once in awhile, it does one good to take a break, look around, and take stock of where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. Working with blinders on, the same way that you’ve always done, can keep you from recognizing new trends, new techniques – and new market demands. “Raising the bar” and attempting the unique is often a good (if frequently frustrating) thing to do. How high is YOUR bar?

Stay tuned for my next article where we’ll look at “How Much is Enough?” ~ Stephen

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

profile

WIA Profile: Leah Koons

If you’ve been to an industry event lately, odds are you’ve heard Leah Koons even before you’ve seen her. As Fansly’s director of marketing, Koons helps steer one of the fastest-growing creator platforms on the web.

Women in Adult ·
opinion

What France's New Law Means for Age Verification Worldwide

When France implemented its Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law on April 11, it marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing global debate surrounding online safety and access to adult content.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

From Tariffs to Trends: Staying Resilient in a Shaky Online Adult Market

Whenever I check in with clients these days, I encounter the same concerns. For many, business has not quite bounced back after the typical post-holiday-season slowdown. Instead, consumers have been holding back due to the economic uncertainty around the Trump administration’s new tariffs and their impact on prices.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Optimizing Payment Strategies for High Ticket Sales

Payment processing for more expensive items, such as those exceeding $1,000 per order, can create unique challenges. For adult businesses, those challenges are magnified. Increased fraud risk, elevated chargeback ratios and heavier scrutiny from banks and processors are only the beginning.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

WIA Profile: Lexi Morin

Lexi Morin’s journey into the adult industry began with a Craigslist ad and a leap of faith. In 2011, fresh-faced and ambitious, she was scrolling through job ads on Craigslist when she stumbled upon a listing for an assistant makeup artist.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Still Rocking: The Hun Celebrates 30 Years in the Game

In the ever-changing landscape of adult entertainment, The Hun’s Yellow Pages stands out for its endurance. As one of the internet’s original fixtures, literally nearly as old as the web itself, The Hun has functioned as a living archive for online adult content, quietly maintaining its relevance with an interface that feels more nostalgic than flashy.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Digital Desires: AI's Emerging Role in Adult Entertainment

The adult industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing new technology. From the early days of dial-up internet and grainy video clips to today’s polished social media platforms and streaming services, our industry has never been afraid to innovate. But now, artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking things up in ways that are exciting but also daunting.

Steve Lightspeed ·
opinion

More Than Money: Why Donating Time Matters for Nonprofits

The adult industry faces constant legal battles, societal stigma and workplace challenges. Fortunately, a number of nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to protect the rights and well-being of adult performers, producers and industry workers. When folks in the industry think about supporting these groups, donating money is naturally the first solution that comes to mind.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Consent Guardrails: How to Protect Your Content Platform

The adult industry takes a strong and definite stance against the creation or publication of nonconsensual materials. Adult industry creators, producers, processors, banks and hosts all share a vested interest in ensuring that the recording and publication of sexually explicit content is supported by informed consent.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

Payment Systems: Facilitator vs. Gateway Explained

Understanding and selecting the right payment platform can be confusing for anyone. Recently, Segpay launched its payment gateway. Since then, we’ve received numerous questions about the difference between a payment facilitator and a payment gateway. Most merchants want to know which type of platform best meets their business needs.

Cathy Beardsley ·
Show More