educational

Pay-Per-View Made Easy

In a recent article series in XBiz, Randall Crockett from DRM Networks outlined some of the reasons for — and techniques of implementing — pay-per-view content systems. While Crockett focused on delivering video-based content protected by a digital rights management (DRM) system, this isn't the only – or necessarily the "easiest" – method of building a pay-per-view website. Let's take a closer look:

Why Pay-Per-View?
To reinforce what you might have already heard (or seen for yourself while pouring over your sales stats), surfers are becoming less and less interested in purchasing traditional paysite memberships. There are several reasons for this, including the monthly cost, a fear that it will be difficult (or impossible) to cancel the membership, dissatisfaction with previous paysite memberships and an uncertainty that the content they seek will actually be available within the members area.

While the issues of cost and cancellation are easily addressed by offering lower-priced "discount" websites and featuring prominent "cancel" or "customer service" links, the glut of low-quality, "cookie cutter" paysites that do not deliver what they promise has left many wary consumers in its wake – consumers who may not be easily convinced to join another paysite. You might, however, be able to overcome some of their reluctance by presenting a very professional tour with high-quality samples and extensive support documentation like FAQs and a "help" area that will give the impression that your site is what it promises, and thereby make a new sale. Likewise, a prospective member's uncertainty that the content they seek will actually be available within the members area can be addressed through your tour by providing a comprehensive, thumbnailed list of the galleries, feeds and videos that you offer members.

There is a simple reason why this is necessary and it has to do with some of the industry's traditional marketing practices: for years, webmasters have been told that using unique, high-quality content – rather than the overused sponsor-provided offerings – to build free sites and galleries was the way to not only get favorable listings on link sites and TGPs, but to encourage click-throughs to the sponsor.

While link list and TGP owners benefited from this practice by being able to offer their site's visitors more diverse materials and content providers profited by enjoying a market well beyond the traditional paysite arena, the unintended consequence was that a surfer, hoping to see more of the model he enjoyed on that free site or gallery – and logically assuming that "more" would be contained within the website being promoted on that free site or gallery (especially given the common use of catch phrases like "click here to see more of me") – would be invariably disappointed when that model (or the complete set) was not found within the sponsoring paysite's members area...

It's doubtless that a customer's feeling of being victimized by "false advertising" in this regard has led to more than a few chargebacks.

A Simple Solution
An easy way to overcome all of these issues can be found through the use of a click-based micro-payment system such as the one offered by PayAsYouClick.com. Using the example above of a tour page that features a thumbnailed list of all of the galleries and videos that you offer members, all that would be required to transform the traditional paysite into a pay-per-view site would be the replacement of the links on these thumbnails that would typically point to your join page with PayAsYouClick links directly to the featured content.

Now, rather than clicking through to a membership offer (with all of the aforementioned drawbacks), the customer can pick and choose the exact content that he or she wishes to view, such as individual videos, photo galleries (or even individual images), stories and more.

Through the offering of exclusive, quality content and the careful setting of price points, this ala carte method of content monetization may indeed yield a higher amount of revenue per surfer than does traditional membership sales. Of course, savvy webmasters could offer both options (individual content offerings as well as full memberships) as a way of maximizing sales while satisfying the preferences of most of their customers.

Creativity and giving the customer what he or she wants is the key to success in this market and the effective use of pay-per-view systems is an increasingly integral part of this process. Try it on your own site and see for yourself!

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

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 ·
profile

Dan Leal Talks Balance, Business and Daily Rituals

“We were in a big field, and I hopped off a little ledge to cut through some grass, and my knee just gave out,” he explains. “I thought it was my calf because I’d torn my calf muscle back in December, but I had an MRI that confirmed a torn ACL.”

Jeff Dana ·
profile

Sarah Illustrates Spins Chill Vibes Into Viral Fame

Lounging in her sunny SoCal backyard in between content shoots, with her hair swept into a no-fuss ponytail and the sun dappling her shoulders, Sarah Illustrates looks every bit the hot mom next door — because, well, she is. The kind of mom who bakes fresh bread on the weekends, juggles dance recitals and baseball games, and delights in life’s simpler joys, like family time and trips to Target.

Jackie Backman ·
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 ·
opinion

Building Seamless Checkout Flows for High-Risk Merchants

For high-risk merchants such as adult businesses, crypto payments are no longer just a backup plan — they’re fast becoming a first choice. More and more businesses are embracing Bitcoin and other digital currencies for consumer transactions.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

What the New SCOTUS Ruling Means for AV Laws and Free Speech

On June 27, 2025, the United States Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, upholding Texas’ age verification law in the face of a constitutional challenge and setting a new precedent that bolsters similar laws around the country.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
Show More