Google Enters Webcam Market

Ask nearly anyone involved in Internet marketing what today’s hotspots are and they will likely mention terms such as “interactive,” “live chat” and “user uploaded videos,” along with current concepts such as personalization and content monetization.

One company on the forefront of profiting from all of the above is Google.

Although some of the Helpouts are available for free, users will need to pay for many of the Helpouts — a process the company facilitates through Google Wallet integration.

A new service offering “real help from real people in real time,” Google Helpouts (helpouts.google.com) popularizes two-way educational video chat by providing live help with a variety of issues via video. Popular Helpout topic categories include Art & Music, Computers & Electronics, Cooking, Education & Careers, Fashion & Beauty, Fitness & Nutrition, Health and Home & Garden.

“With Helpouts you can get help anytime from people with expertise across a range of topics — teachers, counselors, doctors, home repair specialists, personal trainers, hobby enthusiasts, and more,” explains a service spokesperson. “You can choose who to get help from based on qualifications, availability, ratings and reviews. Also, you can choose to get help right away or schedule a Helpout for later.”

It is not a new idea, with cam companies such as AWE serving this market for years.

Although some of the Helpouts are available for free, users will need to pay for many of the Helpouts — a process the company facilitates through Google Wallet integration.

The rendering of payment is the final ingredient in Google’s mantra of “Find Help, Get Help, Pay for Help,” and serves as a focal point for web marketers eyeing the bigger picture of what this service portends.

Consider Google’s position: as the owner of popular video sharing site YouTube, the company has access to limitless video clips presented to a diverse global audience, while also possessing robust user data. Google knows which clips are best and which are barely worth viewing if at all, as a result of its data analysis.

This includes robust figures underscoring the popularity of educational, informational and “how to” clips — including identifying those producers and publishers which stand apart from the crowd, due to superior production values, and heavy social media activity.

These clips are the precious wheat smothered by so much chaff — the sea of inferior content that is the result of an open publishing policy — but the very best of these may be worth paying for, especially when they precisely target the viewer’s desires.

The question becomes, under which business model?

It is a proposition faced by adult tube site operators as well: they attract an audience by offering endless content that is “OK” because it is free — but how many tube sites can successfully charge a membership or subscription fee based upon their current content?

Sure, some sites may have a few hidden content gems — would it be more profitable to offer just “the best of the best” as part of a premium video-on-demand (VOD) system?

What if you could get the performers in these top clips to engage in exclusive one-on-one sessions with customers on a pay per-minute basis, echoing the success of the adult live cam market? What if you could combine the best of all these features in one service?

Google Helpouts is one result of this evolution. An adult tube site that links its videos to a performer’s cam profile would be another — but the Google offer is in place today…

Website operators will be among the beneficiaries of Google Helpouts with numerous offers of HTML5 help, coding assistance, WordPress setup and operation, plus other tech oriented assistance covering all imaginable applications. Traffic building, web marketing, social media expertise and more, at your fingertips, customized to your specific needs.

As interesting and helpful as Google Helpouts are, however, it is the indicators of the company’s thinking that may be of most help to many marketers who are grappling with the problems of content devaluation and poor discovery amongst a sea of clutter all while trying to monetize the best of their assets. Maybe an exact analog won’t be found in adult but it’s certain that some forward-looking porn sites will adopt some of Google Helpouts’ strategies for community building and content monetization.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 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

'Traffic Captain' Andy Wullmer Braves the High Seas as Spirited Exec

Wullmer networked and hobnobbed, gaining expertise in everything from ecommerce to SEO and traffic, making connections and over time rising through the ranks of several companies to become CEO Mobile at TrafficPartner.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

To Cloud or Not to Cloud, That Is the Question

Let’s be honest. It just sounds way cooler to say your business is “in the cloud,” right? Buzzwords make everything sound chic and relevant. In fact, someone uninformed might even assume that any hosting that is not in the cloud is inferior. So what’s the truth?

Brad Mitchell ·
opinion

Upcoming Visa Price Changes to Registration, Transaction Fees

Visa is updating its fee structure. Effective April 1, both the card brand’s initial nonrefundable application fee and annual renewal fee will increase from $500 to $950. Visa is also introducing a fee of 10 cents for each transaction, and 10 basis points — 0.1% — on the payment volume of certain merchant accounts.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

Unpacking the New Digital Services Act

Do you hear the word “regulation” and get nervous? When it comes to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), you shouldn’t worry. If you’re complying with the most up-to-date card brand regulations, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

The Perils of Relying on ChatGPT for Legal Advice

It surprised me how many people admitted that they had used ChatGPT or similar services either to draft legal documents or to provide legal advice. “Surprised” is probably an understatement of my reaction to learning about this, as “horrified” more accurately describes my emotional response.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
profile

WIA Profile: Holly Randall

If you’re one of the many regular listeners to Holly Randall’s celebrated podcast, you are already familiar with her charming intro spiel: “Hi, I’m Holly Randall and welcome to my podcast, ‘Holly Randall Unfiltered.’ This is the show about sex, the adult industry and the people in it.

Women In Adult ·
trends

What's Hot Now: Leading Content Players on Trending Genres, Monetization Strategies

The juggernaut creator economy hurtles along, fueled by ever-ascendant demand for personality-based authenticity and intimacy — yet any reports of the demise of the traditional paysite are greatly exaggerated.

Alejandro Freixes ·
opinion

An Ethical Approach to Global Tech Staffing

One thing my 24-year career as a technologist working to support the online adult entertainment industry has taught me about is the power of global staffing. Without a doubt, I have achieved significantly more business success as a direct result of hiring abroad.

Brad Mitchell ·
opinion

Finding the Right Payment Partner

Whenever I am talking with businesses that are just getting started, one particular question comes up a lot: “How do I get a merchant account?” It’s a simple question, but it has a complicated answer.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

The Taxman Cometh for Every Business

February may be the month of romance, but it is also a time when we need to think about something that inspires very little love: taxes. April is not far away, and the taxman is always waiting. This year, federal and most state income taxes are due Monday, April 15.

Cathy Beardsley ·
Show More