In Part 1 of this series I outlined some of the legal benefits of using an AVS system rather than having a traditional pay site. In today’s conclusion, I’ll look at processing without any VISA / MasterCard fees, and most importantly, “content leveraging.” Enjoy!
Payment Processing
Beyond the search for a degree of legal protection for your site, the biggest attraction that AVS systems hold for real amateur site operators is the hassle-free (and fee-free) implementation of diverse payment processing mechanisms.
Operating a pay site typically means setting up a merchant account or using the services of at least one Internet Payment Services Provider (IPSP).
I say “at least one” because if you want to maximize sales, then not only should you have what is known as a “cascading billing system” (a term used to denote a system where an attempted – but failed – transaction is passed from one IPSP to another, until the purchase is authorized, and the customer billed), as well as multiple options for customers without credit cards, such as online checks, 1-900 number billing, SMS transactions, token systems, e-gold – the list goes on and on.
Each of these options usually requires that you setup a separate account with a separate company, and in the case of VISA and Master Card processing – a necessary but profitable evil in the realm of recurring Web site subscription sales – that you pay set-up as well as ongoing annual fees for the privilege. These fees can be daunting for many amateurs – especially those who are just starting out – and are in addition to the 15% or so in gross sales that you will pay to the IPSP for processing your sales.
In the past, I’ve used my own merchant account, CCBill, iBill, and PayPal to process recurring membership transactions; but the times have changed: PayPal, while an outstanding alternative that worked well for me, no longer allows adult site membership sales. Using my merchant account for this purpose is too “risky,” and iBill was only a disappointment that I was never quite satisfied with. CCBill worked great for me, and is popular with many amateur site operators – but my net income per sale is as good or greater using an AVS like ProAdult than it was using CCBill – and I don’t have the expense or hassle of paying any fees, or of setting up alternative payment methods, as they offer phone, check, and international billing options as well.
Given these factors, for me anyway (and I bet for many of you), using an AVS as a payment gateway is a financially attractive option – and one that helps me make more sales, and keep my members longer, through what I like to call “content leveraging.”
Content Leveraging
For girls who are just starting out in the business, one of the biggest issues is having enough content to start a site with. Sure, you can lure members into your site with half-dozen teaser pics, but you sure won’t keep them very long!
You need a “large amount” of “high-quality” content: photos, videos, stories, and more – if you want to retain your members month after month.
Keep in mind that “large amount” and “high-quality” are both relative terms: You’re not trying to compete with Cyber Erotica, so you won’t need “millions” of pics and videos; and since you’re ‘supposed’ to be an “amateur” (not a “super model” or “porn star”), your photos don’t need to look like Suze Randall shot them – they only ‘need’ to be well lit and in focus, and sometimes not even that!
While “the more (and better) the merrier” always holds true, you don’t need to be discouraged if you’re just starting out and don’t have a lot of content. While you should have at least 300 decent photos to start with, you can advertise the “bonus” content that many AVS’ provide to enhance your new site’s offerings!
This additional content is often quite substantial, and equal to or greater than what many decent ‘big name’ pay sites would offer; with high-quality galleries, live cams, video feeds, and every type of content ‘plug-in’ imaginable available to members of the top AVS’s. In fact, more than any other issue, the increase in sales and retention my site enjoys by promoting these aspects of the AVS program is what made me decide to go that route rather than use CCBill. Sure, my members enjoy “me” – but through my AVS-based content leveraging, they can “have their cake and eat it too!”
I hope that this introduction to the benefits of using an AVS to protect and profit from your amateur site was helpful, and gave you some options that will help you succeed. Oh, did I mention one of the other main benefits of using ProAdult as your AVS? They allow you to offer a partnership program so you can pay people to link to your site, delivering the traffic you need! Here’s my growing version of it – sign up today, and I’ll pay you to sell naked pictures of me on the Internet! Good Luck! ~ Ayrora