No matter what type of work you do, a website helps you brand yourself. It’s somewhere for you to share your work, and do it entirely under your own control. My website’s one-year anniversary is around the corner and I couldn’t be happier with how far it’s come! There is no “one way” to create/run a website, but I’m delighted to share a few key things that I feel contributed to my success.
My first step was to research the best platform for me to grow with. ModelCentro, an adult-friendly content management system, removes a lot of the headache that comes with building a website, as opposed to building one entirely from scratch. They take care of payment processing, glitches, etc. This way, as a model, I was able to focus on my content, website design and creative ways to promote my upcoming project.
Website success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something that’s built over time with determination and consistency, but will help create loyalty and longevity for you in this industry.
I activated a “coming soon” page, and promoted my site with teasers and samples on social media to create hype for two whole months before the official launch. On this page, there was a place for fans to sign up with their email and to be notified when my site went live. In the meantime, I shot tons of new content, worked on my design, etc. When the time came to launch, I issued a newsletter to everyone who expressed interest. Over 10 months, my mailing list is now over 1,000 people and growing every day. I can reach out to those people with a special mailer when I have a new promo, or something important going on.
For me, the design was the really fun part! MC provides templates where you can choose a color scheme and design, then simply insert logos/photos/videos, ideally some that flatter your chosen color scheme. I decided to keep a clean and sleek design so my content remains the shining star.
Offering exclusive content on your website is a huge perk for subscribers. Make sure you are giving incentives for people to sign up for that membership. Selling some videos in clip stores is great for promo, and for users who aren’t comfortable with a monthly subscription service. I currently do both, so not all my eggs are in one basket so to speak, but my goal is to eventually have enough support so I only have my website to focus on. I put my site logo on every video no matter where it’s released, so that traffic always comes back to my site.
A big part of success anywhere is consistent updates. People are much more likely to re-bill their subscription if you are active and constantly have a future update scheduled. I try to pre-schedule blogs so it gives my subscribers something to chew on between professional photo/video updates. More time should be spent on videos, as blogs are not the moneymaker … videos are. But, it helps retain interest and is a great way to share candid photos and stories with your fans!
Keeping your site streaming only can help protect against piracy. However, one of the perks I offer my members is to get downloadable copies of my content at a discount. It can help you control the amount of exclusive content that gets leaked on the net, track where it comes from and gives you a bit of extra revenue!
Live cam shows is something people have come to expect on membership sites. It helps you connect with your subscribers in a more intimate setting than on a public cam platform. Not to mention the show recording can be archived on your site so you get an extra piece of content out of it too!
I also have a “Tip Me” page. With this feature, you have the ability to promote your site by funneling payments for offers you promote on social media, via your website. This may expose your site to people who are already interested in purchasing something from you, and who knows, maybe they’ll sign up!
Truth is there are so many ways to run a website. If you pay attention to the type of clientele you attract, try to translate that into the type of content you create, and how you promote yourself. Website success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something that’s built over time with determination and consistency, but will help create loyalty and longevity for you in this industry. Like anything, the more passion and time you put into your projects, the more successful you’re likely to be.
Melody Kush can be followed @MelodyKush on Twitter and Instagram.
