The panel acknowledged that surfers today are much different than they were just a few years ago; in order to develop a successful affiliate that will survive on the Web, webmasters must first have a solid concept and feel passionate about it. That drive will show through in the site's content and will attract surfers with similar tastes.
Without stellar content, however, a site will flop. For startup sites, Mike Price of Silvercash and Steve Lightspeed of Lightspeed agreed that producing exclusive content may be too expensive for those yet without a steady cash flow. They recommend purchasing content from stock libraries and, once the brand and cash stock builds, webmasters can use the revenue to fund their own production.
Karl Edwards of Bedfellow said that, whether with stock footage or exclusive content, webmasters should have six-months-worth of content to sustain their sites in the beginning stages. This buffer will allow steady revenue and the ability to update regularly, attracting new and repeat users.
After selecting a payment processing program, affiliate tracking software and an affiliate payout structure, the most important part of a paysite's development is its design. Price professed the need for a quality front-end tour page, something that accurately represents the site's content and will attract users seeking the niche content.
The panel said that without a strong design background, it is best to work with a professional design company to develop an attractive and legitimate front page.
As for the backend, Oystein Wright of MPA3 and Boris Gaiman of NATS encouraged the use of an automated content management system, which allows webmasters to update their sites automatically, saving time and eliminating the risk of making accidental mistakes.
When the site is ready to be marketed, the panel discussed the most effective ways to advertise its content. Through banner, HTML and blog ads, Price said the site's best content should be shown. With free hosted photo and video galleries, he said giving users a valid sneak peek at content is a great way to attract traffic. With 15-second clips, surfers get a taste of what's to come, attracting them to the members area and, the ultimate goal, signing up for a membership.
Offering affiliate incentives will entice webmasters to link to sites and, with the right content and legitimate business methods, the members of the panel concurred that webmasters will run successful and lasting affiliate programs.
