Diary of an Adult Webmaster: Relationships

One of the most important- and most frustrating- parts of operating an adult website is building critical relationships that are necessary for the success of the site. These relationships vary in nature (and change dramatically) depending upon the type of relationship: relationships with vendors are different than relationships with other webmasters, and nothing is quite like a site owner¡Çs relationship with his models.

Regardless of the type of site being run- whether the site centers on amateurs, teens, fetishists, midgets or whatever- there will always be a relationship with the site's vendors. A webmaster must purchase products, content or services from an array of individuals and organizations such as hosting providers, content providers, advertisers and even reviewers.

Building a relationship with a site's vendors is perhaps the easiest task to perform. As a customer of these providers, the old adage of "money talks" certainly holds true. After a few purchases of, say, content from a certain vendor, a level of trust and unspoken expectations is formed. Many webmasters find one or two content providers with which they are comfortable and stick with them in undying loyalty. Many webmasters are fiercely loyal to their providers, and only move on when something in the relationship changes, such as the vendor's supply or the webmaster's needs. The same is often true with hosting companies; until the webmaster outgrows the host's offerings, the business relationship is exceptionally solid.

Creating relationships with others in the adult webmaster industry, however, is a much more daunting task and is a chore which possibly warrants a column all to itself. With the proliferation of adult websites across the Internet came a variety of supporting industries including, but not limited to, specialized website designers, consultants, reviewers and even resellers ("affiliates"). At the very least, adult webmasters face the challenge of networking with others in a similar position in the industry in order to reap the benefits of inside secrets, current hot topics and other tricks of the trade.

In addition to a handful of conventions scattered throughout the continent (and, language barriers notwithstanding, the world), several online forums have sprang up to facilitate this type of adult networking. A simple glance through some of these forums give the initial impression that the average adult webmaster is selfishly out to make a few bucks in various under-the-radar operations. This impression belies the seriousness of the business, though. More in-depth exploration of the forums reveals just how serious adult webmasters are about their work: many make a full-time (plus some) job of their sites and most operate multiple websites. Adult webmasters will also aggressively defend the work they put into their business, quickly shunning the fly-by-night operators and accepting only those truly serious about the adult industry into their inner circle. One must prove their dedication to their sites in order to be accepted to this guild but, once inside, a treasure trove of helpful tips is like a goldmine of information.

As important as the difficult networking in the adult webmaster industry may be, no relationship is more critical to a webmaster's success than his relationship with his models. This fact is especially true for webmasters in unique niches for which commercial content is sparse or unavailable, as these webmasters must maintain an active relationship with the stars of their sites. Relationships with models for these sites are so critical that the very success of the sites depends on the model's willingness to appear.

As luck would have it, my website is of a particularly unique niche and stresses the importance of webmaster-model relationships. Many adult industry outsiders erroneously assume that there is an abundance of willing ladies ready to perform in the buff for the right amount of money. Such is simply not the case, however. Persuading an otherwise innocent lady to put an unusual item in her mouth, for sake of example, is undeniably difficult even with cash payment at hand. Asking her to swallow said item, or perform some other interesting task with it, generally pushes even the most eager models out the door.

With willing ladies in short supply, the gems who do come through and become website stars must be treated as the celebrities they are. Occasional gifts, repeat (and frequent) work and top-notch compensation are just the basics for keeping a model happy. Most adult webmasters fiercely defend the relationships they maintain with their models, and are rightfully cognizant of the risks of losing their services. Without exclusive models, after all, a site becomes nothing more than a repository for tired old commercial content.

Certainly, maintaining relationships is a major factor in the success of an adult webmaster. So, too, is truth in marketing. In the next installment of Diary of an Adult Webmaster, this column will explore some basic requirements in marketing an adult site, and potential consequences of violating these ethics. If you are one of the estimated 10,000+ webmasters involved in the adult industry, or thinking of starting your own adult website, you will want to read that column!