Sunday, November 23, 2008

Sign-ups. What makes customers join a site INSTANTLY? Or FINALLY?

Models often are telling me: Wow! Things had been so slow recently. But after releasing this new update and posting the previews i had TONS of sign-ups in the following days... Such stats of course don't lie. But they can lead to serious misconceptions, even to the extent of fatally wrong decisions regarding the general direction of a paysite. As a model, you better think twice here.

The big $$$ question is: How many of the sign-ups are downright instant buys? In the sense that somebody would spot the previews of a particular set, then check the samples of a site, and shortly after buy a membership? Although it's hard to get bullet-proof figures here i'd say: that rate is smaller than you would think.




















(1) In general: The timing of a sign-up can depend on so many aspects, and many have nothing to do with a particular update. For example: A customer is already a member of (let's say) 2 other sites. And he simply wants to wait till those have expired. Or this customer is so swamped with work, his funds are running short right now, isn't in the mood for joining paysites etc etc. But after all, when seeing your breathtaking preview he has put you ontop of his list and will join you in 2 months. AFTER you have released several new updates!!

Thus you better do not change the type of your content when sign-ups went up after one particular update.

(2) More specifically: A particular update indeed can change your 'impact' on potential customers. Or rather, it can shift your impact. Meaning to say here: For a change, you now release an 'artistic' set, a fetish set, an eating set, a casual set, a hardcore set, a pinup style set etc etc, you will get particular attention for that. From the folks who are into that particular thing - and who will respond avidly now, but hardly become so much your fans now that they would pay for a subscription (okay, that part surely is good for a separate discussion). But more importantly, such a shift of impact can positively play with expectations and rise curiosity - with respect to those customers who already are following your updates / on the basis of your content released before. I mean to say that your new and different update just works as the final drop to pay for a membership, and only together with the substantial impact you have been creating before that new update. Another reason to better not change your direction.

In general i think:
(1) The majority of customers rather gets STARTED by the 'velocity' of your assets and the appeal of your overall look, than by the type of content that you're doing.
(2) It's rather the effect of particularly well-shot images or videos, of you looking dramatically hot after being well captured (not primarily technical quality BTW !), than the style or content they're taken in.
Besides that, there are of course lots of folks who want you to show a particular thing, otherwise they're out. But these peeps are mainly loyal to their 'thing' or fetish. And hardly ever loyal fans of your special appeal.