Klixxx Home
> Webmaster Article Archives Home >
Retention! Retention! Retention!
by Kath Blackwell
Probably the most important skill you can learn as an adult webmaster, is how to retain your members.
A Member who joins just for a short trial period, or cancels after one month, is a thorn in the backside of webmasters. It seems that the surfers of today are more skilled, cunning and alert to any tricks in the joining of sites. They don't fall for the 3-day trial deals as much as they used to, and they KNOW how much a membership should cost and how much they should expect to get out of it.
But - growing, evolving, learning new skills and adapting to the changing environment is what adult webmasters do best. Here are some simple - yet often overlooked - tips on how to keep your members recurring on your site longer.
1. Keep them happy! - Wow, what a concept. It seems so simple that in order to keep customers coming back for more you have to keep them happy. But what makes an adult content surfer happy? More content - LOTS of it! Make sure that your members' area is chock full of things to keep your members happy, horny and busy!
2. Keep it fresh! - They don't just want LOTS of content, but it has to be fresh content, too! So...get rid of those over-done freebie 70's and 80's style photos with the purple backgrounds and big hair, and grab yourself some fresh content from all those awesome providers on the 'Net! Try out a leased content gallery program for always-fresh galleries that will keep your members entertained.
3. Make it dazzling! - Of course you don't want a high bandwidth-eating Web site full of Flash, video and other multi-media programs, but you DO want to give those options and make them available to your broadband customers. Remember, not everyone is on DSL or cable, so you do need to leave some non-dazzling content available, but make sure to keep state-of-the-art options open for those who seek them.
4. Stay in touch! - It's not just about canceling their memberships in a timely manner. Customer service is all about making sure the customer feels as big a part of your Web site as possible. Make up a FAQ page, offer an e-mail address as contact - maybe even put in a message board or chat room so they can communicate better with you and your staff.
5. Make it interactive! - Aside from staying in touch with YOU, your members will also want to stay in touch with your Web models. If you run an amateur site or have other in-house content, make sure your members can communicate with the "talent" on a regular basis. Giving them a way to get to know the girls will increase the intensity of their interest in returning to the site day after day and will also increase the potential for recurring memberships!
6. Make it fun! - Find ways to get them to return...and not just for the content! Have contests, weekly drawings for free videos or a free week membership on one of your other sites. Get creative and stay upbeat about it! Make sure you post the winners (like Member #12345 instead of their real names!) so that the others can see that someone really does win. Make the prizes thematic to the season/holiday as appropriate, making sure to include member input in suggesting prize ideas whenever possible.
7. Make it MATCH! - This might sound too simple to be a real tip, but making your site "match" the theme of the site is all-important. If you have a lesbian site that targets a female/lesbian audience, do NOT put pictures of lesbians having sex with a man - unless it's a bi/group thing, then the sky is the limit. Think about what these people are coming here to see. If your site is mature in nature, don't add pics of 20-something models in the mix. Maybe offer an alternative gallery - a niche of the week, but the majority of the content - the content in main view - should match the theme of your site.
8. Give Incentives! - Giving your members incentives to stay on as members is another great way to keep your recurring numbers up. Give discounts on multiple month renewals, showing the price break clearly on the re-up page. For example: your monthly membership runs $25 per month. Offer a 2-month renewal for $40 dollars and show that's a saving of $10, special to returning customers. For a 3-month renewal, sell it for $60, a savings of $15 dollars - and on up to 6, 9 and 12 month renewals. It works for the magazine people and it WILL work for you. Also offer additional incentives like a BONUS $10 off one-month renewal for members that refer a new member. Or a free video for every friend that gets referred - and don't make it a crappy video, make it something that goes with your site theme (see "Make it MATCH!"), and something of value. You can get videos in bulk cheap- so grab some and get ready to grab some new members in the process!
9. Make it Easy! - Make renewing easy. Give them plenty of options. These are recurring members - return customers - you know that their money is good. Give them additional options that you don't offer to new customers. Pay Pal is a popular payment method. Opportunities to pay by check or money order are helpful. Allowing other easier-to-use forms of payment may overcome objections from spouses who got mad at that first membership purchase. Giving your members ways to get around it and re-up that account will help THEM and YOU!
10. Make it a Real Business - What does THAT mean? It means, "treat your business like a real business, and your business will treat you well." Words to remember and live by. If you treat this like just some weekend hobby, then that's all it will ever amount to in the end. But if you treat it as a means of establishing yourself as an Internet-based businessperson with a real company, a solid reputation, and hopefully enough income to help you quit that "day job," then you'll find that success for yourself. It's all in how you view it, how you treat it and how hard you work at it. Forget that weekender attitude and put your energy into your work. You will see the benefits of that extra effort. Your customers will notice the difference - and will respect - and recur - because of it.
In the end, the best tips are the most basic. Work hard. Work creative. Think "out of the box" and do your best. That's the secret to webmastering success AND to happy, recurring customers!
|
 Printer
Friendly Version
 Submit
Questions or Comments to Klixxx
Need More Information?
Search the Webmaster Articles at Klixxx
Submit
an Article | Link to Klixxx
| Earn With Klixxx Cash
Become
a Sponsor | Advertising Information
Klixxx Home
> Webmaster Article Archives Home >
|