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Community Profile - 10 Questions for Sexy Di |
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How long has SexyAds.net been around - and what does it do?
Our site owners, Maureen and John, have been doing business on the Internet for nearly a decade. They actually met and got together thanks to a personal ad on the net in 1994. So there are no prizes for guessing how they came up with the idea for SexyAds! The site itself has been up and running since 1997, and it has grown to become one the web's most popular sites for adult personals. Our membership base is now approaching 1,000,000, people actively seeking new partners for sexual fun, romance or some red hot lovin'.
How can webmasters make money by using your program?
I'm so glad you asked! We offer the best affiliate program on the web. But I would say that, wouldn't I! Seriously though, there are some real differences with our program. Not only do our affiliates earn 50% of the membership fees from all initial sign-ups, they earn those commissions for all recurring monthly payments as well. And some of our members have been with us for as long as four years. Let me tell you how happy those affiliates are!
Better still, our affiliates also get paid on all non-recurring memberships. And I mean ALL! Let me explain that further. Let's say a member takes up a three-month, non-recurring membership. Naturally, our affiliate gets paid his or her 50% of the sale. And let's say the member then reverts back to a free basic membership, but later decides to upgrade again. Our affiliates get 50% of that sale too - and so on and so on, for the life of the membership. Believe me, not all adult personals sites offer that kind of a deal.
Oh, and another thing... We also offer a 5% webmaster referral structure. So an affiliate who refers another webmaster to the program earns 5% of this webmaster's income from SexyAds.
What do you think is the reason behind the success of dating programs such as SexyAds - and what do you think that says about today's culture?
I was only reading an article the other day where it said that something like 40 million Americans visit an online dating site each month! I guess that really is a sign of the times. Think back to people sniggering "that girl met the guy she's with on the Internet!" How often do you hear that now?
I think there are a lot of factors involved in the rise in popularity of online dating. Many singles are tired of the bar/club scene. Professionals are working longer hours than ever, so they don't have time to seek out Mr or Ms Right - or even Mr or Ms "Right Now" - in the traditional venues. Swingers have found that they can make great sex contacts and set up meetings, all without leaving the room.
I also think online dating, if used the right way, gives people the opportunity to make informed and more considered decisions about who they want to hook up with. The fact that sites like SexyAds allow members to remain anonymous is a big plus for a lot of people, especially women. If you're flirting with someone in a bar, you inevitably have to give something away about yourself - your name, what you look like, and so on. This is not the case with sites like SexyAds.
SexyAds takes dating a big XXX step further than most sites available - how many users take advantage of the couple or group seeking options?
Tons! Swingers are a big part of our market at SexyAds. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we maintain a membership base of REAL people who are ACTIVELY seeking erotic action and intimate encounters. Did you catch that? REAL people! And that doesn't just apply to swingers. SexyAds also appeals to people who are looking for variety, or want to experiment, in their sex lives. Of course, that means members want to be able to post XXX-rated photos of themselves. We do, however, limit access to these pics to our paid VIP membership base. And that's not just a moneymaking thing. It's about being socially responsible because we don't want underage people sneaking onto the site and being exposed - for want of a better term - to that sort of explicit material.
In addition to your "non-traditional" dating offerings - SexyAds also has niche pages featuring BBW, mature, swingers and transsexuals. How has the addition of these new niche pages increased the popularity - and targeting power - of SexyAds?
There is certainly a lot more segmentation in the market these days.
I think as surfers have become more 'web savvy', webmasters have had to keep pace by offering more specific 'product' in niches such as BBW, BDSM, mature, swingers, gay, spanking, lingerie, transsexual and so on. As a matter of fact, the other day, I came across a site called www.dwarfdate.com, which gives you some idea of just how much diversity there is in the industry now.
So our SexyAds niche pages have been created as a response to that demand. They're particularly popular with our webmaster affiliates because it allows them the scope to match their traffic with a page that's tailored to their market needs, people with distinct sexual interests or inclinations. And yes, doing that certainly helps to increase conversions.
How long have you been involved in the adult industry?
A little over three 3 years.
What did you do before SexyAds - and how did that experience prepare you for what you do today?
I worked in the travel/tourism and hospitality industry. How did that prepare me for the adult industry? Can anything prepare you for this? (Laughs)
Well, I guess the travel side of things prepared me in that I had a passport and was very apt at finding my way around airports and foreign cities and taking long flights to distant countries. The hospitality industry helped me know what I wanted to drink, now that I am on the other side of the bar at parties!
In all honesty, the fact that I had travelled so much and was constantly meeting new people actually made my first show a little easier. In travel, you have to provide excellent customer service to keep your clients coming back. And you must have an eye for detail. All these skills are required in my daily work with SexyAds.
What would you say is your favorite part about working in this business?
My favorite part? That's hard. The helicopter flight from Whistler to Vancouver over frozen lakes and snow-covered mountains was pretty cool. Then there are the limo transfers and the nice hotels.
While all this has been amazing, I have to say what sticks in my mind would be all the lovely people I have met in this industry. A lot of them have become really close personal friends and have invited me to their weddings and so on.
It's also great working with the fantastic team we have at SexyAds. We're a bit of a motley crew, with everyone from programmers to 'creative' types to customer support people, but everyone is committed to providing a quality product. It's a real thrill to see how all these different types of people can pull together and work as a unit.
How important do you feel it is for webmasters to attend industry events, seminars and gatherings?
It's invaluable. Because the industry can change in a heartbeat, these events can give you the inside running on everything that's happening as well as what might be about to happen. As the old saying goes, it's also good to be able to put faces to names. Industry shows tend to be where real connections are made and friendships are formed. I do think, though, that webmasters need to do a little research into which shows they attend. While at SexyAds we try to get to as many as we can, I know some webmasters who prefer the conference or seminar type shows over the big exhibits. And with other webmasters, it's the other way around. It's really a case of horses for courses.
Where can webmasters see you next - and will SexyAds have a booth or other show presence?
You will see me and some of our team in January, at Internext in Las Vegas. We've not yet decided if we'll be taking a booth, but we'll certainly have some form of presence at the show. Webmasters can generally find us by looking for the happy, smiling people - some of whom have Australian accents - handing out mini koalas and other cool stuff!
You can find out more about SexyAds by visiting www.sexyads.net and can meet Diana in person at the upcoming Internext Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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