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The straight side is going high tech very fast. With the mobile market opening up, many companies are jumping on the band wagon. Also, there seems to be alot of partnerships between the big players on the straight side these days.
Do you think the gay side will go that route ? I see total stagnation with the gay market with the notable exception of Wet Palms. I wonder why we are falling behind. Is this industry too segregated to work together ?
In my personal view, there are not that many large gay players, dealing with 10% of the porn population (having not included companies with gay sites).
Would it not be interesting if a badpuppy and ********* and seancody (etal) went into partnership to enter the mobil market. Quite frankly I am amazed that television is now available on some phone units. It was Europe that welcomed the mobil tech and the USA has lagged behind.
I agree with you Huskyhunks that I suddenly feel like I am standing still as a small-time webmaster.
Greetings:
I'm new to the industry, and spent almost a year researching the marketplace before coming up with a product of my own (and now have several waiting to launch as soon as this 2257 muck shakes itself out). And from all that research, I can tell you, I think you're 100% right. You probably wouldn't believe the numbers I have from some studies I paid to have done. I was shocked the first time I read them.
The gay market is WAY WAY WAY WAY behind the straight market. Our part of the industry doesn't have the caliber of product, the level of sophistication, nor it seems the business savy that the straight market has.
I see the majority of the gay marketplace still operating as if it were the early 90s, throwing up crap left and right, still thinking they'll make fortunes from it (and yes, I'm talking about sponsors and paysites, not just webmasters). To be honest, they are still profiting well from it, but only because there's not much competition out there for them yet that is operating at the higher levels. I think many companies will wake up one day wondering where all of their business went all of a sudden.
From my perspective, this makes the gay marketplace an absolutely perfect one to be competing in. It is very easy in this industry to gain competitive advantage rather quickly.
Hell, most adult gay companies are so piss poorly run, that I've found I'm gaining great competitive advantage just by answering my damn e-mail. People act absolutely shocked when they get replies the same day, instead of it taking 2 or 3 weeks.
There are very few companies in the gay marketplace that operate at what I would consider calling a "competitively viable" level. Why that is, I don't know. I'd venture to say that there are probably more people in the gay industry because of the sex, than because of the money. As such, you're not seeing the business professionals that you see in the straight market.
I mean heck. Look at the top of the food chain in the straight marketplace. You're talking about PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES like PlayBoy, that have the business geniuses that go along with it. The gay industry has NOTHING like that. Not even CLOSE.
I think a $200,000 investment in the gay marketplace is probably worth about the same as a $2,000,000 investment in the straight one at this point. I'm taking advantage of that, and I think a lot of other people are / will be as well.
Why don't gay companies work together? Why don't we see more strategic partnerships and the like? Again, because most of these companies aren't run by business people. They don't understand the industry even though they've been emerged in it for years and year, and they don't really even understand their own business.
Can you believe there are still people that operate paysites that believe that other paysites are their COMPETITION? Try to explain to them that porn surfers aren't like people that are buying cars. It's not as if they're buying 1 and only 1 for the next 3-5 years. There is no competition for the surfer.
The large companies in the straight market understand that, and you can clearly see the results. They form partnerships, work together, and all make more money from the user in the long run.
All that all being said, there are a few exceptions in the gay market, but not many....
Justme-
You took the words right out of my mouth...You could've said it more perfect :thumbsup:
Many gay adult producers are way too busy having sex with the models and worrying about partying. Those who run there companies like a "true" business will be the successful one's.
Also keep in mind, although they are not "playboy" or "Hustler" or "Vivid" our version of that would be Falcon, Pacific Sun, Chi-Chi/Channel 1, Colt to name few.
The future of gay adult videos is behind the times because we only represent 10% of the industry. The str8 side of the business has much more of the "Pie" and they have a much bigger market. However if its done right the gay adult business can be very rewarding!
Furthermore, many gay adult video production companies have a mind set to sell their dvd's at a premium price while st8 companies sell their dvds at lower cost and move more product. Many gay dvds and website are way to expensive....times are changing and we need to change with the times!
Like straight porn producers don't try to get a piece of ass during a shoot as well...hey, let's all keep the sterotype that all gays are sluts alive and well...wouldn't want anything to change right guys!! :(
I think that quality will always win out in the in end...oh, and also a huge advertising budget...forgot that...even if you got shit...if you got the money to advertise it you can sell it.
MONEY ALWAYS WINS OUT!
Lee
I believe www.pocketgirls.com is a partnership between Yanks.com and WireRunner Software, recently announced. I am also pretty sure there is an affiliate system coming out soon and Yanks Cash promote gay?, so I dont think it long before there is a site out there.
Would love to get gay3g.com and gaymobiles.com off the bench with this..
keep in mind that money is the main thing for str8 players, but a lot of gay players seem more concerned with the surfers' well-being. okay, so we make the surfers trust us - now what? is there a payoff?
there are a lot of things i see missing from the gay side of the web. one is that there are a serious LOT of single girl sites, and they retain spectacularly. i see very very few single guy sites even though they would retain for the same reasons.
i also don't see the gay side of the web spamming as effectively on threads looking for sponsors with lots of fhg's and stuff. there are a lot of potential affiliates reading those threads, and it makes sense to post in EVERY one of them.
I think a lot of the development of the gay side of the industry is because there are to many cliques.
Company owners / webmasters view each other as competition instead of potential clients to often than not and that cuts down a lot of the barriers.
I also agree with what Basschick said, many of the webmasters and companies in the gay market place simply dont understand the importance of utilizing the tools they are readily provided, whether they be forums, resources, conventions or anything else that draws adult webmasters en mass.
Regards,
Lee
I agree with basschick. Trust is wonderful. With my paysite, I have one particular member loyal since december 1998, many others loyal since summer 1999.
Usually personal customer service seems to get lost when a site or company grows larger than their pants size, no matter how many people you add in your staff.
It is a rare website company that increases customer service staff in relation to increased income.
As for straight tools like spamming... gay people tend to not like that, nor read it.
TRUE the staights have the traffic and the income, but we have long term loyal retain... which they can't claim.