Offering Members 'Incentives' To Stay A Member?

[Lee]

Just curious to find out if anyone has successfully done this on any of the sites they run?

By incentives i dont mean giving them access to all of the sites you run rather giving them something like a free DVD, Gift Card, Baseball Cap, T-Shirt or the likes?

I would think this could work well but in reality has it worked for you?

Regards,

Lee

[Dawgy]

id rather just give them what they pay for...

i realize that concept may be hard to grasp for a lot of companies who run paysites.

[desslock]

I am sure that different things will work for different people. In my real-world sales experience, I saw that people seems to love getting free things.

If I ran a membership site I would give something to new members for signing up. In fact when I promote DirtyBoyVideo.com - a lot of the banners I use are the ones that say "Free DVD with new signups"

On my websites, I give away a "free newsletter" There is an entire psychology to getting something for free. Etc. Consider the product marketing of major items like "Sign up with Sprint PCS today and get a free phone!" Remember Radio Shack's free Battery of the Month club? ALL marketing.

Steve

[Dzinerbear]

I'm with Dawgy, I think a lot of people don't stay/retain because the sales pitch of a website rarely matches the inside.

If somebody buys a membership because he saw a preview gallery of pictures of women with Coke bottles shoved up their hoo-haws and the pitch said "1000s of pics" then he expects to see 1000s of pics of women with Coke bottles up their hoo-haws. When he gets inside and sees 1000s of pics of hoo-haws, but no Coke bottles, perhaps he feels deceived or ripped off and leaves. Or maybe he doesn't necessarily feel ripped off, but he didn't get what he was expecting, so he leaves.

If you gave him a t-shirt would that make him feel less ripped off or less satisfied? The fact remains that he didn't get the 1000s of pics of Coke bottles inside hoo-haws.

My .02
Dzinerbear

[desslock]

that is another line of marketing. Don't start running sales, because then your customers will start expecting more sales, never want to pay full price, etc.

This is an issue with department stores --- no one wants to go shop at Foley's unless they are running their periodic Red Apple Sale. Otherwise it is so empty you can bowl bowling balls down the aisles.

Let's say you run a bar. It's pretty dead exept for on Thursday night, when you have a "fifty cent longnecks" special. Your bar is packed on Thursday's - but are you making any money?

What is the point if on a lightly crowded Friday night you are making just as much selling full price drinks? What if you get a free photo of a hoo-haw when the purchase of a premium alcohol cocktail?

Marketing is interesting - there are many different roads to get to the same place.

Steve

[Bec]

So long as a site is actually giving the surfer what you say it will, I'd look more at including teasers - a pic or 2 of the next gallery update or a couple paragraphs from a new erotic story update ... something that entices them to stick around.

Another option could be to run a monthly contest, and award so many free minutes of ppv movie time, free t-shirts, restaurant gift certificate, or something from your online toy stores... not quite sure how you could pull it off, but it wouldn't be an across the board "members special" that would have them all winning or expecting discounts all the time.

[Evil Chris]

Making your site feel like a community where the member feels like they "belong" is the best for keeping them around... for a long time too. No tee shirt giveaway will ever come close.

Apart from that, I've seen sites use loyalty discounts quite effectively in the past. This can easily be done at the billing level of course.

[Squirt]

I agree with some of the other posts here.. I just give them what they want.. as much as I can :-D

I did surprise subscribers before by adding feeds.. for free. Still have them on now. I didn't promote the feeds on the tour of the site.. and new members found it a pleasant surprise.

As far as material incentives.. I would think.. and I'm just guessing here.. that receiving something in the mail would make it more real.. make people feel a bit dirty. I have a lot of guys in the military that subscribe and don't know about sending them a squirtit shirt with a big splat on the front that says SQUIRTIT! he he he

[gaysimlife]

Lots of good opinions, I'll offer mine.

My health club membership comes with all sorts of perks other than the workout facility. Business networking, discounts at local restaurants, and more. It's a great facility but I must say the perks have kept me a member. I know it's a different product but people are pretty much the same when it comes to anything.

There are many businesses that give the customer what they pay for...that's just good business. Give the customer more reasons to not look around at your competition.

[dirtygeek]

I think "free giveaways" are a good way to get them in the site, but not really to retain them. If you have a good site, they will stay. (until something new comes along that flashs in their face.) Once the "OH WOW! FREE STUFF" feeling wears off, they will still leave. So why spend the $ on the products to giveaway?

Now one thing that does work is to use a giveaway to promote a new product that you are launching. Exapmle: Join Now For $19.95 and recieve this naughty dvd sampler from Stud Money! Jam Packed with big dick daddy's fucking hot tight holes! (Hint) :specs: