help request

[jhussher]

I have been in this biz since 2000 and I just am not making $$$$. My site gets shit for traffic, my videos don't sell, my live webcam show gets few visitors. I just can't master the traffic thing, and my specialty is really making films, not the SE optimization and web design aspects of the biz. I give up, I need a partner to work with me.

I specialize in gay ebony/interracial. My site is Black Hotboy http://blackhotboy.com . In 2000 and 2001 I was getting several thousand hits a day, now I get less than 100.

I do well when it comes to recruiting talent, maing videos, etc. But the best site in the world, the best video, won't make a dime if no one knows about it.
I am, therefore, looking for a partner who can get me up and running in making some money in this biz. I believe the gay ebony niche is under-served and I believe I have great videos and talent here with me. I just need exposure and traffic.

[basschick]

seems like a new tour - one with no sponsors or leaks on it - would be a good start. then a more attractive one, or if you want to keep the amateur feel, at least a more organized tour, would REALLY help.

dude, you don't put sponsor banners all over a tour - that's crazy! and you don't put counters and all this other stuff all over it. your site looks like a badly made free site.

this page is a good example of what i'm talking about:
http://blackhotboy.com/preview.htm

and your pages aren't exactly dripping with relevant text.

seems to me you could make massive improvements here without a partner, but if your site is actually full of exclusive content of fair or better quality, you could be making bank.

good luck to you, and hope to hear your site is rockin' soon!

[Slade]

I've got to echo what Basschick has to say.
Your tour is in a bit of a shambles. There are deadlinks everywhere.
You've got a lot of "red x's" instead of the jpegs showing up.
And, frankly, imho, your giving away TOO much in free previews! How many of those jpegs do you have for people to look at for free anyhow? I'd cut back on that a bit.

But most of all, you need to get a designer in and redo the entire site and give it a professional look. This type of look was "in" in 2000. But then..that's the way MOST sites looked like in 2000. If I had just stumbled onto your site today searching for black men, I wouldn't join. Why? Because it looks very rinky dink in it's setup. I wouldn't trust the site with my money because of how it looks from the "outside". Sorry if that sounds too harsh..but most surfers these days DO judge a book by it's cover. Get a re-design done ASAP and re-adjust your content in the preview area a bit and I'm sure you'll see SOME improvement in signups.

As far as traffic..welcome to 2005!! Been doing this since 1996, and frankly, we ALL have a lot of competition that didn't exist then..and it's just going to get more competitive. So yeah, you're going to have to figure out how to market that site, buy traffic, banner exchanges, whatever it takes if you are really serious about making the site the success you want it to be.

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

[jhussher]

I agree I need the site re-designed. I just don't have the expertise for that.

I don't believe in buying traffic, I think it's usually a bot clicking or it's exit traffic that doesn't care about my site.

I am not really trying to run my own paysite anyway, I just wanted to be a portal to sponsors.

That is why I was asking for someone to come and work with me and build this site right and make money together.

Like I said, my expertise is not in web design and marketing, my area is making videos and finding the stars to be in the videos and on webcam. I'm a producer/director, not a web designer.

So I am looking for some help in those areas, we can work out a compensation plan.

[Fister]

The content is hot. Do you sell any of the content to content providers after it is several months old?

[jhussher]

I have not sold content, but I am willing to.
We make all of our own pics and vids.

[basschick]

jhussher - i buy traffic from many sources. if the traffic is bot traffic, at least it's bots with credit cards not only does it buy, it rebills.

Slade - even in 1996, a site that scattered didn't make money. mine were never that unfocused, but my friends' sites were, and they didn't manage to make money even during the "gold rush" of 1996-1998.

jhussher, if you don't want to give up half your site, i suggest you have a knowledgeable designer redo EVERYTHING. keep in mind that most designers are not webmasters - they won't know your niche, and they may not always know exactly what is needed. but a few do. you could get some good banners, fpa's and gallery templates. then you can have a good affiliate program, which will bring you traffic and sales. and it's always worth learning the ropes bidding on adwords.

[jhussher]

Basschick thanks for your comments, I have a lot of respect for you, I know you have been around a long time.

A designer is what I need, I just cant afford one. I'd rather have a percentage of a going site than 100% of nothing as I have now. Not only a designer but someone who can get me some traffic from SE's.

I have found most banner exchanges and link lists to be rip-offs, they take in my info and list me awhile then drop me, but I am still carrying links to them forever.

And the banner/link thing...I already have too many banners, how many more can I take on, just to get trafficZ? And they want their banner on my index page, some even want it at the top. Come on..

[basschick]

you shouldn't take any on. i don't believe paysites should cover themselves with banners. i believe except maybe for the main warning page, not a single banner should be anywhere.

usually designers are not great with text and traffic, and really good traffic guys aren't great designers. that being said, since you can do a permanant split through ccbill, it might be a good deal for the right person.

[jhussher]

you are correct, ccBill will cut a check every week to my prospective partner.

I agree that paysites, ideally, should not have banners...but I have been on many paysites, including ARS, which dont even have content unless you pay more money, for webcams, for example...money paid beyond the membership fee. Although, in the tour, they say Live Webcams. That is deceptive, I feel.

I have the content and add more constantly. I just don't have a good design or enough traffic coming.

I want to break the casino/gambling page out to a new domain site independently, that is another project. And upgrade my TGP http://blackhotboytgp.com

Still hoping to hear from a partner....

[basschick]

do you have any other contact info? email address, phone number or icq?

[Lee]

Take a look through some of the articles in the GWW Directory and also in the articles and tutorials forum, there are some good ones in there about generating more traffic as well as maximizing every hit your site gets.

Regards,

Lee

[Bec]

Originally posted by basschick
do you have any other contact info? email address, phone number or icq?

:yeah:

Might be easier if some of us can talk to you other than thru the board to sort out what it is you're needing and the best way we can help you out.

[Chilihost]

if your content is all legal with docos in order, why not just sell it and take the money earned from that to buy a nice tour?

cheers,
Luke

[Chilihost]

Hey, I just remembered that I tried to contact you a while ago to see if you would be willing to sell me some of your content. It could be an easy way to make some quick bucks, and if you keep it to a few sales to lets say some of us on gww, then you will still have almost-exclusive content.

cheers,
Luke