LONDON—DannyZ, owner of gay adult affiliate program zBUCKz, can attest to artistic experimentation’s value as a brand-building tactic.
Unfortunately, he also can provide testimony that not every bright idea is as good as it initially seems.
In an attempt to distance itself from other so-called “amateur porn” websites, earlier this year zBUCKz embarked upon an unusual test of one of those bright ideas that didn’t quite tip over into profitable. Using the popular website GayAsianAmateurs.com as a test bed, zBUCKz distributed what DannyZ called “cheap” still and digital cameras to a group of college boys and asked the young men to document their sexual escapades.
Consumers were less than thrilled with the results, DannyZ said.
“The idea was to create a more authentic ‘amateur’ look and feel for the site,” he told AVN.com. “As it turns out, consumers prefer high-end viewing material, so a switch back to exclusive high-definition content was made.”
zBUCKz continues to work with amateur talent, but DannyZ said the program now puts models in the capable hands of a professional production crew. With this re-focus on high-quality content, he said traffic to and retention by GayAsianAmateurs.com is better than ever.
“GayAsianAmateurs.com has traditionally been one of our best performers, both in sales and retention,” he told AVN.com. “Over the years we’ve accumulated a massive library of photos and videos on the site, with a large percentage of exclusive content in mix. Our new tour does a very good job of communicating just how much bang for their buck gay Asian porn enthusiasts will enjoy.”
Along with the new focus, the site also received a facelift that includes a brand-new tour. As the original website in the zBUCKz niche-site portfolio, the makeover was due, DannyZ said.
The affiliate program recently launched a new micro-niche site, HarlemBoyz.com, and that destination already is performing for affiliates, he added. In order to celebrate both site launches, zBUCKz is offering participating webmaster affiliates a 30-day bonus program: Any affiliate who sends a combined 25 sales or more to GayAsianAmateurs.com or HarlemBoyz.com between Sept. 9 and Oct. 9 will receive an additional $100 cash. During the same period, affiliates who send 50 or more sales will pocket an additional $500.
For more information, visit zBUCKz.com.
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