Several adult webmasters are branching out by offering mainstream products on their sites. Does this signal a revolution to come—or just a need for green?
As adult entertainment has gained an increasingly prevalent (though sometimes begrudgingly) presence in the mainstream, several adult webmasters have begun marketing their X-rated sites to more high-profile venues, such as JennaCash’s lucrative deal with SexSearch.com and the increased presence of most gay content distributors on gateway mainstream sites like Gay.com. Meanwhile, other webmasters have taken the opposite approach—marketing the mainstream to porn consumers, such as offering traditionally mainstream products like herbal sex supplements and software like Evidence Eraser in the store sections of their sites.
“I think it is simply evidence of further evolution in our industry,” says JennaCash’s affiliate manager Chandie Foster of the latter marketing opportunity. “It is no surprise to me that as porn has become more mainstream, and mainstream has begun to utilize the Internet and its various market channels more effectively, that the two have begun to converge.” Of course, as Foster is quick to add, “The adult industry has never shied away from every opportunity to add revenue.”
With the increased interest in offering mainstream products, some folks are even stepping up to the task of helping other webmasters cross over. MainstreamWebmasters (Mainstreamwebmasters.com) is a resource site created specifically for the purpose of facilitating a smooth transition into the mainstream by offering a message board where webmasters discuss the trials and tribulations of branching out, as well as a bevy of articles and feature stories of interest. According to Molly Schwartz, vice president and CEO of Clever Gloves Inc. (the parent company of MainstreamWebmasters), the site also offers adult webmasters a supportive network of like-minded individuals. “Regular nonadult boards can be very uncomfortable for the adult webmaster trying to discuss mainstream,” Schwartz says. “We provide a place where they are free to share ideas as well as help others with their experiences and know-how.” Though the site was primarily trafficked by adult webmasters in its initial stages, Schwartz is happy to report that nonadult participants have recently begun to come on board. “We are finding that we are beginning to get a mix of both [adult and nonadult] signing up, reading the forums and articles and generally using the resources as we had hoped they would,” she adds.
The site came about when Schwartz and her partner, Harry Kenney, noticed the increase in adult webmasters selling mainstream products on their sites. “There was a branching out, a diversifying with the adult industry, and it’s continued and gotten bigger,” Kenney says. “A lot of webmasters started looking into conventional things like eBay and Amazon.com. People are diversifying their overall portfolios instead of just their adult portfolios. Whereas it used to be, ‘Maybe I ought to do some TGPs, maybe I’ll do some Asian, maybe I’ll switch to gay,’ now it’s like, ‘I should look into seeing what else is out there [besides adult].’”
As Kenney notes, mainstream products have become increasingly popular on the pages of adult Web stores, such as JennaCash’s, where its J-22 herbal male enhancement product has led to a large number of sales in a very unexpected market. “Ironically, it does very well with the gay market,” marvels Foster. “That was a surprise for us, but it’s great that we are reaching places we didn’t expect to.” Meanwhile, the folks over at Topbucks (Topbucks.com) have also figured out that “crossover products” that can be marketed to adult customers can lead to some extra cash. “Our mainstream products are a perfect companion to adult promotions and are a great way to earn additional revenue,” says TopBucks’ director of marketing Lea Buscyk. “We have some of the highest commission rates in the industry on our software products.”
Bucyk says that she doesn’t think offering such products will necessarily lead to a mass jumping ship anytime soon: “I’d say it’s not a new wave, but a standard business practice. The strategy is for companies to diversify, and offering mainstream products is just one way to do that. I think companies want to open up and take advantage of several revenue streams with their traffic and marketing expertise.”
Does that mean TopBucks is happy just where they are? “Our objective was to diversify and open more revenue streams without cannibalizing sales,” Bucyk stresses. “It’s good to have a presence in mainstream, but no matter what, we always want to maintain solid focus on our core business.”
For her part, Foster thinks that the adult industry’s venture into mainstream products is smart—“but with one caveat,” she adds. “The webmaster must be mindful of presentation. Aim for convenience and curiosity instead of overkill. In our environment, less is definitely more. I believe it is necessary to attempt to capture added revenue without scaring off the surfer by burying him in a forest of pop-ups. Give them variety without mass congestion and you just might grab a few more dollars out of his pocket.”
Kenney, who reports a growing number of mainstream members cruising the boards of MainstreamWebmasters site, says he believes that the mainstream has a lot to gain from the knowledge of adult webbies. “In mainstream, you see a lot of people selling who don’t really know what they are doing,” he says. “A lot of them seem to focus on site design instead of [putting their product first]. One of the things we do at MainstreamWebmasters is focus on the money and the traffic. The main focus is on the business. And that’s really more of an adult attitude.”
