In business since 1997, the Webmaster resource/affiliate program known as Adult Revenue Service (ARS; www.adultrevenueservice.com) has established itself as a prime destination for Webmasters aspiring to create a viable business - and with that, added wealth - on the Internet.
Perhaps a better reading of the company's focus comes from ARS owner Marc DeForest, who describes his business as "an advertising affiliate program where individual owners of adult content Websites can send traffic to a number of e-commerce adult content Websites."
He continues: "[Affiliates] turn their surfers into cash by redirecting traffic through the ARS system to pay sites where their surfers become customers and they get paid. In short, a pay-for-performance affiliate program."
ARS provides the pertinent building blocks for Webmasters at either end of the business spectrum. For the newbie, there is a marketing and education center offering tutorials and varied information, while a more advanced Webmaster can seek out one of six sponsorship programs.
ARS members gain access to industry experts via message boards, Web mail, and a communications center designed specifically to dispense a variety of helpful and important information.
The communications center grants member access to telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, ICQ numbers, and an ARS instant messenger, all there to provide help whenever it's desired.
The bannerless free hosting program is also another example of an ARS program designed to help members maintain a Website on the Internet.
And for those curious about the commitment by ARS to statistics and reports, the site points out that members receive up-to-date information to track conversions, referrals, click-thrus and a plethora of other Web traffic data.
DeForest touts his company's innovative wherewithal, highlighting the October 2000 decision to implement a "high payout day" (totaling $75) as a popular technique that many other others have enacted to help increase traffic flow to their own programs. "Many of the ideas that we birthed have been copied by many other programs," says DeForest. "Some of these features include a very lucrative rewards program. This is a program where Webmasters receive points as they earn money from signups that they can redeem from our expansive online catalog.
"We were one of the first programs to bring a copious amount of pay sites to send traffic to. This made life easy for Webmasters... one check, one program."
Headquartered in Las Vegas, NV, the other core principals joining DeForest at ARS include company president Becky DeForest and vice president Christian Jurgensen.
Perhaps the greatest asset to members is the availability of free content, courtesy of the 80 Websites that comprise the ARS affiliate program.
Initially, the company offered only gay Websites. Today, an ARS affiliate will find a potpourri of niches to promote. The high-end sites run the gamut of adult entertainment, from AdultUpSkirt.com and BlackDesires.com, to FantasticFacials.com and SexySmokers.com. One glance at the master list of approved sites and it's clear that there is something for all tastes.
Each pay site - independently owned and operated - has been brought into the fold specifically to attract more visitors, and ultimately making more money for the ARS member.
John M. Valigorsky, ARS V.P. of Marketing, stresses the importance ARS places in attracting a broad assembly of Webmasters. "We are in the business for the long haul," said Valigorsky. "In order to accomplish that, we must provide the highest level of service and income to our Webmasters to ensure a growing, loyal Webmaster base which continues to drive our business."
Though prospective members must complete an application for review, Valigorsky notes that the entire process for becoming an affiliate of ARS is relatively easy and, as he happily points out, "quite rewarding as well."
As for the future, DeForest plans to follow the company's mantra, that being of "thinking of new and exciting ideas to make ARS better and make ARS different from the rest."
But DeForest is careful to keep specific business plans under wraps, at least for now. "I don't want to touch on this subject too deeply as I'm sure some of the ideas may be harvested and implemented in other programs before their initial launch by our own affiliate program," he says.
Perhaps adhering to the old adage of "always leave them wanting more," DeForest did say this about a forthcoming version of ARS: "One feature will be ground-breaking and very difficult to copy."
Our interest is piqued.
