During the Summer Internext show in Hollywood, Fla., I was surprised to see the majority of gay sites in attendance actually were traditionally “straight sites.” With Maleflixxx being the only gay-owned and -operated site to purchase a booth, hetero-owned programs such as SilverCash, Video Secrets and, er, PussyCash were left to pick up the slack. The recent trend of straight webmasters dipping their toes into gay waters is indicative of a fascinating common perception among both gay and straight webmasters: Gay pays.
Indeed, the notion that gay sites have better retention is a prevalent one, and new gay sites are popping up at an increasingly regular rate. According to Video Secrets Account Executive Eddie Bastian, “Gay is the new straight. It’s everywhere, and the fact that we are seeing straight sites with gay sections just shows you where the money is.”
According to some gay webmasters, this merely is indicative of societal trends. “There are a lot more openly gay men in the 21st Century, so that means there needs to be more porn sites for them to look at,” Bastian offers, conceding that “not everyone in the United States can live in an area where it is OK to be gay. In these cases, their only access to gay sex is the Internet.”
Meanwhile, others point to a kind of financial freedom and relaxed sexual norms as reasons for surfer loyalty. “Gay men, with a far less likelihood to have children at home, who traditionally have more time and disposable income [and who are part of] a culture that does not demonize the expression of sexuality, quite possibly have more exposure and a better knowledge of what is available,” offers PrideBucks co-owner Harlan Yaffe. “Therefore, they know a good site when they see it and can abbreviate the ‘lurking period’ or decision cycle.”
UniversalBear.com owner Michael Kealy says, “Our relationships are different. We’re more often in open relationships—or ones where porn isn’t taboo. While mainstream society urges straight men to keep their porn habits to themselves, gay men openly swap links and talk about the latest hot guy they saw on CorbinFisher or PerfectGuyz. I like looking at hot, naked men, and I don’t mind paying for a quality product. And I don’t think I’m alone.”
Additionally, says GayBucks.com Vice President Chip White, increased visibility of gay issues is leading to “a whole new audience of potential buyers.” “People are becoming more open and accepting about porn in general and gay porn in particular,” White posits. “I think that many ‘straight-but-curious’ types might be more inclined to check out a gay site.” SilverCash Gay Marketing Director Robert Sons points out that “most straight affiliate owners have a large task to update all their sites, whereas exclusively gay affiliate companies rarely have the same amount of sites to maintain. Gay site owners tend to be disciplined with updating their sites.”
Of course, getting a surfer to visit one’s site is just half the battle. As Yaffe insists, gay sites aren’t more likely to convert and retain memberships just by virtue of being gay. “I think great sites convert better than mediocre and bad ones, period,” he says. “Prices of porn don’t vary that much, and I do think the gay surfer knows a quality site when he sees one. The initial sale might seem easier, but it is only after the very hard work of building a great site is accomplished that [recurring sales] are possible.”
For the majority of webmasters, that means offering content that is not only authentic, but also hot. “I believe that once you find a site that really ‘gets’ your niche or just turns you on, you are a dedicated member,” says Bastian.
However, straight webmasters looking to “go gay” should be warned. “I think if you’re just going to throw up some gay site to attract dollars, you’re probably going to be disappointed,” Kealy stresses. “I think a lot of straight-owned gay sites are missing the mark; they seem to think that you just need to throw a cock—any cock—at a gay man and he’ll pull out his credit card. We don’t need any more mediocre sites. What we need are real gay porn sites that explore real gay sexuality.” That means taking advice from those who know best, adds Kealy: “If a straight company wants to launch a gay product, they really should hire a gay person to tell them what to do—and then listen to that person.”
