Amateurs! How's the market?

[Evil Chris]

I used to have all the best inside information on starting up and running an amateur or "girl next door" type of site and I know that there are still a ton of them out there doing well.

Are they still as popular as ever? And how tough is it to enter into this marketplace now?

[Sammy4u]

Depends, I think for girls that want to do everything on there own it is alot harder because their are so many more aspects of the business that you have to be on top of. Running a successful site is a full time job, try running a successful affiliate program on top of that and you will just not be able to keep up for too long.

Their are alot of options out there now for girls who just want to concentrate on keeping members. Lots of programs are picking up the solo girls that just can't seem to get ahead doing everything on their own.

Their is definitely still a market for amateur sites, their is also tons of competition.

[McKidd]

Amateur sites have always been some of my favourites. ;)

[Evil Chris]

I know that some amateurs out there are fiercely competitive, but I would think that the best approach to take nowadays is the laid back one.

Do your site the way you like, and set up appropriate link exchanges at your own pace. Create your fanbase and take it from there. I have found that way too many amateurs have drifted towards more of a corporate way of thinking, and in doing so have lost a lot of touch with their fans.

[BruceMiller]

Things were a lot easier to start a website say in '99 and for several years after that. Our primary traffic sources were our own toplist, other toplist, friends pages, search engines, monthly mailings to past members, content trades with other amateurs and doing photo/video shoots with other amateurs. A girl could slap up any kind of site and make money, good money just doing it part time. At that time we refused to have an affiliate program... we basically had an attitude that we didn't want to share our income with others, but as you know times change, and fast... lol

These days we still get some traffic from toplist, and content trades, but more and more of our traffic is now coming from affiliates. We, like many other "solo girl/amateur" sites have combined our member’s areas with other "solo girl/amateur" sites and have created a pretty good network. So now for our members, they get access to several web sites when they join, and they get daily updates, member forums, live cams, diaries from girls, etc to make the entire member experience more interactive and way more bang for their buck than it used to be!

To make good money now, it’s a different ball game, as Sammy mentioned. Sites like ours, Carol’s, Sammy’s etc have been at this for a while now, and have existing cash programs, marketing tools, Content Management Systems, etc and can give a girl a good head start without her having to reinvent the wheel.

The "amateur" community has always been great for sharing ideas with each other, and helping each other. The number of self run solo sites might have gotten a lot smaller over the years, but we are still here doing OK!

:pornshoot

[BruceMiller]

I know that some amateurs out there are fiercely competitive, but I would think that the best approach to take nowadays is the laid back one.

Do your site the way you like, and set up appropriate link exchanges at your own pace. Create your fanbase and take it from there. I have found that way too many amateurs have drifted towards more of a corporate way of thinking, and in doing so have lost a lot of touch with their fans.

I totally agree with you Chris!! The websites are supposed to look home made for starters... that's why they are "Amateur" sites... and most of all, it's about personality! If a girl doesn't have that one on one interaction with her members, she will have to work a lot harder to get the same results!

[Virgule3]

Well, I'm trying to get into the French market and it sure isn't easy!!!

I figured... There's 150 mil French speaking people in France alone... There should be good potential and French sites suck in general but it's tough... real tough!

Sophie.

[GoodChris]

I know that some amateurs out there are fiercely competitive, but I would think that the best approach to take nowadays is the laid back one.

Do your site the way you like, and set up appropriate link exchanges at your own pace. Create your fanbase and take it from there. I have found that way too many amateurs have drifted towards more of a corporate way of thinking, and in doing so have lost a lot of touch with their fans.



I think its about time that we stop calling them amateur sites. When we got carol going, it was non profit...it was AMATEUR.

Amateur is for fun, not for profit...a hobby etc...

Kinda off topic, but I had to put 2 cents in.

We should start to call them "Personal Porn sites" or something like that... homemade pornsite, etc... but not amateur.

[Brooke Anderson]

Well, I see what you mean GoodChris, say maybe personality based sites. But, I don't know if the surfer branding would be able to change. If the surfer likes "amateur" porn, that is what he tends to look for. I would say I am amateur because I shoot, edit, and market all of my own content. And that I think is what defines amateur.

[Virgule3]

I see the term "amateur" like this... The girls are not hired models who pose for someone else. They have friends, boyfriends, husbands, girlfriends take the pictures for their own site...

I think "amateur" is still correct... How about... "pro-amateur" ;)

Sophie.

P.S.: Hi Brooke! Nice to see you here! I'm Angelique's friend... We met in Vegas... :)

[Sammy4u]

I don't think the term amateur actually is meant to describe us as not doing it for money. It is just a niche based term, much like milf or teen doesn't actually describe the actual girl it just describes what niche she is targeting.

[Evil Chris]

I don't think the term amateur actually is meant to describe us as not doing it for money. It is just a niche based term, much like milf or teen doesn't actually describe the actual girl it just describes what niche she is targeting.That makes sense. "Solo girl" sites is the name that is trying to creep up and replace "amateur" but I don't think it will do it.

[Sammy4u]

Solo girl site sounds more like one of those teen site where the girl is always solo, no hardcore. Once in a while they will throw in a little sudo lesbian stuff but for the most part the girl is just posing by herself.

I like the term, personality sites. :)

[Brooke Anderson]

I agree Sammy, the term "Solo Girl" to me just means that, solo. All her alone. And I don't think that is going to retain members that well.

[Sammy4u]

I hear it does well for some but certainly wouldn't work for me. Going all solo that is.

[Kenny B]

As long as I can go to shows, see Brooke, Sammy, Anna and some other women who infalte my ego by laughing at my stupid jokes I'm happy.

I realize that has nothing to do with the thread topic, I just wanted to share my random thoughts.