Can you predict which paysite will convert on freesites?

[tigermom]

Originally Posted by LowryBigwood

First, the title of the thread. No, you cannot predict it unless maybe you can see into the future.

I thought all the guys promoting porn had crystal balls

Good points though - here's a few comments of my own about them, hope it's ok if I use your list as a reference point -

1. How good is the content the sponsor provides for this paysite?
Great criterion. I prefer to use sponsor content for the very reasons stated above. I actually happen to have quite a few sets that I bought, but unless I'm afraid that the sponsor content may be overused, I'll stick to theirs. That said, with some sponsors... I just don't want to risk the rejections. I may start a thread about that, actually.

2. Are there any eye candy ads/banners I would like to use.
That's usually what I look at last. At most, I'll make a banner or two or use text links.

3. Look at the top converting sites of entire portfolio, try highest converters first.
I decided to do that using GG's stats. I have much more trust in his reports than those of sponsors. Some sponsors "have" the same stats for two years now and I somehow doubt they are genuine I also rely on my own stats. If a site converts well for me with SE or blog traffic, I'll give it a try with FS traffic too.

4. Can I sell in that niche?
If I think I can't, I'll have a look at freesites in the same category to learn. I don't think there's actually a niche that I can tell for sure that I can't sell until I've tried it.

5. Are the tours designed well?
Good point and one I don't feel confident about my ability to judge. I can see if they use flashy graphics or not, and I can see things like leaks, but other than that, it's hard for me to judge just how well-converting a tour is. One of my best converting sites is one with a one-page tour that is nothing more than a full page ad.

6. Does the members area suck or is it totally amazing?
Here's the rub. How good or bad the members are has, in my humble experience, little to do with conversions. It may be a factor for me when promoting a revshare sponsor, but with PPS where you get paid for a trial, does it really matter?