Summer Slowdown

[Triton2004]

Some webmasters says, that it's real..in summer the sales are down, everybody is on vacation....but there are also webmasters who says that's not true. Something like summer slowdown doesn't exist...
What do you think?

btw...
July was great month for me. Maybe I had luck, or the webmasters were on vacation..I don't know why, but it was really great. I made a lot of sales....and now in august it's terrible..worst month ever for me...
So it can be because the summer slowdown, or not...what do you think?

[Ramster]

It could be anything. Processors getting tighter, different traffic sources or anything.

Summer Slowdown in general does exist yes. Some webmasters do better and some do worse but overall there is a lower number of sales throughout the summer. The people who feel it the most are those that make a ton of sales like programs/paysites for example. A webmaster making a few or 10 sales a day may not notice anything at all as far as lower sales.

[Toby]

I think it depends a great deal on the categories you promote and their associated target demographic. If a substantial portion of that demographic are college age, then you'll likely see a noticable slowdown.

In my case, the demograhic is older. I actually do better in the summer.

[Fonz]

While July was great for you it sucked for me, August is a great month for me, it all depends on so many things, but overall I think there actually is something like a summer slowdown. Both on the surfer side as on the webmaster side. So the webmasters who keep working hard in the summer will benefit from it. But that's just my disturbed view on things...

[spacemanspiff]

I think that whether or not you notice a slowdown depends on your traffic sources and your surfer's demographics, like Toby pointed out, but I've notice a fall off in sale too many times to doubt that summer has some sort of effect on sales.

[Triton2004]

thanks for your opinions...

[lorsha]

In my 7 years online, I have always noticed a small "dip" in sales in June - August. I have always considerd this as summer slowdown. This year has been quite different though, as my sales in these three months are way up from previous years. Although I think that has more to do with my "Cross Cumtry Tour" promotion; then the time of year. But while sales have been up, traffic is still 20%+ down, which is typical for these three months. For me anyway.

However it is common sense to me that more people devote more online time in the "non" summer months, hence the difference for I'm sure many people in the summer months. September is always a HUGE month with college age folks getting back to school, and then usually sales rock right through the Spring. My two cents, for what it's worth.

[Licker4U]

August is rocking for me, best month ever. Maybe kids back in school and the parents have time for porn? I just hope it continues...

[comrade]

My traffic is down about 20% and conversions are down 15% or so as of today. I do target the older demographic as well but my guess was they can't watch as much porn with the kids being around the house

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by comrade

I do target the older demographic as well but my guess was they can't watch as much porn with the kids being around the house

Then target the MUCH older generation whose kids have grown up and left home.

Years ago I sold videos, and plenty of my 'top shelf' customers were past retiring age.

[SirMoby]

Webmasters go through a summer work slow down just like consumers go through a summer buying slow down. The webmasters that work harder tend to find it easier to get certain types of traffic and make more money then they could during other time.

[ecchi]

'Summer Slowdown', is an American webmaster problem. Those of us in the rest of the world don't suffer from it. The reason is that America is big, it can be worked as a territory on it's own. And most Americans do stick to American traffic. Outside America we are mostly used to the fact that we have to think globally. Sure we want your dollars as much as we want euros, Australian dollars, etc, but it is not our only traffic, or even the majority of our traffic. For those who don't know: the seasons work differently in the southern and northern hemispheres, when it is summer in one half it is winter in the other half. So if you work the planet, instead of working the country, it is always 'not summer' for half your customers, so your earnings do not go down when people go out to the beach.

When threads like this come round (and they always do, every 'northern hemisphere summer' someone posts a thread like this), you usually see some American webmasters moaning about a big drop in sales, some saying that they only have a small drop, and others saying that the summer slowdown is a myth, and their sales never drop in summer. This is because some American webmasters 'work the world' rather that 'work the country', but don't do so because of the summer thing, they do so because they want as much money as possible. Many don't even realise that the different hemispheres have different summers. But there sales remain the same during what they think is summer all over the world, so they assume that there is no such thing as summer slowdown, and that those who say there is are doing badly for some other reason, and just think it is because it is summer.

There is also a slight levelling if you go for rev share over pay per sale. Most people who do not use their computers as much don't cancel memberships because of it, they still use what they pay for, but use it less often. So if your income is rev share, you will only notice a slight dip in sales. However if you are pay per sale, not only do less people surf the web in their summer, but those that do are less likely to sign up, so webmaster who go for pay per sign up sales will notice a big drop in profit.

In other words, the summer slowdown depends on how you run your business. If you suffer from it, it is your own fault, stop whining. However rather than reading this post and thinking "bloody Paul Ecchi being objectionable again", do something about it. Plenty of us read this thread and think "summer slowdown, what summer slowdown". If you are not one of us, change your business model so that next year you are. Or if you prefer, just ignore me, and next summer live off beans and whatever is cut price in the supermarket, for yet another summer.

[tickler]

Originally Posted by Toby

I think it depends a great deal on the categories you promote and their associated target demographic.

I generally promote micro-niches, and the traffic/sales stays pretty consistant.

A good percentage of the traffic for those niches is also not North American based which mitigates summer slowdown. So trying to find sponsors that can do decent processing for foreign traffic is an ongoing pursuit.

BTW: Could anybody here that speaks French translate a sponsor page for me. Too much info in graphics, and Babelfish doesn't fill in much detail.

[Cucumber]

I think it actually exists but dont blame surfers nor your traffic its just... temperature is higher + concentration is lower + damn nice weather outside = little or no work done daily...

just my theory and experience

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Cucumber

I think it actually exists

Yeah, you're an American aren't you?

[Cucumber]

Originally Posted by ecchi

Yeah, you're an American aren't you?

Nope, I'm just lazy when weather is nice

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Cucumber

Nope

Then you ain't got no excuse.

[BOSS]

Originally Posted by tickler

I generally promote micro-niches, and the traffic/sales stays pretty consistant.

A good percentage of the traffic for those niches is also not North American based which mitigates summer slowdown. So trying to find sponsors that can do decent processing for foreign traffic is an ongoing pursuit.

BTW: Could anybody here that speaks French translate a sponsor page for me. Too much info in graphics, and Babelfish doesn't fill in much detail.

Yep I stay pretty constant with most sites too...especially after integratin direct debit into paysites... hint hint