Well, This Is Depressing (aka Google Analytics for SE Traffic to LOR)

[Toby]

All this responsive design stuff has it's place, but the first question that must be answered before undertaking the rather substantial task of redesigning a very well established site is whether or not those visiting the site via devices with small screens actually purchase the product.

I've been asking that question for a number of years, and those that would have those numbers don't appear willing to share them. Namely, do surfers actually buy porn site memberships via their cell phones?

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Toby

All the first question that must be answered before undertaking the rather substantial task of redesigning a very well established site is whether or not those visiting the site via devices with small screens actually purchase the product.

A good and valid question. There is no point in spending time designing websites that simply don't sell.

However as tablet and 'phone use increases, and PC and laptop use decreases, we will find it is impossible to get enough surfers to those machines to make any money. Already tablet/'phone usage looks like the main way the main buying demographic (18 to 30 year olds with money) surf. Soon, making pages only usable on PC/laptop will be like designing sites only viewable on W98/IE6.

So the important question is not "Do surfers buy porn on their 'phones/tablets?" But "What can we sell on our porn sites that they will buy?" For well over a year I have found that "non porn" sells better than porn, even on my porn sites. And my best sellers on my adult sites are spell books. Spell books can be read on tablet/'phones - in fact many people use tablets as eReaders, and use them for most of their reading. My best selling porn line is not websites, but porn eBooks, again ideal tablet/'phone material.

I would like to be able to say that I did this deliberately to cash in on future developments, but the truth is - I did it because porn sales were in decline, and I wanted to make more money from PC/laptop sales. I was not clever enough to look towards future technology, I was just lucky. However I am currently reviewing my "responsive" policy (the fact that many of my sites are responsive is due to me allowing for older PC browsers with low width limits, not because I allowed for 'phones/tablets, and so do not look good, and some even don't "work" on the smaller tablet or 'phone screens). Having read your post I'll be throwing in "consider what shit will sell on tablets/'phones" as another main concern about "device compatibility".

[Toby]

Originally Posted by ecchi

So the important question is not "Do surfers buy porn on their 'phones/tablets?" But "What can we sell on our porn sites that they will buy?"

Au contraire mon ami.

If you are going to sell something else entirely, you build a site specifically to promote that new product rather than convert a old well established site like LOR. Or more specifically, build a new network of sites to promote that new product.

One more thing to add, purely my own opinion, but if your business plan is highly dependent on search engine traffic for success then rethink your business plan unless you can generate the income to have full time seo specialists working on keeping up with it all. A one man shop ends up chasing his tail.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Toby

If you are going to sell something else entirely, you build a site specifically to promote that new product.........Or more specifically, build a new network of sites to promote that new product.

Ever watch TV? Did you notice how, during the Superbowl you only ever see adds for football products? How during the cop shows they only sell detective novels and toy police uniforms? And how during the sci-fi shows they only ever show ads for trips on Virgin Galactic, and Star Wars toys?

No?

That is because no successful business outside of Internet porn works on the model you suggest. Everyone else sells "other stuff", not "more of the same stuff that they give away free to attract customers".

Now, have you noticed how, in Internet porn (where we give away free porn and expect people to be so grateful that they buy porn for money rather than continue to surf for more free porn), there are less and less people running adult sites? And despite the drop in competition, most people still in business are complaining that they don't make as much as they used to?

That is because most people are still using the same model that you suggest (give free porn, then hope people decide to pay for it rather than continue to watch the free stuff).

IMHO only selling porn on porn sites is so "last century" and makes about as much sense as designing sites that can only be viewed on Windows98/IE6.

Originally Posted by Toby

One more thing to add, purely my own opinion, but if your business plan is highly dependent on search engine traffic for success.........

I don't think any of us are doing that, are we? I don't even think it is possible (unless you own the search engine and adjust the results to put your sites at the top).

[Toby]

Originally Posted by ecchi

IMHO only selling porn on porn sites is so "last century" and makes about as much sense as designing sites that can only be viewed on Windows98/IE6.

You must be living on a different planet. There are VERY few non-adult products that will allow you to promote them on adult web sites.

I do promote some things other than membership sites, but they're not a significant percentage of my income. I've tried quite a few things that were flat out busts. Adult toys, lingerie and fetish wear. Live cam sites and dating sites, multiple times. Just to name a few.

My site links are in my sig. I'd love to hear of some non membership program that's going to make me hundreds of dollars a month.

[Useless]

Originally Posted by Toby

You must be living on a different planet.

Not even a nearby planet.

[ecchi]

I have often come across people who are horrified that I sell pornography on websites. This is the first time I have come across people who are horrified at me selling non-porn!

I hope you two are "creationists" rather than "evolutionists". Because the rules of evolution hold for businesses as well as life. And the principle rule that the nice Mr Darwin taught us was:

"Evolve or die."

You may be doing OK now, but if you continue to run your businesses like it is still the twentieth century, then prepare for extinction.

[HowlingWulf]

Originally Posted by Toby

I've been asking that question for a number of years, and those that would have those numbers don't appear willing to share them. Namely, do surfers actually buy porn site memberships via their cell phones?

Just checked my Nasty Dollars stats and my mobile sales almost equal 'regular' sales.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by HowlingWulf

Just checked my Nasty Dollars stats and my mobile sales almost equal 'regular' sales.

Yes, but can you tell if that is tablet or phones? Tablet users should still be able to see old school table layouts just fine, so you'd not be missing them either way. It's the phone users that I want to know about. What percentage of joins are from surfers using their smart phone?

[JustRobert]

Originally Posted by HowlingWulf

Just checked my Nasty Dollars stats and my mobile sales almost equal 'regular' sales.

Well mine are exactly the same...0

My design skills are more like Greenie's as I have not kept up with all the new stuff. JR

With that being said when everyone was talking years ago about getting rid of tables and were changing all their sites mine were on page one with tables and stayed there while most of those people chasing their tails bottomed out and left. Since then I have lost nearly all that but that was because of other updates by G a few years back. I just checked and the sites that are still on page 1 are there whether I search the terms on pc or mobile and they are still fixed size table built. So I'm not even sure I need to worry about responsive stuff right now or wait it out until I absolutely have to and then there will be something new again to worry about

With all this being said, android and apple devices resize tables even if they are fixed in size including images. If you build it right the site looks exactly the same on pc and mobile just one being smaller in size, naturally, and I personally like that. I hate when you view something on a tablet/phone and instead of seeing 15 thumbs in the screen you now only get 1 or 2 thumbs because of responsive design. That is like building a site for pc with thumbs that are 750x1000 making the surfer consistently scroll down to see more. To me this is extremely annoying and quite ugly.

Now if you have a 1000 pixel table with 15 60x90 thumbs in a row that shit will be tiny and barely clickable when viewed on mobile. But if you swap it out to 5 or 6 150x200 or larger thumbs then even on small phones it is easily viewable and clickable. Plus, to me, it is far better looking so I have to assume it is better looking to others as well.

Then again, I am old so get off my lawn you young non buying whipper snappers