Does an avg. foot fetish site make any money. I've been wanting to start one up for a long time. I get tons of girls to let me take pics of their feet and I would like to put them to good use.
Posted by Tyler D. (Member # 11452) on :
quote:Originally posted by JPLA: Does an avg. foot fetish site make any money. I've been wanting to start one up for a long time. I get tons of girls to let me take pics of their feet and I would like to put them to good use.
with the proliferation of many many sites out there, i believe it has dramatically brought down the average foot site. I know that many years ago, when there were fewer sites, the average site was making good money. sites like FM concepts had in excess of 10,000 members in a given month, so do the math.
anyway that was back then, before the "average" was deteriorated.
i believe now that the average foot site makes it so that it is not worth the operators time. i could be wrong though. maybe need to find out from alot of average site owners.
Posted by Rider Aldebaran (Member # 38525) on :
Yep. Oversaturation has lowered the monetary value of most foot sites. Some of them probably don't even make a buck at all.
Posted by bluetoelover (Member # 14736) on :
Well, you need to come up with a solid business plan. As in, offer something on your site the "other" sites don't.
Posted by Patrick (Member # 1169) on :
It is hard to say a blanket answer to the question. Everything is relative. For example...
If you have a wife/girlfriend who is hot and loves the fetish, you could make a site totally dedicated to her. Without a model fee, even a small membership could be rewarding to the couple.
Take the same scenerio, however, and add in some haphazard membership fees, expensive hosting plan, poor communication with members, or any other negative aspect and that too could be a disaster and could even cost them money to run.
Then you have sites like mine that are more amateur and use girls that aren't out there doing major modeling gigs or porn (like the Sasha Gray's, Asa Akira's, etc. of the world) and you have to make sure you have a budget. You have to shoot what you need and not overspend when you can't.
Sometimes things can be a little tricky as with a site like mine, the girls really aren't there to communicate with, like they might be for that site situation I listed above. So you have to get your product out there. A lot of people think because they throw a site up, it is just like a cash register and money magically comes out. It's not the case. I've had payments that I was like, "Wow, people are loving the site." And then payments like, "Damn, people aren't signing up." It can go back and forth. A lot of it depends on the effort of those involved - which in my case, is really pretty much just me.
Then you have your major porn sites that noticed the niche market years ago and decided to create dozens of speciality sites. I think these are what brought things down a bit with people making bank with privately owned sites. Now you have well known porn girls coming in to film a gang bang scene in the morning, a lesbian scene in the afternoon, a foot fetish scene the next day, and then collecting a huge paycheck. All those scenes are used for a specialized site. With a massive budget, top notch models, and numerous photographers, web designers, advertising people, etc. it can be hard to compete with that.
I've also seen some foot fetish sites try to make use of what I just mentioned by dividing their foot content up into several sites. For example, a model comes in and shoots a barefoot set, followed by a stocking set, then a smelly feet set, then a footjob set, and lastly, a girl/girl foot set. Then all those sets get divided into their specialty sites.
In the big picture of things, you HAVE to know what you want and make a plan. When I set out to make Soles of Silk, I was crossing my fingers that people would remember me and a couple of my models from my old free sites that I ran back in college. It had been several years, so it was an unknown bet. But I did have confidence in my web design, photography, AND (very important) communication skills. If I could get something out there, then I could give it a go. It was my first try at a membership site. And I had to go membership just to cover costs of running a site. That is the reason why my former site was taken down. How could I justify paying hundreds of dollars over the course of a year just to show photos to everyone? I can't. It's unrealistic.
Once I got my general plan together, I went and looked into means of hosting and registering a domain name. Then I went about shooting some of my closest friends. Start off with people who trust you and get some content done. Then when you approach others, they have something to see and that you're not a quack. Luckily for me, and a BIG LUCKY, was a model who was quite mainstream a few years ago in our scene, who took a chance on me. She posed for me before I even had a web site up and running. That model was Lisa Tyler.
Over the years since, I've kept a level head with what I can do with the way my life is and what I'd like to do. I don't try to operate outside of my means. I cannot afford to travel all over the USA and shoot all these girls I'd love to. Maybe one day if things change, I might do some of that, but right now, this site is also a hobby for me and something I really enjoy doing.
With all this being said, I just got a text from a brand new, well, not totally new, model that I have plans to shoot today. A half Asian, half white girl with size 10 feet. She was one of Abby's best friends 10-plus years ago when Abby and I dated. I shot her back then and she's going to make her Soles of Silk debut soon. Probably the same week, if not day, that a second new Soles of Silk girl will make her debut, right here on Wu's Feetlinks as the feature model. Two new models in the same week... I'm excited.
Patrick
Posted by Egoist (Member # 39782) on :
Perhaps you should try making a small, free site first, to get a bit of a name for yourself in the community. Send som pictures around, try to get on some link sites, show off some of your work on forums and youtube and look at the results. Do people enjoy your work? Do they know who you are? If they do, and you've made a name for yourself, starting a pay site with a small budget is the first step, then expand as far as you can. Baby steps, all the way. That's what I'd go for, if I had plans on starting a site.
Posted by combine_hunter (Member # 39526) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tyler D.: i believe now that the average foot site makes it so that it is not worth the operators time. i could be wrong though. maybe need to find out from alot of average site owners.
I hope that's not the case for the ones I like.
Posted by RPM (Member # 2895) on :
a few years ago.. i almost took the plunge. I had a model who's name was getting me a lot of traffic. soon as she left to pursue other things in life... the site nearly died. everything nearly ground to a halt. even contributors who enjoyed the free coverage up and left.. lol
if all the conditions aren't right.. don't go for it. if they are.. great.
my site (free) isn't done yet. it's doing pretty cool. i just need to step up adding content more regularly.. which is getting harder and harder these days.. lol. gals wanna get paid.. even as friends.
but it's fun. that's why i do it. if it wasn't, i'd shut down fast.
it's a hobby. the money is not why i'm in the shooting game.. lol.. but if i could have made a buck back then, i should have pulled the trigger.. who knows.. lol
but as said before me, having a plan is critical!
RPM
Posted by Goddess Melanie (Member # 40802) on :
quote:Originally posted by Patrick: [QB] I've also seen some foot fetish sites try to make use of what I just mentioned by dividing their foot content up into several sites. For example, a model comes in and shoots a barefoot set, followed by a stocking set, then a smelly feet set, then a footjob set, and lastly, a girl/girl foot set. Then all those sets get divided into their specialty sites.
Well that is the point is it not? Conglomerates like staria do exactly that, then offer a all-access-pass "join all our sites" programmes, and have affiliate click-through profit distribution via their billing partner, and a ton of landing pages all across the net.
I think it also helps to run the modeling/shooting outside of the U.S. where costs of bookings and living are 1/3 of that in the states (I've seen content from Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Greece etc..)
Some content houses do the same thing (which they then license around) I've been to shoots where there is one girl ahead of me, and another one ready to go on the same set right after me with-in one hour.
I think the biggest hit to the industry was the VISA network, not the absorption of niche sites by major industry. Operators with multiple properties can absorb the charge-backs and ridiculous VISA fees, some go out of their way to say their site is not adult - Visa has it's own definition of what that is.
Posted by Patrick (Member # 1169) on :
quote:Originally posted by Goddess Melanie: I think the biggest hit to the industry was the VISA network, not the absorption of niche sites by major industry.
I see that as a factor too, but there is no way sites like what was around in the mid 90s boom of sites can compete with the likes of a Bang Bros., Kick Ass Productions, etc. without becoming like them. Most of those sites that were doing VERY well in those days were sites run by a person or two. This happened across the board too. Ask many of the couples who ran swinger/interracial sites. I know a few who said when all the "fake girls" who claim to be swingers, love the black guys, and do what they had been doing and making good money on came around, people went for the cheap pro options as many of those sites can get away with charging a few bucks a month being part of a huge network and pulling in lots of cash. A swinger couple could never compete with that. It's not that they didn't make money anymore. It just wasn't like it used to be.
Patrick
Posted by FIASCo (Member # 1899) on :
I know a few foot fetish providers who weren't seeing the financial returns they expected, and so have expanded into areas that weren't originally in their character or interest in order to stay competitive.
The rise of unauthorized content sharing has probably had a negative impact on pay sites as well, particularly smaller ones. It has to be frustrating for customers who join sites start to see the same content they pay for being uploaded to forums, file-sharing services, YouTube and other places on the web,
Posted by tastymag (Member # 43073) on :
many things have to be thought of, I had a small site, 10,000 pictures, 100 videos, 28 models, over 300 new photos uploaded every month, but it didn't work. Foot sites are so plentiful now that if you design a site that doesn't look like the norm, no one will enter it. Like how a Walgreens store looks just the same as every other one. My site was the first DNN foot fetish portal site, but because of that, people were hesitant to use it.
Also, money is a factor, even now. I'm less likely to spend $30 a month on a site, even if it has millions of photos, than I am to spend $15 a month for thousands. Money is still tight for some people.
What was difficult for my site, was the girls were normal girls. They didn't want to pose nude or even topless, much less put their own foot to their face. So, when I have a girl pose with her feet up and the trend is to have gg foot worship, it is hard making girls do that that don't want to. Also, most sites have some topless girls, if you don't want everyone to see your wife or gf topless then you don't want this.
Posted by Beautifulfeetonline.com (Member # 13717) on :
FIASCo pretty much hit it on the head. It is hard work. Not that many foot fetish or adult sites in general, for that matter, are being launched right now. More are closing up than opening, actually.
The economy blows ass and is getting worse. 750 start up, then 500 bucks a year to process VISA, which 70 percent of your traffic uses, another 500-1000 minimum, per year to host it, etc. It adds up.
Internet copyright law is turning towards the producers favor, however. I am going through footpervert.com right now and pulling old sites and adding new ones. I remember back in the day, I had 30-50 sites I would add per quarter. This year, I am only joining maybe 15 affiliate programs...
Right now, adult is slow across the board. But the "gold rush" of old is done and will never come back. My whole network is a labor of love. That's the way you have to look at it, imho.
Used too, webmasters worked with each other, trading links, etc. There was a real "family" type of vibe that was just super cool. Now no one gives a shit, the independent sites are left to fend for themselves. And no one ever talks to, or networks through each other anymore, it seems. I miss those days.
[ June 23, 2011, 02:05 PM: Message edited by: Beautifulfeetonline.com ]
Posted by GQguy (Member # 16534) on :
I think the 90's and early 2000's were huge because most people didn't look at their computer as a source of porn before then. The 90's and early 2000's saw almost unlimited growth as people tossed out their playboys and VCR's and started downloading content. Niche content was rare and people were willing to pay. We've reached a point of saturation now...both with the number of new internet porn customers and the amount of content out there. I myself am actually finding myself getting more excited about downloading or buying the old content I couldn't afford to purchase as a teen than the new stuff coming out. The only way to truly guarantee success is through forums like WU's and the mousepad where you can specifically cater to the needs of your potential clientele. One can't rely on a yahoo search to direct and individual to your site like 10 years ago.
Posted by aerodrew (Member # 2682) on :
There are so many variables that factor into answering that question.. It's about like asking "does the average Deli make money"?
First thing is.. What do you consider money? How much? Few hundred a month or a few thousand a month..
You could start with a C4S site and member site thru BHE and if you make some quality vids and market them well you might make a couple hundred a month...
I see this question pop up every once in a while and I get a chuckle..
It's kinda like when you were a kid... It sounded like such a great idea to open that lemonade stand...
Posted by nj754 (Member # 43090) on :
quote:Originally posted by tastymag: What was difficult for my site, was the girls were normal girls. They didn't want to pose nude or even topless, much less put their own foot to their face. So, when I have a girl pose with her feet up and the trend is to have gg foot worship, it is hard making girls do that that don't want to. Also, most sites have some topless girls, if you don't want everyone to see your wife or gf topless then you don't want this.
It amazes me how many girls there are that are willing to pose for freaky pictures on the internet.
Posted by tastymag (Member # 43073) on :
they weren't your freaky girls of sorts. Most oif them were girls I knew or worked with and thought they had nice feet. I then suggested that I'd pay them and take pics of their feet. They had no idea that guys were jacking off to pictures of their feet. When they found out, they loved it and wanted more. I also couldn't do the nudity thing because I was using paypal as my merchant services dealer. They made sure I had no nudity but they only took 49 cents off of every $10. They ran all credit cards and everything and I was VERY happy.
As was mentioned earlier, people don't want to do a family because as one group gets larger, they try to do away with their competition. While I never said anything bad about other sites, some others were saying bad things about mine and then ending their statements with "so come to my site instead for better stuff...." You also cannot do a family of sites, of different owners because everyone wants a piece of the pie. If BHE and the one or two independent foot site owners still left in the world got together, it wouldn't last because if one made $$$ and the others didn't, from the large BHE to the small one, they would get mad. Its a family when it is free, but when you add money into the equation, it turns into a contest.
Posted by tastymag (Member # 43073) on :
A c4s site is okay, for those who want a video or clip selling site, but I wouldn't stay in there for long. Sure, someone else is hosting your data, but when they keep 40% of that and still keep it every month if it is less than $50 or $75, isn't that much in favor of the independent foot site owner.
I would say if you have your own url or your own name already picked out, a group of models who will do anything and don't care about getting paid and have your own dedicated server set up for nothing and going at unlimited bandwidth, then by all means, go ahead with a site now. I agree that the 'golden years' are fading fast. Some of the best sites of the net during that time are gone now. Also, people tend to move on. Like footfetishmia, Mia looked to be in nursing school and using her site to generate funds for that. She finished, so she wants to get on with her normal life.
Also, word of advice: form an LLC to do the business for your site. In my state, for example, you declare your losses on your income taxes and when you get your tax return, you will get most of those losses back. Also, some sites don't do this, but do contracts for your models so they don't end up on other sites, as it may lose your exclusivity.