SP Websites- From the Hobby POV

[Miss Maya Blue]

thanks for the feedback. im hoping to make a trip to montreal soon to do a new photo shoot in this gorgeous boutique hotel i found...hopefully in the next month. im so ready for some new pics!

 

[Damondean]

thanks for the feedback. im hoping to make a trip to montreal soon to do a new photo shoot in this gorgeous boutique hotel i found...hopefully in the next month. im so ready for some new pics!

The hotel is no doubt great but why not try some pix outside as well? ... in a cafe in Old Montreal or along the river near one of the bridges. Also, outside after dark can be very effective.

Good luck and we will al stay tuned!

 

[Miss Maya Blue]

ya i was thinking some clothed shots might actually be nice too
(though they are not the norm in this biz)

i guess i have shyed away from them because people might actually recognize my favorite outfits from my website. my personal style might be a dead give away. (and i am only 'out' to close friends)

i once had someone email me after a night of dancing to pay a compliment, as it turned out, he was able to place me because of my hair, profile and height and curves. it kinda freaked me out.

 

[Damondean]

ya i was thinking some clothed shots might actually be nice too
(though they are not the norm in this biz)

i guess i have shyed away from them because people might actually recognize my favorite outfits from my website. my personal style might be a dead give away. (and i am only 'out' to close friends)

i once had someone email me after a night of dancing to pay a compliment, as it turned out, he was able to place me because of my hair, profile and height and curves. it kinda freaked me out.

You could dress up like a man. hehehe... Sort of Marlene Dietrich style.

 

[buttercup]

. . . . suggesting that it's all about the sizzle.

Don't forget that "Don't sell the sausage, sell the sizzle!" is just one part of the first rule of marketing:
1. So you sell the first sausage by the sizzle.
2. But you sell the second sausage by the quality and value of the first sausage."

Don't just aim the site at clients you have never seen before. Aim to snag the repeats; that's where the money is. Make it easy for the customer to repeat. (But don't give discounts -- makes you look cheap.)

The repeat customers you want are the mature professional gentlemen. Generally, we m.p.g.s can spell and do grammar, and we just assume the people we deal with are the same. It stands out like a sore thumb on your site if you don't know the difference between "you're" and "your". Whatever it takes to get the English right - do it! NO errors!

Read everything said here about photo galleries. Detest all photo effects, flash introductions, etc. In galleries, stick to simple thumbnails with click to enlarge. If you can't show your face, don't include your face in the picture - don't mask it by a star etc.

Please do include a calendar/schedule, and keep it updated.

A black font against a red background is very hard to read. Look at other sites, and make sure yours is the easiest to read.

I guess you want guys who might have special requirements or requests to tell you what they have in mind before the visit. So make it easy to do that -- give a couple of samples or examples of how you think people actually go about asking you for special things. You can make these up. M.p.g.s don't want to embarrass themselves by asking for something you don't do, so maybe present sample answers that steer clients away from those areas. That's a lot less daunting than a list of Don'ts.

 

[ultraviolet]

thanks for the feedback. im hoping to make a trip to montreal soon to do a new photo shoot in this gorgeous boutique hotel i found...hopefully in the next month. im so ready for some new pics!

Is it the Hotel Gault? If not, do check the place out - they have a weekend brunch that is worth the price of admission alone.

http://www.hotelgault.com/index_en.cfm

 

[flora.revel]

@Miss Maya Blue

I've always thought your website was quite effective. When I was first starting to research this industry, you were one of my major inspirations in Toronto. Too bad you don't do girls...

Cheers!

 

[Damondean]

Your site

Very informative thread.

Thank you Bear669

Hopefully you will digest what has been said here. Your own site has an outstanding design but the design totally overwhelms the content. It is really difficult to extrapolate the basic information.

There is a massive jumble of graphics and text without much navigational help. I would say the same for your partner MsValentine's site. She at least she has a gallery section except that you have to click on the lips to change the photo. Too clever by half! What's wrong with an arrow?

Well, you did ask in the indy thread where only indys can post so I am responding here.

 

[flora.revel]

Any more feedback is appreciated.

Hopefully you will digest what has been said here. Your own site has an outstanding design but the design totally overwhelms the content. It is really difficult to extrapolate the basic information.

There is a massive jumble of graphics and text without much navigational help. I would say the same for your partner MsValentine's site. She at least she has a gallery section except that you have to click on the lips to change the photo. Too clever by half! What's wrong with an arrow?

Well, you did ask in the indy thread where only indys can post so I am responding here.

Thanks for the comments, it's good to hear some feedback. I've been hearing a lot on the theme of "too complicated." I will be simplifying things in the near future.

If anyone else cares to offer any comments, that'd be great.

 

[Rockslinger]

Hey Bear, great idea for a thread. I am not normally an SP guy but that doesn't stop me from occasionally perusing SP sites. Here are some comments which may or may not have already been covered.

1) Mirage is an example of an excellent site.

2) Ladies, put your restrictions and requirements right up front so we don't waste our time. Here are some examples.
a) Rate is $1,500 an hour with a 10 hour minimum.
b) You must be north of 30 years old and south of 45.
c) Purple colour people need not call.

3) Don't clutter your site with info overload. Here are some examples.
a) Your favourite soap.
b) Your favourite colour.
c) Your favourite flower.
d) Your favourite hockey player.

 

[SynFolly]

Kill the flash

Kill the Flash, or have an optional Non-flash page, those using Blackberry's, Iphones etc can't see squat. For those who are out and about, looking up plan c or d.. most likely on something mobile which can't do flash. The other problem is with Triggering image change on mouse rollover on mobile users.

The other problem where non-flash isn't integrated into the sites is when advertising, the links to the girls are directly to the PC web browser site and not a mobile compatable one.

The site I actually find that works the best on Blackberry at least is Maximum-Pleasures, while the thumbnails may be distorted in the girls gallery clicking on them brings up the picture. With Mirage, only the first picture you click on comes up, you can't switch after the first change.

.02$

 

[Rockslinger]

This is getting more and more interesting. Maybe Bear can do a summary of what makes an ideal website when this thread is done.

An agency recently posted a 30 second video of one of their escorts but other than the voice, the video really added no value. You don't see the escort's face, you don't see her naked, you don't see her girly bits, what's the point ?

 

[GDLLover]

As Rockslinger said, Mirages site is good. The one thing to make it perfect is a schedule. I have yet to book with them only because I can't do my research easily on the web in advance. This goes with all indy's sites, no schedule I usually move on soon. Vital stats missing (usually means they don't want to detract in what they think is negative). I will move on as well with missing info as I didn't find what I was looking for. Not everyone is looking for 18 yr, 6'0", 100 lbs. This is sensitive but mentioning GFE/PSE might not be enough info, some are looking for certain activities and those descriptions are vague also a reason to move on.

Musts:
Pictures
Stats/about
Rates/services
Schedule
Contact

Bottom line is this is an advetisment about them, give the info and buyer will chose, no info means something to hide. Question: when was the last time you went looking in adds for a used car and seen a page full of cars with no prices, I bet you 99.9% moved on to another page and didn't look back. Hope this helps the ladies from another POV.

GDL

 

[GDLLover]

This is getting more and more interesting. Maybe Bear can do a summary of what makes an ideal website when this thread is done.

An agency recently posted a 30 second video of one of their escorts but other than the voice, the video really added no value. You don't see the escort's face, you don't see her naked, you don't see her girly bits, what's the point ?

A short video is hot, all that is needed is the lady introducing herself in a sexy outfit. Men are visual creatures and to hear and see them can drive us wild.

GDL

 

[Rockslinger]

As Rockslinger said, Mirages site is good. The one thing to make it perfect is a schedule.

Mirage actually addressed the "schedule" issue in one of their posts. Many or all of their ladies have busy lives outside the industry and that is why it is not possible to post a schedule more than one day in advance. In some cases, the ladies are not actually sitting and waiting at their location but are rather "on call" and usually only get to the location a bit ahead of the client.

 

[Rockslinger]

A short video is hot,

I 'hear" you but I guess my expectation of that particular video exceeded reality and I was really disappointed. No face, no nudity, nothing. Oh, there was the voice so not a complete waste of time.

 

[Mrbig1949]

Frankly from an agency point of view I find Dream-makers the best. Good size initial pics. Exacly the right amount of info on the girls, leads to reviews if you want. Looks like girls had some say in the pics, some let it all hang out, others not so much. Very user friendly. To me DM is the standard for agency site. Mirage initial pics too small inner pics also too small.

 

[qwertyuio]

DO NOT put music on the site. Chances are we will hate it, or it will put us in a situation we wish we were not put in. It can be the kiss of death if one is at work, or the spouse is sleeping in the next room.

This is by far the most important thing in this thread, and it goes for any kind of beeps or other "cute" sound effects too.

 

[Dave - WebGuy]

I've said to a few people in the past "I can get them to the site and help you to ge their attention, but it's entirely up to you to make them want to come back".

I've also said on numerous occasions that I consider it a compliment when I see that someone liked the photos, but they are better looking in person ... because the alternative is being less than expected after seeing the photos.

I'm in the interesting position of sitting on the fence somewheat, since I hear what you guys are saying and can tell by some of the stats what you guys prefer. I also know how the providers want to try to portray themselves and be seen as ... sometimes the 2 views are very far apart. I'm at the mercy, to some degree, of the person paying for the work. I'll make suggestions ... but more often than not, some will choose to follow a direction that has been proven to be less effective ... in hopes that it may work for them.

I've seen some of my best work end up in a folder on a hard drive or trashed for both photos and designs, because it's not what they wanted, or isn't how they see themselves best advertised. At times, what I think works well is much different than what they like. Ultimately it's their choice, and I've almost pulled what's left of my hair out over it a few times. I'm known to be wrong at times though.

I'm hoping that one day, before I eventually get out of this business, that the right opportunity will come along and give me carte blanche after knowing enough about what they are all about, along with being willing to follow my instincts and trust my intuition. Knowing myself, I'd probably nearly give it away knowing that it would bring me a lot more work.

The girls and agencies will read this, but unfortunately I'm sensing already that it'll fall on some deaf ears. What's worked in the past for some will always work in their opinion, or things that haven't worke din the past may work for them.

Technology usually advances faster than people's willingness to alter their opinions, or be accepting of change.

Don't forget that "Don't sell the sausage, sell the sizzle!" is just one part of the first rule of marketing:
1. So you sell the first sausage by the sizzle.
2. But you sell the second sausage by the quality and value of the first sausage."

Don't just aim the site at clients you have never seen before. Aim to snag the repeats; that's where the money is. Make it easy for the customer to repeat. (But don't give discounts -- makes you look cheap.)

The repeat customers you want are the mature professional gentlemen. Generally, we m.p.g.s can spell and do grammar, and we just assume the people we deal with are the same. It stands out like a sore thumb on your site if you don't know the difference between "you're" and "your". Whatever it takes to get the English right - do it! NO errors!

Read everything said here about photo galleries. Detest all photo effects, flash introductions, etc. In galleries, stick to simple thumbnails with click to enlarge. If you can't show your face, don't include your face in the picture - don't mask it by a star etc.

Please do include a calendar/schedule, and keep it updated.

A black font against a red background is very hard to read. Look at other sites, and make sure yours is the easiest to read.

I guess you want guys who might have special requirements or requests to tell you what they have in mind before the visit. So make it easy to do that -- give a couple of samples or examples of how you think people actually go about asking you for special things. You can make these up. M.p.g.s don't want to embarrass themselves by asking for something you don't do, so maybe present sample answers that steer clients away from those areas. That's a lot less daunting than a list of Don'ts.

 

[Bear669]

Heck No!

This is getting more and more interesting. Maybe Bear can do a summary of what makes an ideal website when this thread is done.

.............?

That would be work.


Thanks for all the pos feedback, but I will leave a summary to the professionals or more gifted amateurs.