Webmaster's Corner

Interview with Teaser

Cat Fighting Babes

DFN: This week's interview is with Teaser
So tell us a little about yourself.
Teaser: My name is Apryl, I live in Missouri, USA

DFN: How or why did you pick your nick?
Teaser: Well I wanted something fun to play with! Apryl just seems so BORING! I like to joke and tease alot, so I thought what a cute name;) I wanted to be glitterbug but thought you know thats kind of goofy.

DFN: How often do you try new building ideas, or using new sponsors?
Teaser: I try to play around and use new sponsors about once a month, but if I'm in a creative mood I'll try more often.

DFN: And how often do you build new sites?
Teaser: I build new sites every day I try to build at least 1 to 3 per day. The more sites, the more chance of income, plus I just love to design new things! I like to try things that others might not try in the industry!

DFN: How many hours a week are you able to put into your business?
Teaser: I put in between 60-80 depends on what is going on with my house and kids. On average I'd say closer to 60 each week. I work at least 5 hours per day. I am normally online from around 6am till 2am each day...I currently manage over 600+ sites (client) and about 400 (my own) so I'm always building, linking, checking, tweaking etc.

DFN: Do you do everything by hand? or do you use some scripts to automate your work?
Teaser: I do all of my sites by hand but I have been using ilink recently on my link directory. It takes time to set up and put in place the templates, but it makes adding submissions a breeze!!

DFN: Do you have any tips for us on how you stay focused and organized working for yourself?
Teaser: That is the hardest thing is this business. It's so easy to get side tracked. I myself try to stay away from message boards and such as I found myself posting more then building and promoting. It's tough sometimes to look across the desk and see my messy house, but then I try to sit here and not get up and vacuum or do the dishes. I've been told I'm compulsive about things and I hate a dirty house so I find that the most distracting thing. I have to remember that if I was at someone else's office I couldn't do any housework. Then I bury my head in some content and continue to build.

DFN: Can you touch on how and why you got involved into this industry, and how long you have been doing it?
Teaser: I had to quit a traveling job with the railroad, when my daughter was born. I took a programming job at a non adult marketing firm, and I sat close to the receptionist. As I burnt my eyes looking at code I could hear her turning away tons and tons of adult industry people brecasue our company wouldn't do marketing for them. I decided at that time there was a niche for that and boned up my marketing skills and started my own marketing business, that was 5 years ago.

DFN: Can you give a brief background on your history in this business, and where do you see yourself in one year and several years from now?
Teaser: When I first started I knew NOTHING about this business. I didn't even know there were newbie boards for people just starting in this business. I took the information I had gleaned at my full time job with the Marketing company and started using that. I also borrowed their business plan and how to do business. They didn't mind, in fact they helped me. They would refer anyone coming to them for marketing to me and I would do the same for non adult clientelle. I also learned more about the differences in adult and non adult marketing. Then I starrted designing which I love to do!! I think where I would like to be in the next year - 5 years is doing the same thing. I thrive on stress and hard work so that is already there, but I'd like to see myself doing more designing. I find my strength lies in building good solid AVS sites for people at a reasonable cost. I like helping new webmasters so I'm sure I'll be doing that in the future.

DFN: What area in terms of site building do you specialize in, if any?? Free sites?? TGP's?? AVS's?? or any other revenue generator.
Teaser: AVS sites I used to work free sites, but didn't see any bang for the time and energy I used to put into them. I used to get e-mails what a great site blah blah, and no $$. I love the great sites, but it takes money to make more ;) So I researched the AVS's systems out there and choose FNP (free net pass) to promote an sell my sites with. Its a great AVS system, the folks over there are friendly, kind and very helpful. I wasn't getting any revenue out of my avs sites and I knew there had to be someone out there I could make cash from! Then I found FNP now I have nice sized checks every 2 weeks in my mailbox! I would also like to mention that not every sponsor works for every person, if you don't measure, track and figure out your traffic then you won't do well, its taken me awhile to find the right sponsors for the traffic I generage, but once you do stick to those guidelines and you'll do swell. What works for me might bomb for you and what works well for you might not work for me.

DFN: What do you consider to be your strengths in this business?
Teaser: Well according to a lot of people that nominated me for webmaster of the year at Adult Chamber of Commerce, I'm loyal, dedicated and creative. I think my best strength is my honesty. I work with newbie webmasters and potential adult site owners that have no clue about our industry. They think they can drop 500.00 and be rich by next month. I guess sometimes I can be cruel but I'm straight up with anyone that comes my way explaining our business to them, the time involved and committment. That its not a get rich scheme and that in this business like any other your $$ output is = to your "hard labor."

DFN: What is the best advice you were given when you were first getting started in this industry and what advice could you give a newbie just starting out these days?
Teaser: I wasn't given any. I had no idea where to even look at that point. When I started it was a "hobby" that might pay off. My first client is the one that made me stay in the business. That was Dennis at Payserve.com. He really boosted my ego and made me feel GREAT about the work I had done for him. That gave me the encouragement to go out and seek new business.

DFN: What do you think the worst thing going on with future of our industry right now? ...and what is the best?
Teaser: I have found in the 5 years of doing marketing and design work that its the bad apples in any business that makes us look like crum. I've run into so many new webmaster /owners that have paid out the nose for work that never got completed, or wasn't what they wanted but never got it resolved. I think its important for all of us to make sure that we are doing what we can for our clients, if your a solo webmaster this doesn't apply and I'm sorry, but its a pet peeve of mine. I try not to look at trends and fads. That takes time. (not my biggest resource) Visa is what really cramped my world recently. I think that we are getting a chunk taken out of us because we do better in ecommerce then anyone else and everyone wants a piece of it no matter how they have to finagle it!!

My best advice for any new webmaster is:
1. Do your research
2. Hang out read and ask questions of anyone and everyone
3. Find a niche (ONE) that you like and feel comfy with
4. RESEARCH that niche to a T and find like minded webmasters that you can groove with and trade links with ALL the time...
5. REPEAT above

The best aspect of this business is the wonderful people that I have met. I have so many wonderful contacts that I have made that its impossible to list them all, but you know who you are;)