Content
Now you have an idea for a site. You need to have some pictures (or video or audiotext, etc). You basically have a few choices:
1. Create it yourself
2. Steal it from other sites/take from BBS
3. Buy it.
4. Lease it.
5. Allow others to provide it
1. Creating your own content can be fun, rewarding, and financially feasible, providing you have the correct equipment and experience. Advertising in the paper for models is fairly easy, although you need to use worlds like "exotic" in some publications instead of "nude." The mainstream papers, college papers, and alternative papers all seem to produce decent results.
Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $400 for models for a 4-6 hour shoot. If you recruit models from strip clubs, expect to pay more, and expect to pay more for hardcore and/or bizarre subject matter.
When taking your own pictures, you must keep adequate records. Have every model fill out a model release (click here for a sample, generic copy). You must keep a copy of this release and model information according to 18 US 2257 if you are in the US. See Legal Section for other considerations.
Ensure you let your film processor know the subject matter of the film before it is processed.
A more complete photography guide can be obtained at (coming soon)
2. Taking pictures from other sites is the most common method to get content for your own site. Even some large, mega sites have resorted to that. Practically, as a small site, you can get away with that. Except for some older and historical pictures, though, this practice is illegal ("public domain" has no real meaning here). The owner of the pictures has the right to protect his or her investment and keep other people from profiting from his or her work. Some companies, such as Playboy and Penthouse aggressively pursue webmasters who use their pictures. Other companies put an electronic "signature," called a Digimarc, on their pictures which enables them to run programs to constantly search the net for unauthorized usage of their pictures. The rightful owners can and often will take transgressors to court to recover damages.
Another problem with stealing pictures is that you have no proof as to the age of the models. You cannot be keeping proper records as you do not have the information.
Finally, if you have a free site, or if you use an avs to bring in traffic for a membership site, using well-traveled pictures will not excite too many surfers to pay for additional pictures. They will assume that all your pictures are the same old tired shots.
Now that being said, if you have pictures behind an avs or membership firewall, you will probably not be bothered by anyone (do not take this statement as a "green light" to use unauthorized pictures!) The more extreme your subject matter, the harder it will be to find pictures, and the more likely you will have to resort to usenet or pictures from other sites. Some webmasters will take pictures from various sources, put them up and see where the interest lies. Then they will buy content in the areas of highest interest to make membership sites.
3. Buying pictures from reliable sources can alleviate many headaches while providing fresh, stimulating content. The photographer or provider is responsible for the proper record keeping--all you have to do is put up the pictures you like. And while eventually, these pictures will bleed on out to the web, at least initially, your surfers will be seeing new material.
The type of content available is increasing dramatically every day. Obscure fetish and bizarre material is becoming obtainable as well as the more mainstream shots.
Expect to pay anywhere from $125 to $500 for 200 or more pictures. This can be enough, however, to furnish five or six sites. Some companies charge only $25 for the pictures themselves, but charge $300 or so for a license fee. That allows you to make use of the pictures instead of just look at them. This license fee should be good for every cd you buy from them, though, so it can be very economical in the long run.
Before buying any content, ensure the company selling owns the copyrights and keeps proper records. One company, Hubbs Enterprises, takes their pictures right off the net and then sells the cd's. This offers you none of the advantages of buying content--it is just like paying for stolen goods. Also, see how many copies of the cd have been sold. If you are one of 2000, then you really won't be too unique out there.
There are many content sellers out there, from individual photographers to large companies. A few I can recommend are:
Z-Masters--they have a large selection of pictures of various types. Quality is good, although there seems to be a certain "sameness" to lighting and style. Once you have purchased their license, the pictures are very economical (currently $20 per cd).
Kelly William Wright--an individual photographer, he has quality pictures at reasonable prices.
4. Many companies offer leased material. You pay by the month, and the surfer has access to changing pictures, video streaming, chat rooms, and more. The advantage of this is that your surfers keep getting new material (keeping them as members if you use recurring billing), you do not worry about any record keeping on the content, and your work load is less (they do all the work). The major disadvantage to this is the cost. Such services can cost $400-$2000 per month.
The beginning webmaster usually does not have the traffic nor revenue stream to justify this kind of expense. As you grow larger and are more situated, this type of service can make sense, but I do not recommend it for webmasters just starting out.
5. Some companies will offer you free content. Their payment is in the advertising they put on this content. While some of these providers offer poor quality or tacky-looking content, this is a valid method to offer your surfers something to look at at very minimal bandwidth to yourself. You can get pictures, video streaming, chat rooms, and more this way.
You need to monitor this type of service regularly, though. These companies spring up quickly, then disappear just as quickly. You have to be on the ball to make sure you, as the owner of the site, always have something for your surfer to see.
I personally think these types of service have a valid place. I use the free chatrooms on almost all of my membership sections, and I have made several thousand dollars on sites which use an avs to gain access to see free content provided by other companies.