It seems that more and more niche sites are popping up every day. Sure, the old standbys of hot blonde girls and hunky guys will always be a big hit with the average porn surfer but there seems to be this elusive search for the “next big thing”. So many adult Webmasters are trying to discover a particular style of model, a specific fetish or an unusual activity that will totally hit a nerve and really bring in the traffic. It is the search for a new niche.As a content provider, Ounique tries to be on top of this search. We encourage our photographers to supply us with new and unusual content along with their standard fare. They will often ask us for suggestions on what people are looking for, so we have created a “hotlist.” It contains content that we may already have but could use more of as well as things that we have not yet carried. This list comes from extensive research throughout the Internet to see what kind of sites are out there, and not just from the established adult sites either. You can find a lot of information about what makes people tick by looking at personal websites.
Another good idea is taking a look at some of the popular online clubs and web rings. And if you decide to venture forth from your computer, you may want to try your local adult bookstore and check out some magazines and videos. Fetishes are being explored in many different arenas. Who knew a few years ago that anyone was really into things like body shaving and tan lines, let alone furries, balloons and clown sex? Thanks to the Internet, people seem to have a more open attitude about sex and are now able to network and meet others who share their particular interests. This also means that some are more willing to share their own interests openly with webcams and digital photography from their own homes.
The more extreme fetishes have been harder to acquire, but we encourage our photographers to be creative in their photo shoots. Even mixing fetishes can be a really good idea. If you have a photoset that contains a girl being tied up by another girl who is smoking a cigarette, you can use it on a smoking fetish site, a bondage site and a lesbian site. If our photographer is doing a shoot with jock type twink, we tell them to have him wear several types of sports gear, rather than just shorts and sneakers. There are some really big sports gear oriented adult sites around now.
I’ve found that simply putting together a collection of photos for a niche site does not always make it successful. I’m always telling people to know their target audience and know their material. Fetish is one of my hobbies. I am fascinated by what makes people excited and the more bizarre the better. I talk to a lot of people about these things and one complaint I always hear is that they will find a website that seems to fit in with their particular interest, and it will either have very little to do with the actual interest or it will be laid out in such a manner that it’s obvious the Webmaster didn’t have any knowledge of the subject. They tend to feel cheated with these sites. And here’s something you may not know: people who share a fetish will communicate with each other about a new site and whether it is worth checking out or not.
It is important to do your research. I’ve seen a lot of talk lately about balloon fetish. There are a lot of guys who really dig seeing girls holding big balloons, playing with them, and popping them. Now, if you’re going to design a site for this, you want to check out some of the balloon clubs and maybe some private balloon sites to learn exactly what is it that appeals to the people who have this particular fetish. Is it the size of the balloon? How about the colors? Or the number of balloons used? If you know what makes them tick, you can add the proper text to your site to really drive them over the edge. Add some appropriate stories, promise frequent updates and you’re set. Of course you’ll want to make sure you have enough material to be able to provide frequent updates, so it’s a good idea to gather a nice sized collection beforehand.
Shooting your own content is an option, but it is usually so expensive to shoot exclusive photos for niche categories that it usually does not pay for itself in the end. Your best bet is to check out a content provider where you can get the content you need without spending too much. However, if your site becomes successful then you may want to get into producing some of your own material. A good way to curtail the cost of this would be to sell the photos through a content provider, such as Ounique, when you are done with them. This way you get the benefit of using the photos first and then getting a return on them later.
Now, this may not be how a general website is run, but if you’re looking to capture the audience of a specific niche then I would suggest putting in the extra effort. Explore your options, know your subject and get to know your audience. Everyone has their own ways of doing things… the secret is to find the ones that work for you.
