By Peter Berton

CYBERSPACE – Today’s sex consumers are a tech-savvy lot, accustomed to making decisions based on the quality of a provider’s online presence. Smart sex workers know this, which is why many are turning to professional web designers to format, host and promote themselves in the best possible light.

Escort Web Design is one company among a handful that specializes in creating and maintaining websites for working girls. According to the owner, Joe, the sector is growing. YNOT.com spoke with him to get his insight and advice.

YNOT.com: How did you get into this business?

Joe: I began my career in the print industry in the 1990s, as a graphic designer for a 128-page local adult entertainment magazine called Nightmoves. It was my job to take digital files that other designers created and prepare them for printing. It was not particularly exciting work, but it was excellent opportunity for me to sharpen my skills and learn about good design.

As a result [of working for Nightmoves], many of my first website clients were escorts and escort agencies. I am pleased to say several of them are still with me today.

What is the marketing logic to designing an escort site that will attract the right kind of paying clients?

The answer is simple: If you’re representing yourself as a high-class escort, your website has to reflect this. I like to build my websites around the photos my clients provide. I often pull colors and graphic elements from the photos and use them in the design.

A properly designed website should showcase the client, not the other way around.

Is “what you see what you get?” In other words, do your clients use real images of themselves on their websites?

All of the independent escorts I work with use their own photos on their sites. Many of them choose to blur or crop their photos for privacy reasons. While some people say this is not a good idea, I believe it adds a bit of mystery. More often than not, these are truly stunning ladies who simply want to protect their identity.

Is there a balance between revealing enough to entice a client and holding some back to motivate them to pay?

Any website should provide just enough information to entice the client to call. Anything more is wasted space.

How can an escort measure the performance of his or her site?

I install Google Analytics on most websites I design. This provides my clients with valuable information about who is visiting their website, where they are coming from and what pages they are looking at. The information in the reports can be overwhelming, so I help my clients make sense of the data.

One of the most important things to look at is referrer information. This allows you to focus your advertising on the websites that bring the most traffic.

What about safety? The ladies don’t know their clients any better than the clients know them.

Every escort should have, and use, a good client screening form. This is the only way to truly ensure their safety. Many of my clients don’t even give out their phone number until their client has been fully screened.

What things should an escort consider when hiring a web designer?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Are you comfortable working with the designer?
• Is it easy to communicate with him or her?
• Does he take phone calls?
• Does she respond in a timely manner?
• Does he speak English? (That seems obvious, but you’d be surprised.)
• Can I update the website myself?
• Can I reach the designer if I have questions?

Be sure to look at the designer’s portfolio and read their reviews.

Take your time, and do it right the first time. Building your website should be a fun and rewarding experience.