Multiple Site Access: Good or Bad

[dzinerbear]

Several people suggested that Butch Dixon would sell better if it didn't offer bonus access to UKNM. Squirt said it cheapens your content and Hammerhead said he already promotes UKNM and since members get access to Butch Dixon why bother promoting it too?

A couple of good points, but why else do you think bonus site access is a bad idea? Or do you?

Pride Bucks does it, so does Randy Blue, Buddy Profits, Gunz Blazing. Why is it good for them and not Butch Dixon?

Thanks
Michael

[drakerock]

Ironically, I was all set to stop doing bonus sites. My CCBill rep and BassChick talked me out of it by pointing out that many of the multi-million dollar companies do it because it *does* add value and helps with retention.

Everyone is going to have an opinion on whether bonus sites add value to a program or de-value it.

At the end of the day the question comes down to "What works best for sales on *my* site?"

[milivanili]

Do Butch Dixon members get access to UKNM too?

I am asking this because I haven't been inside BD members area...

[Badpuppy Lisa]

I can only tell you from our first hand experience that we've done very well with the multi-pass option. I don't believe you will find that it takes away from your other site, as long as they each offer something completely different. One might gain the member sign up where the other one won't and access to more content is not a bad thing in this day and age!

[dzinerbear]

Do Butch Dixon members get access to UKNM too? I am asking this because I haven't been inside BD members area...

Yes, of course. It works both ways.

Michael

[tigermom]

To me it would be a selling point, if the sites are different enough to be complementary. I sell multi-passes to sites that are never the same. A good example I have in straight is two sites, one BBW and one mature that sell together. While there is some overlap in the audience (the non-teen crowd), they're very different so the surfer does get a bonus of something different.

[abostonboy]

I wouldn't take away bonus access in this economy. I would give surfers all you can to both retain and join.

[xstr8guy]

One of the things that I saw mentioned in the previous thread was that UKNM and Butch Dixon were too similar so they were competing for the same surfer. So it was a poor idea to offer bonus access.

At the outset, Butch and UKNM had very similar content. We still do share models between the sites but Butch is starting to develop it's own style. If we use a 'typical' UKNM model on Butch, we will likely pair him with a beefier daddy type. And now UKNM features fewer mature men. SO the difference is becoming greater every day.

An important reason that we initially offered cross-access was to improve member retention on UKNM. We had begun featuring beefier, more mature men and it was slightly dividing our members. Many loved the older guys and others wanted only muscular, younger men. If we had focused on only one type, we would have lost the support of a lot of our members.

More importantly, when we launched Butch Dixon, it was very thin on content. Since UKNM has a significant amount of content that beef-lovers would like, I thought (and still think) it is a good idea to give members cross-access.

[basschick]

you can't have bonus sites that are "too similar". the same niche is often (probably ususually) a big plus. the only thing one has to figure out through stats is whether you can make more sales and retention by offering bonus site access or whether you lose more money on initial sales - and you would need to advertise the bonus site at least on the join pages prominently to get an accurate idea. after all, if you lose 10% initial sales based on the bonus site access but gained 16% retention, you'd still be ahead.

[abostonboy]

More importantly, when we launched Butch Dixon, it was very thin on content. Since UKNM has a significant amount of content that beef-lovers would like, I thought (and still think) it is a good idea to give members cross-access.

I agree that it is a good idea. I don't see how it hurts either retention or conversion of either site by giving them bonus access. If you pull it, all hell will break loose.

The content complements one another and that is a good thing for retention to both sites...

[Mickey]

I agree that it is a good idea. I don't see how it hurts either retention or conversion of either site by giving them bonus access. If you pull it, all hell will break loose.

The content complements one another and that is a good thing for retention to both sites...
well if they grandfather the ones already having a membership , it shouldnt really amount to any kind of bitching from the members..