My Rant on Review Sites
 

Preface #1: As owner / operator of pay sites and a reseller program, I understand the following rant is gonna make me sound like I'm sour grapes, cause a review site didn't like my site(s). This is not the case. In fact, one of my sites is ranked #1 in its category at a big review site...and that particular review site is one of my best resellers.

Preface #2: Review sites are great for our business.

The Rant: Review sites -- GET YOUR SHIT STRAIGHT IN YOUR REVIEWS.

I can't tell you how many times I read / watch a review of one of my sites, only to get disappointed about factual errors. I'm not talking about the subjective things, like the quality of models or end-user ease; I'm talking facts.

Does the site have hirez pics.

Does the site include bonus sites.

Things like that.

Most recent, and I'll name them by name, is "Live Reviews". I'd like to offer up some constructive criticism, just cause I have a few minutes before a shoot, and I just finished watching their review of Manojob.

First off -- what a great idea. I'm serious. It's the kind of idea I wish I woulda thought up. I really like the News-Repoteresque girls that intro the sites.

Then I get to a deadpan review of my site, including factual mistakes. A dead pan review loaded with "ums" and "uhs" and dead air. It's like they're looking at the site for the very first time as they review it...literally. So -- you've got the surfer watching the review, which means, in all likelihood, they're ready to pull the trigger on a buy, and instead of sounding enthusiastic about a site (not just mine, too...pretty much all the reviews I listened to were the same in tone) instead I get treated to a snooze fest that's better for curing insomnia than selling me something I really don't need (not with all the free porn out there, right?)

I used to be a stockbroker, and if I got on the phone and sold stock like this, I'd be eating Top Ramen paid for by the State.

OK. I feel better now.

Again, I don't mean to be an asshole, and I really, really appreciate the attention...but come on! Let's sell some subscriptions by getting things RIGHT and being EXCITED about what we're selling!

My sig needs to be right here...

Some of the review sites I think dont even look at the content they look at the tour and write a review depending on if they are horny or not.

a) the site does amazing conversions because the way it is setup, because we dont sound like stockbrokers because we dont sound like QVC, the whole concept of the site was to sound very "here are the facts takes it or leave it" versus "buy now, wow amazing, just look at this, dont miss out" crap.

b) everything here was tested and retested, yeah still making changes and the site isnt even 5% done, but this will be the format for all adult and mainstream reviews, those who dont like it simply ask to be removed. For our hard product reviews and webcams, dating etc, its same shit, plain saying and "showing" it like it is.

Some stats from last week

WorldWideWives 1:4
KinkonDemand 1:20
HustlerCash 1:9
BucksMatrix 1:11

These programs can come and confirm these ratios for my site, and I can post 100+ more stats.

Right now the goal is to launch the affiliate program so others can profit off this mega project.

Like anything else, everyone has ideas, some good some bad, and again I do not care to impress webmasters with the way the reviews are done, I care about conversions and most here will see nice sales from us, its just a process to build up the traffic.

Very, very interested. Keep me updated :)

Not a bad rant. I can see your point. At MrPinks we are updaing a huge selection of our sites to kick off 2010 and keep all the facts fresh. Some things crack me up though. A lot of webmasters bitch that review sites aren't doing "their job" and aren't honest. I keep everything brutally honest yet when the review goes live for a site, a lot of webmasters do not want to post a link back to the review.

Hey Billy, you're a douchbag, Jules Jor......er.......Live Reviews is a legend, let it go man! :winkwink:

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

Like I said -- a great idea, and one I wouldn't mind claiming ownership. And while I'm not expecting a hyped-up pitch, you really need to cut out the "ums" and "ahs". There's nothing wrong with being "here are the facts takes it or leave it" sounding...but some of these reviews sound like the dude just got up out of bed.

And make sure the facts are straight, too.

No one's doubting your conversion ratio at all. I'm sure it'll kick ass, and I'm glad you took the time to review my site. I just wish all the facts would have been correct.

:thumbsup:thumbsup

I just found a livereview of one of my sites, I had no idea... Kind of cool.

Live review is hot hot hot.

A thing that I find problematic with review sites is that they tend to sort of check for things like whether all the content is downloadable, but they don't particularly look at the content. This is especially problematic on sites where they will rate the content or content resolution. (Live Reviews does not have this sort of number system, so this does not apply there. Live Reviews has a really nice format.) A lot of review sites only look at video and not photos. And a lot of review sites assume that whatever it says in the tour is true and will accordingly not mention something unless a site toots its own horn or will repeat something because it is in the tour without that something being, ya know, true. For example, there are a couple sites in my niche where their tours claim exclusivity or regular updates, when their content is hideously overexposed nonexclusive or they have never updated, not even one update ever.

Some programs have really dishonest tours where they make claims which are wholly false. Some programs have tours which do not do their quality content justice. And everywhere in between. The whole point of the review site is to tear the tour off and tell surfers what they really get on the inside. I had never watched the Live Reviews videos before and, having just done so, :thumbsup to the fact that it gives the surfer an idea of what to expect.

So many review sites will ask me for SpookyCash site passes and then write reviews where it is obvious they barely looked at the inside and their review gives the surfer pretty flawed data. Most of the review sites have niche rankings where a site which has almost never updated can rank higher than one which has hundreds of updates.

Wild guess. You haven't read any of our reviews? We compare everything on the tour to the member's area. Our reviews are a bit harsh but they are honest.

BTW, I would love to review Blue Blood. Email me

i'll vouch for that :winkwink:

just read my review lawd ham mercy i got some improvements to make

Ive written reviews for dozens of review sites and I own a few that have very loyal followings. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1) Not All Review Sites Are The Same
Saying 'review sites are bad' or 'review sites are good' or 'review sites are anything else' is just silly. Some suck, some are great, some are honest, some are not. It would be no different than saying 'Reality Pornsites Suck" - there are dozens of them and none of them are the same.

2) If you feel a review is unfair or inaccurate
Contact the review site and mention the review needs to be corrected. Some garbage sites are little more than glorified blogs claiming to be review sites... they won't pay any attention to you (and they aren't real review sites). On the other hand, the 50+ review sites listed in the WebmasterScore Review Site Submitter are easy to get in contact with and are known for being responsive.

That doesn't mean a review site will agree with you every time you bring up a point, and obviously to some degree reviews will always be subjective. The fact is that the review site audience trusts the review site the same way a movie audience trusts a film critic. If you have a factual disagreement (wrong scene count, incorrect media formats etc) that's very easy to fix for any review site owner and they have a vested interest in being as accurate as possible, so most will be thankful if you bring an error to their attention. If you dislike a 'score' or feel your site is 'hotter' than they said it is, make your argument and see if it sticks.. if it doesn't, it may be a subjective difference of opinion and frankly there is nothing wrong with that.

3) Being a Dick doesn't help
If you see a review site has an error in one of its reviews of your sites, be polite... be professional. Let them know the error exists and give them an opportunity to correct the error. When I do reviews of sites for my own review site I show them to the paysite owner before I publish them and ask if anything looks inaccurate. I am polite and professional. When I encounter someone who thinks a review site 'works for them' or should be 'dishonest for them' or someone who just wants to start an argument... I usually just take down their review, put them on ignore, skip reviewing their sites in the future and move on.

There is always ways for a review site to improve - and always ways for a paysite to improve. Usually, a review is an opportunity to get honest feedback from someone who has seen and reviewed 100s if not 1000s of other paysites. Take the feedback and USE it. Usually, if a reviewer tells you your interface is weak, asking what they mean will reveal simple things you can do to improve your site. If a reviewer points out something on your tour is not completely honest, it's worth at least considering what they are saying because your customers will notice it as well.

Review sites don't 'work for' paysites.... but there are a lot of opportunities to work together if people simply act like professionals. I've reviewed your sites, and frankly they are very good. I also know for a fact that I gave you guys some feedback when Manojob first launched that got utilized to improve the site as part of the review process. Why more review sites and more paysites can't simply do that instead of bitching about each other AND generalizing as if all paysites or all reviews sites are the same thing.... I don't know. :2 cents:

Jim, do not get upset too much and yes I do agree with you.
Love you !

I was gentle on your site!:thumbsup Just increase your content amount and you'll be fine. I dig your site and the concept. It's original and that's rare in this industry.

If you want pornbeer.com to review your ish, let me know

I've done that...and won the battle. But I lost the "war" -- cause even after they corrected their mistakes, they refused to raise the score of my site. Even though by correcting their mistakes meant adding points to the site (based on their own criteria), they refused to do so.

:disgust

People say, "my site has a good review."

But in reality, the site can be total crap and the webmaster can pay $100 to someone to write a review saying the site is good.

The first thing to say about review sites is how they seem to miss the wood for the trees and don't say how hot or not the girls are. In fact its like that doesn't exist.

Most sites have the same big sites on their front pages with smaller sites buried deep somewhere, which of course means that 99% of the traffic goes to those sites,

So VideoBox, Twistys Met Art Reality Kings are the best websites,,,, well, as their material is plastered all over the internet one wonders what service the review sites think they do.

One would think that the two important points would be how hot the talent and value for money, but no, 10 points for navigation, 10 points for down loaded / updates etc.... which somehow always manage to get the same sites on the front page..

For the money and power a site like Met Art has their material is routine and boring, it is the same photographic set up repeated with different girls.


In movie reviews the small independant film can get a better review that the Hollywood blockbuster,,,,but not in the porn biz.

In an industry so lacking in imagination or creativity, so conservative in its ideas, so bad in its production, a review site could serve an amazing role....

sadly they just take the 50% and help the big players dominate the industry,

i love it when you give people great advice and instead of taking it for what its worth they feel the need to try and prove how big their penis is.