MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

Webmaster Discussion
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#1

It’s been interesting over the years to read discussions about using Wordpress as an adult paysite CMS. It wasn’t that long ago that most people said to stay away from it and stick with established porn CMS’s like aWiz and ElevatedX. Then as webmasters started to actually build successful WP adult paysites the chorus of naysayers seemed to diminish and people were saying it was fine to use WP as a CMS to start a site but once it took off and became popular you should move up to one of the established (i.e.: expensive) CMS products. Now this week I was reading on another forum about a Wordpress product called Magic Members and someone predicted that this product and others like it will make WP the leading choice for a paysite CMS in the near future.

I wanted to ask if anyone on this forum has experience with MagicMembers, or running a membership site on WP in general, and if so, what do you think?

I look at a hugely popular site like Sean Cody that has a very simple design which could easily be duplicated in Wordpress and have to wonder why other sites go for the expensive CMS solutions.

MagicMembers overview:

[video=vimeo;8811914]http://vimeo.com/8811914[/video]

#2

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

One site just opened a month or so ago and they used Wordpress. Now maybe someone can make it work better, but I hated it. Round and round I went, clicking, clicking, clicking in circles. I had hated it, couldn’t find what I wanted. It was not a great experience.

If that’s how Wordpresses does a paysite, I’d stay away.

Plus with all the security updates that arrive every two weeks, I wouldn’t think it’d be a very secure paysite CMS.

#3

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

[QUOTE=msm;111486]

[video=vimeo;8811914]http://vimeo.com/8811914[/video][/QUOTE]

I have to say that video was simply annoying. A bunch of flying text set to music while showing us nothing of the actual interface or possible end user experience.

#4

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

Blah.

Wordpress can do an okay job at displaying the content, but that is about it. The backend is very important as well and how it integrates with the front end.

WP is not a CMS that is capable of running a high volume membership site.

Lets look at a typical setup.

  1. Tour servers.
  2. Encoding server.
  3. Multiple content servers.

Can someone, anyone, tell me how you would ever be able to the following in using WP.

  1. Upload a video and photo gallery.
  2. Have WP encode the video in various formats.
  3. Have WP take screencaps of the video.
  4. Display the photos/text from the scene on the tour servers (transparent tour) as well as in the members area.

I can keep on going…

#5

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

p.s. I actually gave this a lot of thought a few months ago when a few mentioned how great WP would be for a members area. The two issues that I see as being extremely difficult:

  1. Video encoding
  2. Sending content out to both tour servers and members area at the same time. I just can’t seem to figure out how you can do it with uploading just one instance of the content.

A paysite owner doesn’t want to spend more than 10 minutes uploading content. You upload it, press a button and let the CMS do all the rest. (Encoding, placing on tour, placing in members area etc.)

#6

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

What Lloyd said (because I like his eyebrows j/k).

#7

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

msm … I don’t know whether you’re serious about starting a paysite or not, but you seem to be wanting to do things on the very cheap or free. I refer to your Zombaio post and not wanting to pay the VISA fee to CCBill, now this post with using Wordpress for a member’s area.

I get that starting a site is expensive, and we’d all want to keep expenses down. But (a) if you go with a second-rate processor you won’t get any affiliates, and (b) if you use a CMS that isn’t easy to navigate or is full of security holes you’re doomed before you start – you won’t get affiliates and you’ll piss off your brand new members.

Don’t cheap out on two of the most important things.

#8

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

I have to say that video was simply annoying. A bunch of flying text set to music while showing us nothing of the actual interface or possible end user experience

Actually they have a bunch of other videos on their site that go into much more detail.

Can someone, anyone, tell me how you would ever be able to the following in using WP.

  1. Upload a video and photo gallery.
  2. Have WP encode the video in various formats.
  3. Have WP take screencaps of the video.
  4. Display the photos/text from the scene on the tour servers (transparent tour) as well as in the members area.

Another Wordpress product called AdultSiteCMS (http://www.adultsitecms.com/home) seems to do most of these things but they get low marks for customer service on other boards.

…you seem to be wanting to do things on the very cheap or free

Well duh, Michael, of course I’m trying to save money with a paysite idea I’m thinking about launching so I’m not sure what your point is. If you’re suggesting I buy the most expensive CMS, bill processing, hosting, etc. available and this will guarantee success, well, I’d like to get some of whatever it is you’re smoking. There are plenty of examples of webmasters who started off small with Wordpress as a CMS or even Zombaio for processing (some are even members of this forum) and ended up doing fine. I mean, unless you’re in the 1% and have disposable income to throw into something crazy (like donating to the Santorum or Gingrich campaigns), I would think any entrepreneur would want to keep a close eye on costs.

Don’t cheap out on two of the most important things.

In my opinion the most important thing for a new adult site is CONTENT and I have no intention of cheaping out on that. In fact, that’s where I’m focusing most of my financial resources which is why every other business aspect is open for discussion. If I can safely save money in some start-up costs and pour those funds into better content, that is my preference. Perhaps others will disagree and I’d welcome their opinions.

I’ve been a member of this forum long enough to know that everybody in this biz has their own opinions and there are some strong personalites among us. In another thread people express disdain for Strongbox but I know of some very popular porn sites that have been using it for years. The same with Wordpress and Zombaio. So all someone like me can do is throw a question out there to get a sense of what people think and then balance that with the actual results of successful webmasters, other research I’ve done and my own personal experiences. If I or anyone here does not take the advice offered please don’t take it personally because all comments are very much appreciated!

In the case of this thread, comments from people who have actually used Magic Members or Wordpress as a CMS would hold more weight than comments from people who just “think” that these options are bad. To me that would be like reviewing a movie without seeing it!
:smiley:

#9

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

No matter how good the content is, if it can’t be delivered in that high degree of excellence, who is going to pay for it? Yes, you need good content, but you also have to insure it is delivered seamlessly to your members, or else you simply won’t get any members.

That is the part of business that many forget. It isn’t just the product, but how well you can deliver it, support it, and provide it, that matters almost as much. If the tour is rotten, how are people going to know it is a good product? If once inside they have nothing but issues in viewing or getting the product, how are they going to stay as members?

Yes, we all want to save money on our costs, but Wordpress was built as a blogging platform, not a paysite CMS. Yes plugins can help adapt it, but even then, there is an inherent risk for security and for every plugin, there is also a cost in page load time, and operating time, that being in adding the content itself. One of the reasons that Wordpress itself is trying to integrate common plugins into the core, because they know the security risk, and the cost in page load times.

I love my wordpress blogs, because I am using Wordpress for what it was designed for… blogging

#10

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

My point is that when it comes to some things, it’s not a good idea to go cheap. For instance, you could probably find a guy smoking crack in an alley who would let you film him jerking off for $25. And there might be a niche for that, most people aren’t going to want to see skinny, starving guys jerking their cocks.

I have run a paysite before, so I have a bit of experience and there are a few things you don’t want to cheap out on – content, processing, and security. I’m not suggesting you get the most expensive of anything out there.

The only Wordpress Zombaio site I know of his Mormom Boyz and it’s gone.

There are plenty of times I wished that I had spent a bit more money on some things than I did. In some cases, I ended up spending twice as much because I didn’t want to spend the initial $X on whatever.

And whether I’ve used this plugin or not, having to update Wordpress at least once a month to address some security concern tells me it’s probably not a good choice for a membership site CMS.

#11

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

Can you show me where on their site that the CMS can do the following -

Use different servers for the tour. Example: Tours are on xyz.com and members areas are on members.xyz.com, both different servers.
Encode the videos automatically via an encoding server.

#12

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

What that GayStoryman said (only because he lives in BC ~ well dunno if that rock he’s on counts. j/k)

#13

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

Is this guy in the alley uncut? Cuz that’s a really good rate!
:wink:

[QUOTE=dzinerbear;111561]My point is that when it comes to some things, it’s not a good idea to go cheap. For instance, you could probably find a guy smoking crack in an alley who would let you film him jerking off for $25. And there might be a niche for that, most people aren’t going to want to see skinny, starving guys jerking their cocks.
[/QUOTE]

#14

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

For instance, you could probably find a guy smoking crack in an alley who would let you film him jerking off for $25

Damn, I thought we told told Gumdrop to get off the crack and stop jerking it in the alley!

#15

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

For instance, you could probably find a guy smoking crack in an alley who would let you film him jerking off for $25

Damn, I thought we told told Gumdrop to stop smoking crack in the alley!

#16

Re: MagicMembers for a WordPress paysite

[QUOTE=dannyz;111611]Damn, I thought we told told Gumdrop to stop smoking crack in the alley!
[/QUOTE]