Lesson #04 Tools of the Trade
Written By Titmowse

Open your note pads. Here is a quick list of some of the basic software and services you'll need to get you started making an Adult website.

Graphic Editing Software

You are dealing with a visual medium. A program that views, resizes and converts images into web-friendly formats will be a staple in your stock of software. Some good programs are Adobe Photoshop, PaintShop Pro and ThumbsPlus. Like most of the software suggested in this lesson, you can find links to downloadable versions inside Cozy Frog's Design Tool Box.

HTML Editing Software

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is the code or language that websites are written in. HTML is easy to learn and there are many tutorials at resource sites that teach you the language. An HTML editor is a program that already knows the code. Many HTML editors are WYSIWYG. WYSIWYG means "What you see is what you get" and is the type of computer program the lets you drag and drop images and text into a window where you can see exactly how your page will look as you build it. Some HTML editors are Microsoft Frontpage, Dreamweaver and CoffeeCup Free HTML. You can learn more about HTML editors in our HTML Language classroom.

Web Hosting

Naturally, to have an Adult site, you will need a place to host it. Do not make the mistake of using the personal webpage account (furnished by your Internet Service Provider) to host your pornographic page. As a rule they do not allow such content to be served from their domains. The same rule applies to non-adult free hosts like Geocities, Tripod and AngelFire. If you cannot afford to pay for a domain name or the cost of webhosting, it's best to begin with the many Adult free hosts available to you. In fact, starting out with a page on a free host is the superlative way to test the cyber porn waters without a financial investment. If you wish to spend money for webhosting, there are many that are affordable and reliable. Browse the Hosting category in our Library for a complete list of paid and free adult web hosts.

Content

If you have a digital camera and legal age models, you can make your own content for your site. You can also buy images, videos and erotic stories from brokers that specialize in Adult content. If you have little money, many larger paysites will provide you with free content in trade for promoting their services on your site. These larger sites are called sponsors. Some resource sites give free content to their members. Remember to always read the Terms of Service when using free content.

Traffic Counters

A traffic counter is code that is embedded on your page and usually hyper-linked to a small image banner. Adult counters are extensive and informative ways to determine how many surfers are visiting your page. They can tell you where your surfer came from, what time of day they entered your site and even what search terms they used to find you. Most hosting companies these days will include detailed statistics and traffic tracking with your hosting account.

Sponsors

While you may be able to generate a good income from charging your surfers to enter your site, you might want to begin making money by selling someone else's content. Sponsors are larger Adult Internet businesses that usually have a network of paysites. You display their banners or text links on your website with a specially attached code. For every one of your surfers that buys a membership from your code, your sponsor pays you a commission. Many types of sponsorships are available to you in various formats.

As you can tell from reading this lesson, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Selling sex on the Internet is not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. If you have the willingness to learn this business and the discipline to apply your knowledge, you will find porn is career that frees you from nine-to-five drudgery and enables you to be your own boss. Cozy Academy will be with you every step of the way and we look forward to seeing you reach your highest potential!