What if you could ask a internet porn star who is doing revenues of over 1 million dollars a year (in subscription revenue alone) questions? Would you be judgmental and not be able to get past the Adult stuff or would you ask questions? I really have no interest in the Adult arena but I think there is a ton to learn here. For instance she is not only competing in the most compeditive market on the internet but is very successful (and I thought ringtones was tough). Also she faces the same issues as most of us webmasters. How do you aquire subscriptions? How do you get new customers? the list goes on and on….
So I am going to do it. I am going to sit down (on video) with Melissa Harrington Next week (she is doing the Howard Stern show then shooting for a magazine this week) and I should have the interview up by the week after (if not before).
Please post what questions you would want me to ask her. (and keep it civil)
If you want to learn more about melissa the smoking gun TV did a episode on her on youtube
- Comment Likes 
- Comment Dislikes
March 11, 2008 at 9:56 am
Don’t ask how I found this old post, but it has to be one of the best!
Just come back from my bachelor party weekend in Frankfurt, saw a few nice ladies there – can definately recommend it!
July 29, 2007 at 7:46 am
What happened with this shoe?
June 20, 2007 at 3:14 pm
where is the link to the interview?
May 5, 2007 at 6:36 pm
exactly, we are waiting for interview!
April 19, 2007 at 2:52 pm
so is this dead? i though we were going to see an interview.
April 10, 2007 at 11:43 pm
I currently have some money invested in the porn industry; sites etc. I did a lot of research because many people say it’s easy money. Well it is and it isn’t. There are many thing you need to know and you have to work hard to make money easy. While researching it, I noticed she owned her own site and affiliate program. She is cutting out the middle man which most affiliate programs do for companies such as bangbros (I know you all know who these guys are ahha). But I was calculating money and realized she was making in the millions for revenue. She keeps around 35-50 percent more money but cutting out this middle many.
April 6, 2007 at 8:52 pm
If you guys haven’t seen her DVD when she came to Boston, go out and get it NOW. She way hot.
“Trust me I know from experience. If you know what I mean.”
April 3, 2007 at 5:10 am
lucky man.
April 1, 2007 at 9:45 am
why not? she is successful, make a lot of money, so I think everyone stands to gain a few tips from her.
April 1, 2007 at 9:44 am
Think about it, successful porn stars, like anyone who is successful in another area, has to have some good business sense. I think she might be able to give a few good tips on marketing. Oh and, of course, Shoe is doing a great marketing stunt with this interview. what can I say? sex sells.
March 29, 2007 at 4:06 pm
LOL.. stop grabbing her boobs man..
March 29, 2007 at 6:21 am
shoe knows his pr
March 28, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Wow I dont see why you would interview her though?
March 27, 2007 at 3:37 pm
You are very lucky shoemoney, I would try to get her nekkid like Smoking Guns
March 27, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I am with you. This is of no value to real businessmen.
March 27, 2007 at 12:12 pm
LOL @ “I suspect.”
Dude, it’s called parenting. Not all kids have free access to the net w/o supervision. If you think all little boys are “spanking” to porn you are the naive one.
I “suspect” you don’t have any kids and if you did I “suspect” you’d give them porn access since they are going to do it anyway, right?
March 26, 2007 at 4:04 pm
I did invite her to the one Wednesday I am speaking at
March 26, 2007 at 12:14 am
She can hire me i am photographer aswell
lolx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soul-healer
March 25, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I really want to see her in a tight fitting Shoemoney T shirt .. great publicity IMO and really hot too lol
March 25, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Hey Shoe, so she’s a local girl? Will you interview her in person at the local Hooters or by email?
March 25, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Im not sure why so many people keep saying the interview has no value, she earns more then most if not everyone commenting .. sure she’s hot but so are a million other woman who aren’t earning that kind of coin
March 25, 2007 at 11:07 am
What happens when she’s out in public and someone recognizes her? (though I suppose at her level she doesn’t care anymore and it doesn’t sound like she perceives it as bad)
March 25, 2007 at 11:06 am
“no no honey, it’s a business expense!”
March 25, 2007 at 11:06 am
I think the scale of the business is pretty remarkable…
March 24, 2007 at 10:13 pm
*LOL* Her “readers” might not be to happy aobut that.
March 24, 2007 at 9:25 pm
What was your life like growing up? Did you have good parents? A happy childhood? That’s what I’d like to know.
March 24, 2007 at 4:13 pm
hahaha
cant wait for the interview man
March 24, 2007 at 1:23 pm
I thought u loved me. Whats up with this!
March 24, 2007 at 12:11 pm
I promoted her site for a bit when I still did adult. I’d like to see her talk about the challenges of bouncing back from the closing of her first paysite. It must have been a huge setback. (From what I understand she had troubles with the people running her site).
Also, I wonder what the average conversion for her site is now. (I think the mainstream guys will be suprised by how crappy some adult traffic is – like, 1:2,000 types of bad in some cases.) Most adult sites don’t talk about this, or their affiliates lie about their numbers to get other affiliates to sign up under them.
Also, she’s done great “link-baiting”. Her first hook was getting arrested for public nudity… got her tons of attention.
Anyway, congrats on the interview.
March 24, 2007 at 9:46 am
give her your WTF shirt! it’s better for her!:D
March 24, 2007 at 9:41 am
I don’t think she does “porn” in the strict sense .. just solo or girl girl stuff though I could be wrong. Not an expert on Melissa Harrington.
March 24, 2007 at 9:39 am
I don’t think many people know how the adult industry works from the inside out so I guess the interview will have some value ..
March 24, 2007 at 7:53 am
Well, either she continue to make money with it or not, she is f#$# up.
Sry bad joke. (difficult to translate too)
March 24, 2007 at 7:01 am
Agreed – chill out people. As with any interview the trick is getting the subject to open up so it should be interesting with a person who doesn’t hide much in their professional life.
March 24, 2007 at 2:51 am
Ask how much (traffic and $$$) her website was generating before and after she made national news for being ticketed for nude in public (the first time). Would be interesting to know how getting in trouble can lead to great publicity.
March 24, 2007 at 2:42 am
Obviously, it’s never as easy as “oh it’s only because she is pretty and has boobs”. There are over 3.5 billion pairs of boobs in the world so there is a lot of competition.
I’d be interested in finding out how involved she is in her own business. If she is very involved then how did she separate her site from the gajillions of other adult sites. Did she go mainstream right in the beginning or did she pick a niche early on? Was there a lot of planning involved or did it just magically/accidentally happen? What does she think was the main reason of her success?
yay
March 24, 2007 at 2:02 am
If that isn’t the truth, any chick could bring in a couple $$ from running their own site.
March 24, 2007 at 2:01 am
Jeremy, trying to get into the biz? lol
March 24, 2007 at 1:51 am
Ya, I would want to know how involved she is as well, did she start it herself, is she always creating new sites, etc.
The porn industry is a good one to watch as they are on the cutting edge on lots of this stuff.
March 24, 2007 at 1:23 am
lol that may be one way to make money, but there’s plenty of other opportunities in the bucket!
March 23, 2007 at 9:16 pm
The days are no more where you could slap up a porn site, grow a network, and sit back and reap M. Back in 99 ppl could earn upwards of a million a MONTH.. now its rediculously competitive. The model has changed dramatically too. Subscription wasn’t the only way to monetize either.
My question is, how, and through whom does she evaluate and track growing competition, and what are the tactics she employs to ensure her brand persists. Lets be real, theres so much twat out there nowadays, there has to be a unique selling point beyond the obvious.
Oh yeah.. and of course.. are they real, and did she ever have balls ??
March 23, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Yes… will you invite her to join the meetup? haha
March 23, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Try asking her how she manages with password sharing sites and warez forums, etc. providing logins to her site for free?
March 23, 2007 at 7:05 pm
it bounces through a warning nsfw page
March 23, 2007 at 7:04 pm
haha awesome
March 23, 2007 at 7:04 pm
is there a question there or…
March 23, 2007 at 6:36 pm
I’m always amazed by how much credit people are willing to give to successful people. She is a hot, mid-western, girl next door type who marketed herself relentlessly. Yes, the web is saturated w/ porn sites and could be perceived as a cut throat market. But porn never gets old. We all want to be loved, that is why she wins. She plays the personal, dedicated, IM me any time and watch my webcam card. She is not a web master, a marketing guru or a cunning business woman. But, given the opportunity I would love to hear what she has to say. Maybe she can change my jaded perspective of the Paris Hilton type. Don’t get me wrong, I love Paris and Melissa for what they do, it’s just not as deep as you want to make it.
March 23, 2007 at 6:21 pm
That phallic symbol is our state capital
March 23, 2007 at 3:17 pm
The Smoking Gun video was cute. I especially enjoyed the skyscraper in the background as a huge phallic symbol toward the end. I have no particular problem with the existence of an adult industry, although I feel bad for the tons of girls that get chewed up and spit out by it. It could well be an interesting interview.
March 23, 2007 at 2:59 pm
WOW!! you are a lucky man…ask her what thing she likes the most about her job?
March 23, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I wonder what your wife thinks about your job lol?
March 23, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Ask her what is her favorite link baiting technique!
March 23, 2007 at 1:09 pm
um, pretty obvious. Besides your name (as a keyword) what else do you rank for on the SE’s? Do you even attempt to optimize for other keywords? Is SEO part of your online marketing strategies?
March 23, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Maybe ask her how much time she spends every day on her business and how long it took for her to get to the current earning level ..
Also … if there were any major events that led to a spike in traffic/subscriptions/business..
I’ve actually never heard of Melissa before.. so this will be interesting … the interview is gonna rock.
March 23, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Rock on dadio.. Cant wait to see the follow up blog, Ive ventured into subscriptions successfully because of your advice! 1 million $ ! Thats hot.
March 23, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I think the buggest thing as with any business is… How long did it take for them to determine a price point.
March 23, 2007 at 12:06 pm
If she asked me, she could get my girlfriend!
March 23, 2007 at 11:06 am
IS she really a webmaster? I thought all these chicks were just hired guns and some male photographers own/run their sites.
March 23, 2007 at 10:08 am
Yes, that intrigues me as well especially in an industry where women are almost always simply the content and don’t reap the full benefits of their work.
March 23, 2007 at 9:31 am
that’s completely true!
trust me on that one
March 23, 2007 at 9:09 am
Ask her when her previous webmaster is going to pay his affiliates. Last I heard, there was over 100k in unpaid affiliate sales.
March 23, 2007 at 8:18 am
I’d ask her how much of a hand she really has in the marketing / development department. Obviously she gets naked, and that’s a big part of it, but for the business side, how much of a part does she have in it? If it’s more than get naked, then ask to her expand on what she does.
March 23, 2007 at 7:23 am
Agreed. The topic is online success, not porno, so I don’t see the issue. If it offends readers, they should skip the article and go to the next one.
March 23, 2007 at 7:22 am
This is a great idea! Next time my wife sees anything suspicious, I’ll just say I was conducting an interview! Sweet.
March 23, 2007 at 7:21 am
Wait, what? You have no interest in the Adult arena?! Mr. Shoe, you’re a man of flesh and blood. Don’t try to kid the shoemoney audience!
March 23, 2007 at 7:04 am
Amen Jeremy, everything boils down to business!
Btw, congrats on the interview opportunity, I am jealous beyond all belief considering I am just 20 years old and to interview a porn star would be AWESOME. I’d be god within my group of college buddies, hahah.
March 23, 2007 at 6:51 am
Shoe,
Kudos for this – I don’t see the problem with the adult industry myself, if you don’t like it – don’t read the interveiw! And all this nonsense about Shoes wife is crazy – he’s only talking to her, he’s not starring in a movie! Get a life guys.
Anyway, If possible I would love to know:
1. How much of her traffic comes from affiliates compared to Search engines?
2. Does she do any PPC for the site?
3. What kind conversion rates is she getting? I’m betting she hits 60% plus!
4. Does she have any staff – ie: Web developers, camera men etc… or does she do it herself/get freinds to help out???
5. How do I get a free sub……? Just kidding!
From taking a look at her site, I think her success could be down to ‘fan appreciation’. The fact that she’s doing rude stuff surrounded by her fan mail and sending out personal emails has got to be good for subscriptions.
Loads of adult sites pay lifetime commissions to affiliates. I’m sure you’ll agree that these are some of the best programs to promote Shoe. In my opinion, this is probably the easiest place to start in affiliate marketing – conversions are so high!
Really looking forward to the interview. Thanks.
March 23, 2007 at 5:36 am
>
That should answer your question ^^.
March 23, 2007 at 4:17 am
i’m sure your wife will be proud of you …
March 23, 2007 at 3:41 am
Ask technorati a shirt for her as well.
That would be a true gentleman.
March 23, 2007 at 3:40 am
I guess it would be interesting to get up close to her for an interview. Who knows, but you may learn the secret to being ‘hot’ as well! (the site, I mean)
March 23, 2007 at 2:49 am
I don’t think people who visit those sites loose interest
March 23, 2007 at 2:26 am
It seems to me her genius marketing technique is being hot and naked. Ask her how she managed that. Should be an enlightening interview!
March 23, 2007 at 2:24 am
Q: Do you think Internet publishers are geeks or intriguing love animals!
March 23, 2007 at 2:01 am
ask her how she felt while shooting a pron scene? do she have any emotions or just she see punch of dollars.
March 23, 2007 at 1:39 am
yes, I’ll have trouble getting past the judgemental stage -and it’s not a judgement on you-know-what!
When you are selling to certain segemnts of the market where the emotional “need” (lack of a better word!) seriously outrun objective decission making, the rules of the game become very fdifferent from PPC/Affiliate/SEO and all the rest of the good stuff..
It’s like (… at a much lower thermostat reading, though) selling stuff to the “greed” market…e.g “making a ton of money online by selling your last pair of underware on ebay”
of course there will be basic marketing principle (yeah – a singular term, there really is just one principle….) but the rules will be different….
I doubt there are too many people out ther whoo just gotta download a new ringtone before going to bed, but…..
what do i know…i’m drunk on cheap wine!
March 23, 2007 at 1:22 am
Looks like I got to interview her before Shoemoney. Either way she’s very down to earth, polite and hands on… HEY what are bachelor parties for!
March 23, 2007 at 1:03 am
I have a 12 year old and I don’t feel any different about porn than I did before she was born. It’s not like I let her watch it. I think interviewing someone that is successful online, no matter what the industry, is within Shoe’s line of work.
March 23, 2007 at 1:01 am
Shoe interviewing a porn star. Different. I would ask her what makes her site unique and so popular, seeing that there are so many options when it comes to online porn. How does she advertise? Adwords? Does she advertise?
March 23, 2007 at 12:44 am
Isn’t she from Nebraska?
March 23, 2007 at 12:44 am
BTW Shoe, how big are your balls now that you linked to a known porn site? (although it being through nsfw)
March 23, 2007 at 12:40 am
Seems she is going to be really busy the next couple weeks. Not only is she doing interviews all over the place, but she is working too – doing live web shows.
A lot of people don’t see the web development side of the porn industry.
I would like to know how she got started, was it her idea to do this or was she approached by someone with the know-how?
March 23, 2007 at 12:25 am
Since she’s in such a competitive industry … What kind of guerilla marketing techniques does she use online to get traffic to her site?
March 23, 2007 at 12:12 am
Hey Shoe – are you sure you haven’t booked one of her parties (scroll to the bottom of her main page) and the interview is a cover up for your wife and associates?
March 22, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Ask her if I can interview her, too. And then can I take her out on a date. And then can I… well… just tell her to e-mail me. Haha jk.
March 22, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Afaik she handles all the business behind her website, meaning she is involved with promotion, maintenance, etc. Call me crazy, but I think it’s more than worthwhile interviewing someone who is active in all these aspects of business and is SUCCESSFUL with it.
March 22, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Damn Shoe, I can’t believe your wife let’s you interview a porn chick. My wife would slap me into next week if I tried that. Kudos to you!
March 22, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Shoe,
I think this interview will be a waste of time. Maybe when you child get older,like my 12 year old you’ll think differently about porn. Call me a stick in the mud but I see no value in promoting this porn chic.
She gets naked, does sexual acts and gets paid. Big deal! We all know sex is #1 biz wise on the net. Again, I see no value in this one.
March 22, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Exactly, I want to know how “involved” she is with her site/business… other than, well you know
March 22, 2007 at 11:10 pm
I think it will be interesting to find out WHO’s in charge of her web ideas, subscritions and what they have to say to these questions… do you really think she can share with you all her ‘website’ details?
March 22, 2007 at 10:26 pm
For God’s sake Shoe,send the girl a t-shirt. She doesn’t seem to have many clothes of her own. =P
Can you ask Melissa why she got into porn in the first place?
Was it just for the money, or fame, or did she enjoy it?
If it was for money, how much does one person need to be able to say I’ve made enough to not have to do that any more.
March 22, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Kudos, Shoe. I don’t think many would choose this avenue to research, but the truth is, why not learn from someone who’s successful in one of the most competitive industries of all time? It’s there folks, and it’s not going away. Embrace it and learn from it. And don’t forget to add an affiliate link Shoe, cause you know damn well you’re bound to have a high conversion rate from this post!
March 22, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Maybe ask her how she keeps her subscribers and keeps them interested
March 22, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Top Secret Entrepreneur weapon: Boobs. Not like my man boobs, but real boobs.
Just kidding, good on her for succeeding in such a competitive market. I’ll be interested in reading this interview.
March 22, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I think it would be interesting to find out if, looking back, she would have done anything different with the way she ran her site.
March 22, 2007 at 10:01 pm
I suppose but then how do you scale that like
March 22, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I’d be interested in knowing what inspired her to become an entrepreneur. If you could ask her that I’d be greatful.
March 22, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Ah the lovely Melissa Midwest! She´s made me some nice money on my adult sites. Love you!
Beauty and brains…
March 22, 2007 at 9:33 pm
jeremy i’ll let you in on a secret.. if you are a hot chick.. and pretend to like internet losers + get naked you make will make money
//g