opinion on hairyglove.com?

[The Invader]

I am looking to set up photo gallery based website with potential video downloads/streaming in hte future.

I've already got a number of digital photo sets for many different models, photographed by myself. Hence I am looking for a quick solution to setting up a website. All I need initially are photo galleries, a forum, plus a free membership tier and a restricted paying membership tier via Paypal.

www.hairyglove.com seem to offer a quick solution to getting something like this up and running. Has anyone had any experience of hairyglove? What are your opinions of them?

My original option was to pay for a more basic adult hosting package and then acquire the various PHP modules/programs that I might need separately. However I am not sure I am technical enough to do it that way, nor do I have the time, as I have 2 priority jobs ahead of my glamour girl website which pay the bills, so to speak. So it will take me the best part of a year to do it that way.

All advice, good or bad, appreciated.

Thanks

[Joe A]

First of all PayPal do not allow any sites connected to "ADULT"

If you're looking to have a forum etc. check out They give you a control panel with even the cheapest setup and you can create your forums through that.

If you want a membership site you need either CCBill, Paycom, Clear Card or at the worst Verotel, as 3rd party processors... There are other lesser known names but these are the ones who most surfers recognise as being reliable

[paparazzi-scum]

I use hairyglove at the moment and they have been fine and seem to sort any problems I have quickly. Depends on how much in mbs you have to load up some web host may offer larger web space. I also use ccbill but you will need a minimum amount of material in your members area before they will permit you to use them, I think it is about 1500 pictures.

[The Invader]

CCBill sounds like the most likely then. I notice that you publish your prices in ? on your website? I was going to publish mine in $, even though I am UK-based. Any reason why you chose ? ?

Also, without revealing too much detail, can you let me know how well your site is doing?

cheers

[Joe A]

It's wrong to publish prices in UK? unless it's aprox. CCBill and all the others are US based so all transactions are in US$. Though.. Paycom do have local sign up pages. On a tour the advertised price may be $24 but if a surfer from the UK signs up he see's the UK? equivelant

You should only quote UK? if you are doing the transaction through a UK processor The $:? exchange rate has changed quite a bit over the recent months, dropping from ?1:$1.96 to currently around ?1:$1.78. It can also work in reverse.....

[The Invader]

cheers for the link

[paparazzi-scum]

I set up an account with nochex and that accepts ?'s but you need to add the members manuelly. So this puts some peple off using it has they do not get instant access.

[The Invader]

Ok thanks for that. I think I shall keep it to CCBill only for the intial period, to see if the site proves popular first before adding any more payment methods.

[paparazzi-scum]

I do not have the time I would like to spend on my site has I would like, so it does suffer a bit with me trying to keep it up-dated. To make a site a success needs a lot of work, it is not only shooting the girls and adding the pics there is a lot, lot more to it than that. Getting the site seen and noticed I would say is really important and takes your time up. Success of the website depends on the members staying members

[The Invader]

Good advice there. I am essentially in a similar position. Main day-to-day job to pay the bills and an already active website (non-adult) that I'm currently trying to make as busy as possible, so there is a limit to the time I can spend on the adult site. I will have to find a regular group of local models willing to pose for UK/US mag levels, which when you are based in Scotland is no easy task. On weekends I can travel for shoots further afield. But the other thing I need to do after the site gets going is to find some more photographers who will be willing to provide photos for the site (could be quite costly).

So in short, yes I fully appreciate that it may not be an easy ride!