Tech Seminar: ‘Get Back to Business’

"Get back to business, people": that was the prevailing message of Friday afternoon's Tech Time seminar during the GAYVN Summit.

"It is a business, and the customers aren't concerned with who you are," said SilverCash's Albert Lazarito. "Send surveys to your customers to find out what's working on your site. Do a select group and target them. They are the ones who help you become a better business."

Moderated by Channel 1 Releasing's Tony Rios, the seminar touched on several topics, including video-on-demand, utilizing a billing company's software to maximize revenue, and the ongoing development of technology within the adult entertainment industry.

"Everything is getting smaller and more portable," said BB Games' Jack Kajian. "People want content right now. If you're not offering that, you're missing out on sales you should be getting."

Kajian's comments were directed to an audience member who asked about mobile delivery, but they easily could have been applied to many of the topics touched on during the session.

Lazarito hawked the importance of having a truly honest stats-reporting program ("your bread and butter," he called it), while TLA Video's Erik Schut talked about outsourcing certain tasks to companies that have expertise in those areas.

"You have to start looking out at other people," Schut said, adding that doing so would help companies manage their time better and focus on their own areas of expertise. "It really comes down to knowing what your needs are. You have to figure out what you want to be."

Schut's sentiments were echoed by Kajian, who added, "If you want to get into these different [content delivery] formats, work with the companies who are already doing it, because it's very expensive and time consuming. Don't try to do it yourself unless you have the time and a fleet of processors."

Perhaps the best advice offered during the seminar came from Pistol Media's Brian Randall, who noted that, because technology in the adult industry constantly is evolving, webmasters and studio owners might want to develop patience.

"A lot can be said for just sitting back and seeing how technology evolves before you jump into it," he said.