Clients: What Do You Look For ...

[Guest ript4hire]

I know this is "ask an escort" but there is no "ask a client" section so

here goes ...

 

I am getting some new pics taken tonight (though the client I am about

to see doesn't know he is gonna play photographer - should be a fun

surprise!) and I was wondering what the majority of clients are looking

for in a photograph. Obviously RECENT is the most important thing, but

do you enjoy full body shots, close ups, underwear, gear, etc? Oh and I

can't show face in my photos for various reasons - that is the only

thing that is really off limits though.

 

Also, as a part B - what do you look for in an escort website? I am

working with a designer on putting mine together and want to make sure

it has some useful features. Photos, obviously. Some verbage so you

get an idea of who I am and what my personality is like. Is a blog

important? What are the other features of an escort website that have

prompted you to hire?

 

Anyway, thanks for your time and I can't wait to hear your responses ...

 

Eric

[Guest PWIT]

>Obviously RECENT is the most important thing, but

>do you enjoy full body shots, close ups, underwear, gear, etc?

 

For me, yes on full body, close ups, underwear. You are so hot in the briefs, so you MUST include those! But also like to see some clothing shots - can be important if considering someone for a dinner date or night on the town.

 

>Oh and I can't show face in my photos for various reasons - that is >the only thing that is really off limits though.

 

As an alternative, may consider some shots with head turned and looking away or with a hat pulled down over your face.

 

>what do you look for in an escort website?

 

- photos

- stats

- brief bio (something that intrigues or to which one can draw a connection)

- travel section

- rate info

- contact information

- links to any of your ads on escort sites

- links to sites where you are reviewed

 

>Is a blog important?

 

Depends. I have skipped over some people based on their blogs. Yet some blogs have made me want to hire - especially if they exhibit a sense of humor. If you do blog, don't set a pace you can not maintain. Maybe limit yourself to an entry a month or base it on events such as a travel log with your thoughts on cities, hotels, etc that you visit.

 

Look forward to your site!

[doctordoctor]

Maybe limit yourself to an entry a

>month or base it on events such as a travel log with your

>thoughts on cities, hotels, etc that you visit.

>

>

 

but please don't write reviews of fabulous hotels and trendy restaurants a la Benjamin Nicholas....thank you

[+ deej]

Honest and accurate are the two best watchwords for any website. It doesn't just apply to escorts.

 

Beware of marketing dweebs who convince you to go for flash over content when what you really need to convey a is an honest sense of yourself.

 

Your "web presence" to date has been stellar. Keep it honest and up-front and it will stay stellar.

 

As long as you make sure your website presents *you* as *you* and as who you are and not some stylized image that you can't live up to, the site will be a great success.

[+ purplekow]

Many guys who are hiring for an hour, only want a hot shot which is recent. I for one don't care about dick shots but for some it is a must. If you are into exotic or fetish sex, then by all means include a picture of that.

 

I would think that in order to hire someone for a night or a weekend more information is needed and some nice shots of you doing things you like to do will add insight into your interests and can show you to be hot outside of a purposefully sexual situation. If you have a favorite city, a picture of you with a recognizable landmark and a discussion on the page as to why you like that city is a nice way to integrate yours tastes with good photos.

 

But the fact is, most of we the clients, want to see skin, skin and then a bit more skin. So feature your assets.

 

 

 

I have never seen a purplekow;

I never hope to see one;

I can tell you anyhow;

I'd rather see than be one

 

Help there is a purplekow in my mirror

[+ Oliver]

Eric –

Excellent ideas from PWIT and deej. Especially the picture suggestions from PWIT – although I like to “see” what’s underneath, clothing can be just as sexy and provocative. (And from experience, you look great with or without! )

 

You also might want to check out the following (I have found them very useful in my “research”):

http://www.gayescortamsterdam.com/

http://www.frankinnyc.com/home.html

http://www.musclealex.com

http://www.RodHagen.com

http://www.stj1.com

http://www.stefanovisconti.com

http://www.steverobertsxxx.net

http://www.tygerscent.biz

 

As to a blog – take it or leave it. As PWIT indicates, if it gives further insight to your personality and sense of humor, fine. Otherwise, no.

 

I look forward to seeing the final product. If it’s as good as you are, it will be “absolutely fabulous”.

[Guest zipperzone]

Don't forget to include a couple of really good butt shots for all of us rimmers out there. Nothing gets my interest faster.

[Guest PWIT]

another site with a good format (and good content):

 

http://www.musclelatino.com/

[Bob]

For the photos include full body, close-ups, armpits, legs, and a lot of cock. Both hard and soft, dangling provocatiively in many directions. Nothing is more enticing than the anticipation of bringing a limp cock into full bloom.

[JT Brooklyn]

Ript..Well JT can Personally vouch for you having "everything" that it takes to "Work It" in the Top 10 of NYC...I'm sure your New Pix's will be great for 2007...

 

Oliver.. Who does know the Guy's with the "Best Pix's' from the East Coast TO West Coast, Plus North & South... has given you a Visual Idea of Various Great Pix's minus the Face in alot.

 

Thankfully.. JT has the Face shots for his Private Viewing! <W> LOL

 

 

 

:P

[Guest Merlin]

You might consider a very close up shot of the face, but no face on the body shots. Most clients would like to see the face but understand that you don't want nude photos with you fact floating around.

[Skyyguy]

KISS - You know Keep it simple.. I don't like sites that look overly produced. Sure sign the rate will be high.

 

I'd like to see pics that show a normal person; who looks hot. Like if you saw the person at the mall, you might consider following them for a minute.

 

Use normal lighting. Don't over crop. I've noticed when I hire someone who has pics that are close up of certain body parts; and never just a normal shot; they are always disappointments.

 

I also love feet; so a pic of someone that happens to show barefeet is a big plus for me. Check out myfriendsfeet.com for examples.

 

You mentioned you can't show your face. That's fine.. But I don't mind normal shots with the face blocked. It gives you a better sense of the person. Take shots others have taken of you, then block the face. If an artsy photog takes pics without the face; it seems too fake to me.

 

 

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[+ Charlie]

I prefer websites that are easy to navigate, that don't have long intros, that don't have weird music, and that present all the basic information about stats, availability, price and activities and preferences. Have a good, fairly large photo on the opening page.

 

Photos: No art shots (fuzzy, odd poses, striking backgrounds, etc.). No props (stuffed animals, Santa suits, baseball caps, etc.). Color, not black and white. Good lighting and clear definition. Clothed (undies/gym shorts/t-shirts) and nude. The whole face isn't necessary, but completely headless shots look odd (how about at least one in which your face is in shadow, or turned partially away from the camera?). It's a shame that you can't show your face, since IMHO your eyes are your most striking feature.

 

Text: Keep it simple, factual, germane to the topic (most clients don't care about your musical tastes, hobbies, etc.). Make sure it's easy to read for us old duffers (e.g., no red print on black). Be sure to include a link to your reviews. I never bother to read blogs, so I can't say whether they are worthwhile to include.

[Lewis H]

I do like a range of photos from face shots to body shots, and I also like to see fully clothed shots because more than just naked pics, they also give a sense of the person. Even if you're just dressed the way you normally are, it would feed the fantasies of what you as a 'date' might be. I understand that face pics aren't an option for you, but if you can show part of your face, like maybe a smile, that always helps I find.

 

How did the shoot go? Did the client object at all?

 

And as far as the website goes, design-wise, keep it simple, keep it clean. We're there to see you, not the latest in web technologies. Although I would like to read a little from you the way I like to read your posts here - I think it gives people a sense of you as a person, the one they will potentially meet and spend some time with.

[Louis]

Body pictures with good lighting. They don't have to be nudes, or show everything. Pictures with various types of clothing. Face shots are nice, but I have hired escorts without knowing what their faces looked like. I am not, but some people are into feet, so you could show a picture of your feet.

 

Keep things as simple as possible. People want to hire you based on your looks and personality, and your web site should convey both.

[Epigonos]

As far as I'm concerned there are three types of photo in which I am interested:

 

1. Nude Torso

2. Face Shot

3. Cock Shot

 

Number 1 is a must for me. Numbers 2 and 3 in that order would be nice but are NOT required. Quality of photographs is extremely important to me. If an escort isn't interested in the quality of his photos I have a tendency to question just how interested he is in quality in other aspects of his escorting. The quality of your photos has always been excellent so I am certain than any new ones you post will also be outstanding.

I agree with others who have said that a web site should be simple and user friendly.

[alanalt]

Well, since everyone else is sharing their opinions, I can hardly not!

 

First, keep the website design simple and easy-to-use. I echo the comments about no music, no fancy graphics and easy-to-read text with a consistent top/sidebar for easy navigation. I am in total agreement with PWIT's comments about what he looks for in content.

 

Pics:

I like to see lots of pics, with a reasonable variety of poses/clothing/etc (and, yes, shots that include bare feet appeal to my foot fetish! }{ ). While I prefer face-shots, there are good sites out there without (I'd add Steven Draker's site, http://www.hotsexystud.com/uk to Oliver's list as well as noting him as an example of how to do good pics without faceshots).

 

Also, if you're going to do a large number of pics, I'd advise doing multiple pages with 4-6 pics per page, with your most recent pics first. It helps with both faster loading and those folks who don't want/need a lot of pics aren't 'forced' to look at them all.

 

Updates:

As a personal comment, the escort sites that I tend to bookmark (and hence escorts that I keep in mind) are those that are updated regularly. That can be done by a blog, but I'd only recommend it if you're comfortable writing posts and have a variety of things to write about. Nothing looks worse than a blog that goes for months without entries. But there are other ways to keep your website looking 'fresh' by adding pictures or updating your travel (and other) section(s) or so forth.

 

Another escort's site I'd recommend you look at in that context is: http://www.escortboi.com/ Ryan's updated travel pics are a real treat in terms of eye candy, and he also updates them often enough that it's worth checking his site now and then to see if there's been an update.

 

Finally, I want to echo deej's points about your having a wonderful online presence on this board and that if you display that same presence on your site, it will be a hit indeed!

 

Good luck!

 

Alan

[a_nice_guy]

Ript4hire,

 

First, I’d like to congratulate you on exhibiting professionalism! You have chosen to seek feedback from the consumer rather than from (or, perhaps, in addition to) cohorts in your profession. To me, this says you are serious and sincere about putting client “needs” above personal preferences. Advertising can “make” or “break” a business and you seem to have a desire to “do it right.”

 

Secondly, all of my comments are, of course, my personal opinion:

 

(1) I’m new to this arena, so I am not familiar with all the previous “threads” to which you may have contributed. My point: other than your screen name, I would not know you are an escort. When I “click” on your screen name to view your profile, why not provide a link to your advertisements? I noticed that several of the “posters” here seem to know you, or know of you, but, how can I (a “newbie” to the forum) know who you are, where you’re located, etc.? You, and other escorts like you, are why I’m spending time reading through all these “threads.” Be more marketable and allow me, and others like me, to easily navigate to areas where I can find your current listings (be they Rentboy, M4RN, Executive Escorts, personal websites, etc.). If you haven’t provided links in your Forum Profile because of a perception that it may be tacky, I just want to say that I don’t think its tacky to advertise here—in fact, I’m expecting it. As a “newbie,” I have no idea who escorts are or who clients are, without reading it in either their profile or deducing it from comments in their “posts.” It shouldn’t be that difficult to know who an escort is in this forum…

 

(2) You “touched” upon an idea for “Daddy” to consider as a “room:” “Ask a Client.”

 

(3) You’ve gotten great, and useful, responses to your query—provide as many variations of photos as possible to appeal to as many of the “shoppers” as possible. Personally, I like B/W photos as well as color. This is just an example of how my preference differs from another poster. But, my point is, if you have a website, I’m assuming you have enough “room” to include photos of as many variations as you think will appeal to just as many prospective clients. Definitely include fully clothed shots. I would also consider the “size/dimension” of the photo. I hate seeing a good picture of an escort, but its size demands using the “zoom” feature to increase the display of the photo. Either you’re providing an accurate photo or you’re not. Which brings me to the lighting and clarity of your photos. I know you said you’re having a client take some shots for you to use (which I think is really cool & I envy the client); but, when I view pictures that have poor lighting, or that just don’t have good quality, I tend to suspect the escort lacks a desire to provide quality. Additionally, photos that are obviously cropped, or that have been “photo shopped,” are unappealing to me and, in my opinion, lack professionalism. My suggestion would be to have the photographer take pictures without your “head shot,” or with shadowed lighting on your face—altering a photo is obvious, even to the laymen, and it lacks professional quality. I, personally, hate to see photos that originally included the face, but you’ve smudged it, or altered it somehow—just take photos that can be included without editing (like someone suggested: use a hat, turn your head to the side or upward, or have the photographer not include the head in the shot…I respect that some guys can’t show their face on the web and I don’t make an assumption that its because they aren’t attractive…

 

(4) One last comment on photos—you’re right, recent is important. If you’re looking for “repeat” clients, let them know what to expect from the “get go.” If one thing, such as an old photo that does not depict your current looks, is amiss, then the chance of a repeat “session” is less than if you had presented an accurate photo to begin with…you seem to know that, so I think you’ll be fine.

 

Finally, again, my opinion on your web site:

 

(1) Concur with comments to have a simple web site that can provide good navigation (e.g. maintain a menu on each page throughout navigation—if I’m “knee deep” in your photo gallery, and suddenly decide I’d like to see your travel schedule, I don’t want to have to use the “back” button to get back to your home page where the travel schedule link is provided).

 

(2) Again, as mentioned by a previous post, you must maintain and update your site. If I visit a site over a 2-month period, and there have not been any updates, I’m not going to view it again.

 

(3) If you provide an area for clients/visitors to post comments, make a response to those comments. As for a “Blog,” that will be up to you, of course. Just remember, the more you voice your opinion, the more likely you are to alienate prospects as you are to draw them in…

 

(4) I can’t stress enough how important it is to maintain current info. I’ve visited several escort sites and noticed that the same escort is listed on one site as 25 years old, and listed as 27 years old on another site. There are differing phone numbers for the same escort on different sites. How hard is it to create and maintain a list of sites on which you advertise? Then, when you update one, you update them all…This is just an example of what separates a true professional from those that are just “fly by the seat of their pants.”

 

To sum up the web site—I agree with the majority of other posters keep it simple, and easy to maintain, and up-to-date. Provide as much of the information as possible, that the clients are seeking (i.e. stats: size, versatile/top/btm, age, location, travel cities, rates, photos, etc.).

 

Good luck, Ript4hire, and maybe I’ll have the pleasure of meeting a true professional some day…

[Bart]

Dear Eric:

Photos, clear bright and accentuate the positive which for you is more than your generous size. You have an excellent compact gymnast body, wife beaters, leather wrist bands, open tuxedo shirt, nice tight pair of jeans, under wear, a little bit of leather. You do not need a lot of cock shots, one will get the picture and then all that great undergear and underarmour you were built for it baby.

 

Website:

Do not bother with the expense unless you plan to keep it up. Travel section should be current. You do not need major photo shoots every month. If you travel have guys you are with pick up a disposal camera and take a few candid shots monthly an add. Different locations will add to your cosmopolitan look. I think destination shots will add to the guys who want to hire you for travel.

 

I know you do not want face shots but show off that gorgeous smile of yours. If you do not want to invest in a decent camera for yourself just make sure the lighting is good. I hate dark shadow shots. They are pointless.

 

There are many good sights like this one which is one of my favorites

http://jaimieansaloni.com/ or his partners sight which is good too.

http://www.rickbogdan.com/ Steven Draker's site mentioned earlier is an outstanding one to model after as a site.

 

Make sure the site fits you and keep it current-PLEASE!!

One more good site is Aaron Mark's now I think he has too many professional shots. Really I like a mix of regular shots and pro shots. Look natural like you are having fun.

 

http://www.aaronmark.com

[Gigiloz4me]

I'm rarely attracted to claims of being a 'jack of all trades.' Offer excerpts from reviews that reveal things that will exponentially engage your talents. I like to align with an escort's specialties with the hope of letting passion push a boundary.

 

Go figure.

[a_nice_guy]

Eric,

 

Sure would be nice to get some feedback as to whether or not our comments and suggestions were helpful to you.

[Bart]

Nice guy you hit the head on the nail. That is why escorts should not bother with websites other than a gallery or a little more about themselves maybe a calendar. I have mentioned in other threads the lack of response is indiciative of most working guys. Not meant as cheap shot but a point they should consider before responding.

 

There are a few who do manage to keep a nice tidy website and respond within a reasonable period of time, Steven Draker for one. But I find these guys are the exception rather than the rule. It does not mean that they are bad escorts far from it. But when they ask for a response like from this forum and they do not come with a follow through it seems a bit hollow and disingenuous (sorry guessing on that one). Maintaining websites are like cultivating clients. You need to communicate with them when it is convenient for the CLIENT not the escort. To me if you are going to run a business, that is client based, putting in an hour a day or at least every two days on follow ups and sending off little messages like e-birthday cards is the best way to run a business. With so many inexpensive electionic devices and software available these things should be easy IF you organize yourself properly. Again sorry I only know from personal experience and someone like Steven Draker, he sends little newsletters and e-birthday cards and does occassionally send a personal message.

 

These comments are not necessarily directed at Eric who is a great guy and escort, but sort of in general if you want to do things to spice or perk up the business websites may not be the first thing on the list I think there are cheaper more productive means especially if you have a lot of good paying customers already.

 

So you may want to find some of the most successful guys and follow their examples which are in plain view to follow.

[JT Brooklyn]

There are many- many more Extremely Successful Working Guys, who feel well placed and well worded ADS are more than enough for the Business they feel, they want to deal with.

 

"Full Time" Guys definitely have more "time on their hands" to deal with their own Sites etc. They Also can and do Multiple Appointments Daily IF they wish. This possibly is not the way Eric works. So I doubt there is a Great Rush to get a site up!

 

It will be nice to see his NEW Pix's when they are used in his ADS!

Everyone likes to check out that Big Monster of his, which he uses very well! LOL

 

 

 

:P

[Guest ript4hire]

A Nice Guy,

 

All the comments were a HUGE help - thanks to everyone who contributed.

Still working on sketching out the site and hope to have something to

show you all in the near future. I will definitely post something on

here when I go "live" :9

 

Thanks again guys - even with some of the negativity on this board, it

has always been really good to me ... and it is very appreciated.

 

Eric

[Louis]

Well Eric it sounds like you want the web site to be complete before you actually use it, and tell people about it. I think that's a good idea, because it tends to get frustrating or dissapointing, when people start up web sites that are a work in progress. I have seen a few such web sites, and click on a link and there's a work in progress sign on the page that opens up.

So take your time, and make sure it looks just how you want it.