One of the perks of the webcam business is its low barrier to entry. Anyone can get started with this given you are willing to put in the time and effort (and a little bit of money). 

There’s no doubt that people love to watch and download porn, but many of them prefer cam girls over porn videos because of the intimate connection they get to make in real time. Another advantage is that larger cam sites can earn as much as $80,000 per month. 

Erecting Your Business

First thing’s first, you need a business entity. The typical form of business for this industry is an LLC, which will protect you legally, yet keep the tax burden lower than if you were to incorporate. Beyond that, know the law for your own region (country, state, whatever may be governing how you can operate).  

For one, you should not be hiring minors (under 18 in most areas). A second very important rule deals with distribution. The law that governs cam sites generally makes redistribution of content illegal, so while the live shows are just fine, recording and then redistributing content for sale is not going to fly. Also, bestiality is generally frowned upon, so leave the animals alone. 

Keeping good records is vital. This is a business, so your accounting and documentation should be in good order anyway. Make sure your contracts are up to date and you have a paper trail for everything.

Location, Location, Location

Companies with a lot of capital may rent a physical space for performers. Fancy. This provides a central location for you to monitor the business operations and ensures a safe space for the models. 

More common, however, is to have the performers work from home. A virtual location is a way to keep down costs and also allow the performers to feel more comfortable. Who doesn’t like to have their favorite stuffed animal nearby while getting intimate with viewers?

Software for Your Hardware

The site is essential, naturally, as it is the face of your business, in many ways. You don’t want to ignore things like UI/UX and branding, but coding from scratch can be costly to you in both time and money. That’s why you can always opt for some of the best software solutions out there.

If you can handle less customization, go with a pre-made script or a ready-to-go software package. Check out the best adult webcam scripts if you need some good recommendations. Some places will even offer a package for free in exchange for a percentage of revenues, but this can be more costly once things are going well. Try to strike a balance between budget and functionality, along with keeping future profits in mind.

Being a Good Host

You want a stable, reliable hosting provider for your site, or you risk losing lots of money. For managing your data and storage, a virtual private server is generally better than even unlimited bandwidth on a shared server. There will be intense resource demands for your site, so bear that in mind. Considering the traffic and video streaming, look for something with at least 4GB allowed to you. 

Finding Your Place

With a highly saturated market in the camming space, it can be helpful to choose a niche or somehow differentiate yourself from the others. Try to find an arena with a bit less competition and stake your claim. Maybe all your girls will use a particular toy, and you can make a deal with that company for some shared revenues. 

Whatever it is, this can help set you apart from the competition, and help with SEO as well. Choose your brand wisely and make sure your domain name will work with it. 

Marketing

Advertising on tube sites and aggregates is a good idea, but almost every cam site is taking advantage of PPC ads with partners. To keep your advertising costs a little lower, link up with related sites. 

Consider:

• Other cam sites
• Review sites, blogs
• Whatever you can find that will work

Driving traffic is key to your success. 

Optimize Yo Self!

To optimize your site, you want all the on-page SEO you can manage. Make use of all best practices, and think about keeping top performers at the top of the page, make sure the UI is good, have it optimized for traffic and page rank as well as speed. Think about links, too. Some of the girls may have blogs, or maybe social media, where they can link to your site, and vice-versa. 

Other backlinks will help even more. There are plenty of sites in the industry, including many of the aforementioned potential partners, that can link to you. Form business relations that will be mutually beneficial.

Girls, Girls, Girls

Finding girls is the first step to getting things really moving once you have the plan and infrastructure in order. So what to do, should you just walk the streets and let every attractive woman know you run a cam business? Probably not. There are modeling agencies just for this purpose, and it’s a great place to start. 

Beyond that, look at social media. Develop a personalized email you can use for this sort of outreach. You can also network with cam models and studios by visiting porn conventions dedicated to the webcam business.

There are also strip clubs, as the girls there generally know what they’re doing already. They may well be open to new ways to make money. Lastly, other cam sites may be a good source. If you are reading about dissatisfaction among performers, you may consider reaching out to some.

To keep those girls you’ve now found, make sure you pay well. A 50/50 split is about average for the industry, and maybe undercutting the competition can be a solid way to start, though some people think the bigger pay promises can signal a red flag. Be fair, and consider that the higher traffic you can offer the girls, the better for them. 

Getting Paid

Processing payments is necessary. Consider that not all processors will work with adult sites, or will at least make it expensive to do so. There are several companies that will be happy to work with you, though, even if a little more inconvenient for a user. Look to companies like CCBill or Paxum to handle your payments. Paypal is a bit of a work-around but comes with its own steep fee schedule. Do your research into what it will cost you, and keep in mind you want secure processors that are considered safe by buyers.

Keeping It All on Lock

Data security is hugely important in this industry, for both models and buyers, so keep that in mind. Blockchain is the wave of the future, and while expensive to use right now, it’s worth considering. Certainly, be sure you have good ways to store and encrypt data. Also be sure there is moderation of some sort to keep the girls safe and feeling comfortable, and go after anyone that is trolling, stealing data, etc.

Wrap It Up

Now that you have an idea of where to begin, start thinking about your niche and how to get this off the ground. We’ve read about the legalities, the software, the girls, and business practices, so go make some money!