Announcement: Blueprint Updates

In the near future, all Blueprint updates will be in the Blueprint Updates section of my website. I decided not to publish any future editions of any Blueprint books because there really isn’t that much to update with the exception of tech-related information.

All information in relation to website hosting and design is found on the Websites page. Working with WordPress websites is simple once you do it once and it doesn’t take too much effort to learn. These days a local presence is absolutely necessary and all updated information is found on the Focus on Local page. Any important updates related to advertising your business, including both print and online, is located on the Advertising page. Last, but not least, if using a variation of the business model in the books is of interest to you, visit the Business Models page for ideas and information.

A main theme that I will be focusing on is reaching your audience that is online via a mobile device, tablet, or smartphone. My recent research has revealed that this is how the great majority of clients and customers are searching and your website(s) and ads should be targeting this market more than any other.

Some information from the Blueprint Updates on this blog is repeated as it is still current, but there will be much new information on the above noted pages also.

I expect to be finished with this section of the website by the day after Christmas. I have been ill and am not able to do much each day or it would already be completed. I do intend to continue blogging here in the future, but not in reference to Blueprint updates.

Opening an Escort Service: Yes or No

One statement that I make in my Blueprint books is that the escort business is not for everyone. Many will consider the option of opening an escort service, read the book, and then opt to pass on it. I tried to not glamourize the business and clearly state that it is highly unlikely that you will ever make $millions as some people claim.

Over the course of the last year I have received numerous emails from interested people that ask if I would do it all over again as they try to decide their own paths in life. I give you no hype on the topic, but yes, if the circumstances were the same, I'd do it all over again. I state this even though I ended-up arrested, in trial, and acquitted by jury.

Yes, I lost everything that I had as a result of the criminal case and I had more than most people (law enforcement and prosecutors) seem to think as I had invested everything in gold and silver bullion and equities. I studied the gold and silver market for almost two years and bought back when gold was $250-$280 an ounce and silver was $3.50-$5. Because of the many costs involved in my arrest and case, I also sold it all as I went along and by the time I reached trial there was little remaining. As the dealer that I sold to stated, I should consider myself lucky that I had it all to sell and cover expenses. Yes, I cried on more than one occasion over it – it was my retirement and my son's future. Who doesn't want to buy their child a new car etc... and offer financial security?

I was left with no retirement and no financial security whatsoever, gold recently passed $1800 an ounce, and silver was around $40, but it was the equities (stocks) that I really lost on. Back then I could have told you anything about any gold or silver mine in North America, South America, or South Africa. I learned much about a topic that doesn't matter at all anymore.

I decided that after knowing for fact that agents broke into my Orlando house without a court order or warrant, I never wanted to own property in the US again. I also used to have perfect credit, but really who gives a shit about credit anyway? So make no mistake here – I exited the business with less than I had when I started it in 1992. However, I was able to spend my son's years of growing-up with him instead of working all the time and we had the money to take trips to NYC, the Bahamas, on a cruise, shopping etc... all the stuff that never would have happened without that escort business.

One recent email I received:

If you had to do it all over again, would you? I've been presented with an opportunity to enter this realm, however, I am unsure if the risks are outweighed by the rewards.

Thanks for listening.

My response to that email:

Well, it was not presented as an opportunity to me - I was attempting to support myself and my child on an $8 per hour job with no health insurance and we both had health issues. So yes, I would do it again - my son and I had fun as he grew-up, we did things and had the money to. Otherwise I would have never seen him as I would have been too busy working.

If your life is already good, I wouldn't get involved in the escort business. If you are unemployed or barely surviving on a low wage job, you may want to consider it.

You also must analyze the person(s) providing the opportunity. I advise in my book that one should only have a partner if they're married or know the party really well. You can go into business on your own - you do not need an "opportunity" or a partner. Be careful - there are treacherous people involved in the escort business.

Hope that helps.

The response to my response:

Thank you Vicky. That is exactly what I needed to hear.

I assume that the emailer chose to pass on getting into the business. Many of you that read the Blueprint book may do the same. Keep the book in case your circumstances change and you decide to go ahead with the project in the future as we never know what tomorrow will bring. Also keep it because you never know when I will decided to stop selling it – yes, there has been some pressure in recent days and I admit that it is a consideration, albeit a small one.

If you are already in a dire financial situation or have similar reasons as my own for entering the escort business, plan carefully and proceed with caution. Analyze all that you say and do before you speak or do it and you'll be fine. I used to pretend that a jury was listening to every telephone conversation and everything stated to every escort; the sad part is that I still must do this because they are sore losers that never, ever go away.

So I won, but I also lost and you need to clearly understand that. I have serious enemies. Caveat Emptor.

Registration Begins on XXX Domains

Today begins registration for the new .xxx domain names. I found an excellent article in the International Business Times that explains the registrations schedule far better than I could and it includes a chart: .XXX Domain Registration: A Cheat Sheet for the Sunrise

I do not care for the segregation aspect of .xxx and feel that it will make blocking all adult websites, no matter how conservative in design, much easier for ISPs, hotels, and anyone else that so desires. However, if you already have a TLD (top level domain), you really do need to buy the matching .xxx if nothing else.

Censored by PayPal

I awoke today to read the following email from PayPal:

We are hereby notifying you that, after a recent review of your account activity, it has been determined that you are in violation of PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy regarding your sales / offers of an ebook about escort services on blueprintforanescortservice.blogspot.com.

Therefore, your account has been permanently limited.

Under the Acceptable Use Policy, PayPal may not be used to send or receive payments for certain sexually oriented materials or services or for items that could be considered obscene.

It is a trick statement as all of my books are “about escort services” including Memoirs. All are also sold on my website, The Accused Madam. I only had funds from the last three sales in the account so the balance is $30 after PayPal took its fees on the three sales and adding the previous balance of $2.

The censors at PayPal must not want anything sold that isn't for children. Does Disney own PayPal or a piece of the company?

Nothing in any book I have written could possibly be considered “obscene” or “sexually oriented material”. My books are all intended for an adult audience, but if they were rated they would all be PG or at worst R. There is nothing sexual in any book I have written.

Screw the censors at PayPal.

When I login to my PayPal account I see the following notification:

Why is my account access limited?
Your account access has been limited for the following reason(s):

• Jul 10, 2011: When you signed up for your PayPal account, you agreed to our User Agreement and Acceptable Use Policy. Because some of your recent transactions violated this policy, we've had to permanently limit your account.
  
  Please remove any references to PayPal from your website.
  
  You'll be able to withdraw any money in your account 180 days after your last transaction. We'll email you when it's ready to be withdrawn.
  

My email response to aup@paypal.com:

Nothing in any book that I have written could possibly be considered "obscene" or "sexually oriented material". While the intended audience for my books is adult, if anyone were to read and rate any of my books they would each be a PG or at most an R. There is nothing sexual in any book.

What you are doing here is incorrect, but this is the US and I respect your right as a company to not do business with anyone you choose. Welcome to Amerika, the new Disney, where everything is for children and adults do not exist except in relation to children.

Screw PayPal's censorship of me and my books. So you manage to stop me from selling ebooks that are available from Google ebooks and in Amazon's US, UK, and Canada Kindle stores and as paperbacks through any bookstore. Thanks a bunch and screw you.

Vicky Gallas

Advice for Escort Business Owners and Clients

This could turn into a complicated post if I allow it to; I will try not to go that direction herein. Anyone that has read any of my books is aware that I discuss the blocks on escort business telephone numbers and websites during conventions in Orlando. Memoirs is all about the blocking and the Blueprint books mention it more than once. I have also posted occasionally on the topic on the Accused Madam Blog.

There are always ways around such blocking. First, what do I mean by blocks during conventions?

When there are large conventions in your city you may notice that you receive few calls, if any at all. This is obvious in Orlando, at least to me. This was obvious to several operators in Las Vegas for years and civil suits were filed over the problem. In past I heard from operators in Los Angeles that it was clearly happening there as well. Now I am hearing that the practice has become all too obvious in New Orleans.

Check the conventions in your area. I cannot define “large” in relation to the number of attendees at a convention, but I have seen it with a convention of 45,000 and with a convention of 1000. Today I was asked: “What are the chances that nobody at all calls during a convention with 45,000 attendees?”

I asked what specific convention was being referenced and the answer was Rotary International. Well, the chances in Orlando that no one will call are 100%. No one at all called during the Golf Merchandise show here back in late January and 45,000 people came here for it. Imagine how many hotels fill in New Orleans when that many people come in town for a convention. Yet, not a single call. This owner had his eyes on the situation because previous large conventions brought zero calls and he has great placement in search engines.

One trend that you will notice is that you receive calls immediately before the convention and immediately after it from people there for that specific convention. Some people do arrive early or stay a day or two extra in a convention city. You may even hear from a random caller there for the convention – I try to question on how he found the website and what device he is using to dial me.

Up until mid-January, people using some advanced smartphones were able to view the site and call without issue, but something changed by the end of January 2011. I do not have a grasp on it yet and can only research and make educated guesses. When I figure it out, I'll post about it.

One thing you may notice is that your websites are still receiving high visitor numbers from unique IP addresses and the numbers get higher during the huge conventions. So is it believable that not one person from that huge convention will call to ask a question? No way in hell, especially when considering that it rings off the hook when there isn't a sizable convention in town or from outside areas when there is.

Let's consider possible solutions for the escort business

Plaster your email address on top and bottom of every page on your website. Announce on the main page that interested clients should save your email address – the blockers sure as hell cannot block your email. Include a short statement on the main page of your site that if an interested client is coming to the area for a convention they may find escort service websites blocked and may not be able to get through on the telephone. Assure them that you will respond quickly to email and instruct all to save your email address and/or book an advance appointment.

This is a plug for the adult business forums and sites that offer ads to adult business and are at the top or near the top in the keyword phrases that matter: Place ads on a few of these sites that will run before, during, and after that big convention. Use a new telephone number in any of those ads. Your number on the website may be blocked by the blockers; mine is. Repeat this, always getting a new telephone and number, for all large conventions. You decide what large is, but to me it is 10,000+.

The most known site with great ad prices is EROS. Bigdoggie.net is another well-known site that has been around for a while, but their ad prices are high. You can also post in the forums on these sites. One more to look at is World Escort Guide – they have great prices and are somewhat high in search rankings in the cities they operate in, but they are not in that many US cities.

While you are at it, grab your netbook and wireless modem (all major wireless companies have them) and head out to the hotels during one of the larger conventions. Sit in the lobby and see if you can search for and click on your own website using the wireless modem you brought with you. Dial your own telephone numbers from different wireless phones. Now, go online using the hotel's Wifi if at all possible. If at all possible, use the hotel's ISP for a cable connection in a hotel room reserved by a convention attendee. What worked and what didn't?

Encourage clients that visit your website from elsewhere prior to visiting for the convention to book advance appointments. To do this you would want accurate photos of escorts on the website and know each escort's schedule of availability. You may want to offer a decent discount for appointments booked in advance. You may also want to aim your marketing at other areas and try to grab potential client's attention before they come to your city. If you are in Las Vegas there are many options that are not online.


Possible solutions for clients

If you have any idea that you might be interested in seeing an escort when you attend a major convention, search in advance for the websites. Save the telephone number and the email address. Consider booking in advance or at least calling and making sure that the business will respond quickly to an email when you are ready to make an appointment.

Remember that a Google or Yahoo or Hotmail address cannot be blocked by the hotel. Never use AOL because they have always been known for blocking issues – in email and in search results. Businesses are going to need to adapt to responding immediately to emails – no more 24 notice by email stuff.

This may not be happening in your area at all, but as long as I have been aware of the problems (since 1992), I have known that a major connector is a hospitality industry entity that works closely with conventions in most major cities. The situation has evolved over time, but the convention and hospitality industry connection to the problem has never changed.

Open an Escort Business Anywhere

My Blueprint books are really more easily applied in the US, but they do have information that is useful anywhere in the world too. I must imagine that most areas of the globe have zoning rules and licenses to enter any type of business. Interacting with the escorts and answering the telephone is similar anywhere – in some areas you can be more open than in others. How to answer a telephone and collect your money would also be more the same than different in any geographical location.

There are some areas of the planet I which a person would go about many aspects of the business differently, even within the US, and certainly between the US and Canada, for example. Really it all comes down to the level of acceptance for adult business on an outcall basis. It is the level of acceptance in any geographical area that will ultimately determine how you operate and the type of license that you will want.

Another disparity will be communications: You must advertise and market in the way that is most accepted in the area you choose. It does no good to market your business entirely online if potential clients in the area look at local newspapers. It also won't help to place a print ad if all the clients are online. Every geographical area has its own unique attributes and it is your responsibility to research for the area that you intend to open the escort business.

There are some areas that are truly unique. In the US, Las Vegas is one of them. This of course relates to the level of acceptance and adult business has always been welcome in Vegas. At the same time, Vegas is a highly competitive area and starting an escort service on a small budget is not really possible.

Search Indexing and Advertising for Adult Business

Where your website would show in Google, Yahoo! and Bing used to be somewhat predictable over a period of time, but it isn't anymore. In case you haven't noticed or wonder why your telephones stopped ringing, Google has a new and mostly unpredictable algorithm. Yahoo! and Bing often take so long to index websites that hopefully you have not isolated your attempts to get websites indexed with Google alone.

Advertising for adult businesses – escort services and party or stripper entertainment businesses that serve adults only – on the internet has become extremely complicated lately. I admit that I resent this as we are not all 10 years old and the parents of the 10 year-old (or whatever age) should be responsible for the non-adult's internet access and not the rest of the damn world. I am not sure about the rest of the world, but it seems that in the US everything is being optimized for children. It has always been that way in Orlando because of Disney so I am used to it, but I imagine the rest of the country is surprised. Welcome to my censored world.

This new obscure algorithm will soon be implemented throughout the world, so don't get too happy if you're in another country. In all that I have read recently I understand this is a really serious issue in Germany too. This surprises me – no adult ads in Google, Yahoo! and Bing in Germany? What happened that I missed? Germany has undergone serious changes since I lived there. There is a list of countries that have been affected by these new rules concerning adult content so it isn't only Germany.


Focus on Local

I think we all realized the importance of the local focus a while back. Google Maps was really great for all while it lasted, but it has changed (see previous posts) and Places is not so great. If you read through the help forums for Places you will see what I mean. If you already had a listing before the major change then you may be okay, or not. Now they are even rejecting many that use a mailing address instead of a physical location, but that is far from the only problem. It isn't only adult businesses that are having problems with Places – it is all types of business, but you could forget about phone verification as the rules have changed. Read through the Places Help Forums

People are actually changing their websites in attempt to conform to Places demands and get a listing. Now that is crazy – the website is what it is and if you delete all the keyword phrases that matter, well, your website will be worthless anyway.

A while back I had a couple of websites that were refused by Yahoo! Local. The email stated that there was no way to appeal this so don't bother trying. Please keep in mind that I have never designed and submitted any website that even had nudity! Not even a breast! Any website I have ever submitted could easily be considered general audience, but focusing only on adults. Bing Local has always been out – Microsoft has never been keen on anything adult, which is ironic as the first escort service website in the world was in Seattle, Washington (Microsoft territory). Now Bing and Yahoo! are together.

Yet you see escort businesses with listings in Google Places, Yahoo! Local, and Bing Local. So how do they get there? One way to get in Yahoo! Local is through Express Update or through City Search as both feed Yahoo! Local. City Search looks far too expensive, but I admit that I haven't read thoroughly and am not exactly clear on what you get for your $s. Express Update has a free listing option.

I am not clear on Bing Local yet – supposedly they're mailing a few postcards out so I will post when I see what happens next. Perhaps they have changed, or not.


The New Algorithm

Google's new algorithm is supposed to use a secret formula and thus far it is a secret kept from all. I am getting mixed messages between Google, Yahoo! And Bing. Yahoo! appreciates the keywords in the domain name and this will give your website higher ranking with those keywords. Read the section on Domain Implementations in this Yahoo! Advertising guide. I do not believe that Google appreciates this anymore though, and it may serve to lower your Google ranking – I have seen evidence of this in the new algorithm.

Perhaps you must have one website optimized for Google and one optimized for Yahoo! and Bing. It has all become confusing. It used to be that you simply had one website that said what your business did and offered information, and then the SEO (search engine optimization) people came along and changed that – your website needed SEO or it would sink in rankings. Now the SEO craze seems to be over, except that everyone is attempting to figure out and master the new algorithm. Read through the ongoing discussion on Webmaster World.

As an example, my site that I use for research has been lost at times and research is not really possible as the phone doesn't ring anymore, except periodically (I will get to that issue). Websites that do not relate to the keyword phrase at all have a better rank now, including one that has a couple of sentences and a telephone number and otherwise several blank pages. What the hell? Somehow I do not believe that deleting all information from my website will help it get back the better ranking. I do not get it.

I sometimes check ranking on that site from different IP addresses – easily done by checking from a Blackberry, an Android, and a PC or laptop. Well, the results are astonishing to me: Using the same keyword phrase it will not show at all (I only check up to page 5 of search results) at times, it will show on page 1 at times, and on page 2 at other times. There is no formula possible here except a rotation of some sort. There is no way to optimize with that algorithm and perhaps that is the idea, except that when it doesn't show some total garbage websites do show – and what good is that to the searcher? What good is it to the business? It is just screwed-up and nothing more.


What about PPC (pay per click)?

This is also confusing. You will certainly see PPC ads at the top and side of search results for adult business websites; however, Google has been suspending accounts of adult business sites using AdWords and Yahoo/Bing are anything but clear on adult content ads in their advertising program. Still, you see ads on all three that are wild in comparison to your mild content and images, right?

Want to be confused? Read Microsoft Advertising's Adult Content Guidelines and the Google AdWords Help forum to start. Apparently the rules do not apply to all of us.


Final Thoughts

My advice is to have at least two websites that are different and use different keyword phrases. One domain should make use of the most important keyword phrase in the URL and the other should not. They have decided to confuse us all to death. Use confusion to your advantage and have 10 different websites and watch and see which websites make it in which search engines. Now that is time consuming!

Goodbye to the Old Maps

An anonymous poster commented on Inventing a New Business Model (last comment at this time) that Google no longer offers phone verification for new listings, at least not in the “escort services” category. In other words they now want to mail you a postcard so the address in the listing must be correct. An excerpt from the comment:

“Google no longer offers phone verification for new business listings. I'm sure it's because of the category (Escort Services) I'm trying to submit a new listing under. I've tried pretty much everything to create an account this past month (using different IP"s, submitting to local directories, followed by Google Places, etc.) - but to no avail. The rules have changed, and it's no longer possible to enter rogue addresses for new listings...”

Perhaps this is where the Virtual Office could come in handy, even if you have an over-priced broom closet in a challenging (read crime ridden) area of the county as many in Las Vegas and Clark County must to obtain the “outcall promoter” license. If you're opening a service in Las Vegas you have probably figured out that you will be paying between $600 and $1000 a month for a broom closet that you'll never use, except of course to hang your license on the wall.

In my opinion, challenging Clark County on the requirement of the M-1 or M-D zoned office for the “outcall promoter” license is not really intelligent. Why? Well because they are otherwise friendly – they just want your money (for the license and the 1% of your gross revenue). It is best to choose your battles wisely.

Many office buildings in good areas close to McCarren International Airport or near the Strip offer virtual office space for a low monthly rate. They even toss in access to their meeting rooms so it could be the location that you use to interview escorts, dancers, and strippers initially. No escort in her right mind will want to meet with you at your broom closet office in an industrial/manufacturing area.

Now you could use that appropriately priced virtual office address for Google to mail you a postcard. Make sure that you rent one in a building as close as possible to the Strip resorts as the address should be in a good geographical proximity for this purpose. What's another $200-300 a month to have a real interview/ meeting room to use and an address for Google Places to send a postcard? Of course you could also use it for your listing address in Local.com or to receive all mail for your business. That's the point of the Virtual Office.

The thing about Google Places (formerly Maps) is that the top listings really ring the phone. If you are open to flexible pricing and quote a lower rate on that phone line, you'll be in the money. If you quote the same rates as you do on your website it is a waste of time. Quote $300 an hour in Orlando and you will say goodbye to 10 to 20 potential clients daily, on the average. If these blind callers wanted to pay that price they'd view your website, see the escorts, and pay it. People that call Maps listings are shopping around based on price.

Do not attempt to include a website in your Places/Maps listing as Google won't allow any in that have “escort” or “escort service” in the domain name, at least that is my latest research conclusion. No problem though – simply give your callers a website address with the lower rate and photos of the escorts as this is frequently requested.

The bottom line is that you'll spend a few hundred $s for that Maps listing and use of the meeting rooms, but as stated previously, the phone really rings and allows the opportunity to adjust your rate and book lots of calls. If you booked three (3) calls a month and charged $100 fee from the escorts for each call you would cover costs, but I am sure that you'll do better than that if you're flexible on rates.

 Of course you could also use your actual office in the industrial area for the Maps listing, but then a business with an address closer to the Strip or the particular resort the searcher is at will show in the listings above yours. This is using Las Vegas as an example and it could be different in your city and you may be able to actually have your office in the best area for business.

Edit @5pm to add: I looked on Craigslist in the office / commercial space category and found many listings for "virtual offices" that include a mailing address and box, use of conference rooms, and 24 hour access. This could easily be used for all mailing for your business and to schedule interviews and use the conference room. I believe that most cities have many listings in this category. Make sure the address is in the geographic proximity of where you want to book calls, for the purpose of the Maps listings.

Life evolves and we must evolve along with it.