Part 3 : Advertising and competition on the "horizon"

Do you actively promote your site, how do fans find your site?
I really don't do any active promotion other than the occasional interview like this. One of the main reasons the site has grown so well is that it has been purely by word of mouth.

How does the advertising process work on your site?
I signed on with a company who represents me and gets advertisers for me. Basically they do all the work for a commission and I can continue to concentrate on providing good content. The advertising is non-pervasive, I have total control and ownership over content of the site, and I get a base monthly payment (i.e. a secure income).

In looking at web sites in general, including your own, do you look at sites from an artist's view or a market view?
I always look at them first from an artist's perspective. I look at sites from a marketing side if necessary but the "look and feel" of a site is always more important to me than its marketing angle. I could for example easily double or triple the amount of advertising on my site but I choose not to because the "look" is first and foremost to me.

What is your least favorite thing about advertising on web sites in general? And do you think there is a specific type of advertising that works best on web sites?
I hate intrusive advertising, the kind that pops up in little boxes and interrupts the easy flow from one site to another. And despite the fact that they're "going out of style", I still think banner ads are way and above the rest.

Your site is consistently rated as one of the best "movie" content sites, how do you keep it above the competition?
I don't really worry about the competition and they don't worry about me. There's a friendly rivalry but the truth is we're all so busy doing our own work that we don't have time to concentrate on 'beating out' one another. In fact, we help each other where we can. To me the only kind of competition I try to beat is my own expectation of what my site should accomplish.

Why do you think it's so important to have multiple links for people once they hit your website?
I find lots of people are always eager to learn more about a subject if it interests them and the links provide them the option to find more.

What's the most frequent question your visitors ask via e-mail?
Usually they ask, "Do you make money from this, and if so how?" to which I always answer, "It's very difficult."

Continued...