Who actually likes the new erslist website?

[bcneil]

I appreciate this feedback. Honestly, we're not trying to be shady. Perhaps this is an issue that Nik can address. If my offer is for a 2-hour pampering session (very popular, btw) I hate that I have to place $350/hr in that box, because obviously it throws a few guys off. I immediately add, in the ad, that the $350 is for 2-hours, but it does confuse things somewhat, and it's not my fault, nor me trying to be Slim Shady!

I doesn't sound like you are being shady at all. This doesn't really work for ladies that only offer 2 hours or longer session, nor does it work for ladies that only provide 30-45 minute sessions. For your situation, it probably reduces the number of guys that see your ad, lots of guys probably use a max under $350. They never even see your ad, to see you explain its two hours. Even the guys that don't use the rate screening tool, still might scroll past your ad, that $350/hr is large font and bright blue, hard to miss.
Therefore it is something the site should try to address. As doing so improves the site. But if a lady does offer hour long sessions, then IMHO she should use that rate in her headline. Not her half hour rate, or some random lower rate to increase viewership of her ad.

 

[PlayfulAlex]

I doesn't sound like you are being shady at all. This doesn't really work for ladies that only offer 2 hours or longer session, nor does it work for ladies that only provide 30-45 minute sessions. For your situation, it probably reduces the number of guys that see your ad, lots of guys probably use a max under $350. They never even see your ad, to see you explain its two hours. Even the guys that don't use the rate screening tool, still might scroll past your ad, that $350/hr is large font and bright blue, hard to miss.

Therefore it is something the site should try to address. As doing so improves the site. But if a lady does offer hour long sessions, then IMHO she should use that rate in her headline. Not her half hour rate, or some random lower rate to increase viewership of her ad.

Thanks again for the feedback, bcneil; in my case, I also have ads that feature my one-hour GFE sessions (200), and my massage sessions (150/180). It is a little confusing with this new system, but I trust that Nik is working the bugs out!

 

[here4fun]

I like the new search function

Do not look at the ad on the right

But too many things do not work, profiles, ersbook, forum, chat. The site should not have been launched until it had at least the same functionality as the old site

 

[Smilf]

So then its the sites fault that the SPs are stating false hourly rates to grab attention?

If a car dealer advertises a car for $499 a month, and the fine print in the ad states $499 biweekly....its not shady?

Are you freakin serious? DO YOU NOT comprehend that it's the format of the site that she can't list all her rates for her different services?

So it makes her shady because she can't but meanwhile Nik is the one forcing her to put a rate in that box?

Christ Neil, you've been pooning for how long and you don't know ladies have different rates?

So from what you're saying a lady should miss out on massage clients or full service clients because she has to put a rate in there to suit YOUR needs? Because that's what's going to happen if she chooses one or the other for an hourly rate.

Get a freakin grip man!

On the new competitors site most of the ladies don't have to put a rate in their ads, so they're not fooling anyone.

Do you know how many guys don't even bother to read the full ad or web site even when rates are there plain in their faces?

Even when I put rates in my ads .. do you know how many times a day I still have to answer that question?

What may be easier for you experienced guys isn't always easier for newbies.

And how many asian ladies fool guys with rates? Should we even go there with their $20 and $40 so called specials.

It's stupid IMHO to FORCE ladies to put rates in the headlines of their ads, this ain't WalMart, you're paying for an experience.

I really, really don't miss Vancouver at all.

 

[PlayfulAlex]

snip...So it makes her shady because she can't but meanwhile Nik is the one forcing her to put a rate in that box?

In all fairness, Nik isn't forcing me to do anything, it is an optional ad feature, which I'd like to use but, as bcneil has pointed out, it is most likely detrimental for me to do so, at this point.

For now, I'm going to remove the donation amount from the headline, and place that detail in the body of the ad instead. $350 for 2-hours. Fingers crossed!

And thanks again for the input, folks!

 

[Vancityads]

As requested.. all the micro spam was removed from the ad system, We will do our best to keep removing it

 

[bcneil]

Are you freakin serious? DO YOU NOT comprehend that it's the format of the site that she can't list all her rates for her different services?

So it makes her shady because she can't but meanwhile Nik is the one forcing her to put a rate in that box?

Christ Neil, you've been pooning for how long and you don't know ladies have different rates?

So from what you're saying a lady should miss out on massage clients or full service clients because she has to put a rate in there to suit YOUR needs? Because that's what's going to happen if she chooses one or the other for an hourly rate.

Get a freakin grip man!

On the new competitors site most of the ladies don't have to put a rate in their ads, so they're not fooling anyone.

Do you know how many guys don't even bother to read the full ad or web site even when rates are there plain in their faces?

Even when I put rates in my ads .. do you know how many times a day I still have to answer that question?

What may be easier for you experienced guys isn't always easier for newbies.

And how many asian ladies fool guys with rates? Should we even go there with their $20 and $40 so called specials.

It's stupid IMHO to FORCE ladies to put rates in the headlines of their ads, this ain't WalMart, you're paying for an experience.

I really, really don't miss Vancouver at all.

Good lord. What a spazz.

Lets use your brain.

This is a thread about how we like the new format.

I have pointed out something about it I find lacking.

It is one of 2 things.

A site limitation or SPs intentionally abusing the system.

If its a problem with the site as you seem to think. THEN THIS IS THE IDEAL THREAD TO ADDRESS THAT.

As Alex points out, you don't need to enter your hourly rates at all in the headline.....nobody is forcing you to.

 

[erslist]

Thanks again for another thread full of great feedback.
The other features are coming, they have all been designed and are being worked on at the moment. I will touch on them in the next post.
For now we are focussing on being the best Ad site that we can be

Other than that, they released the new site before it was completed... sections like ersbook, ersdir aren't available; hence, the new website is currently a stripped down version of the old one.

Also, the "Take Cover" button is useless... sure it takes you to a non escort like page; however, if anyone is looking at your computer, they'll still see that the tab says "Female Escorts | ERSList". Either fix that or scrap the whole idea.

One more thing... why didn't they design a mobile version of the user interface for people looking at the site from their smart phones? That would have been a big win! As it stands, the previous web site was much easier to view on the smart phone. The new site sucks for this.

-We planned the launch in steps. Based on stats, the social features of the site were used by less then 5% of the user base. Users came to visit the site for the ADS. We are working on the other features and they will be released. We will still very much plan on offering them.

-Take cover is a convenient tool to use when someone is walking by or relatively close. If you actually need to get off the site its best to just close it.

-Mobile version. Yes we do need a mobile version and it is currently being worked on.

Erslist was a lot more easier to navigate before. What I dont like about it is, when your searching in Burnaby only and you then click on a ad, read it, then click back to the whole burnaby page, it doesn't go to the Burnaby page. It takes you back to " metro Vancouver " page. So you then have to click the burnaby section ....again. It does this everytime you click on a single ad.

I hate that. It was easier before imo.

-That should still work like that, give it a try.

In all fairness, Nik isn't forcing me to do anything, it is an optional ad feature, which I'd like to use but, as bcneil has pointed out, it is most likely detrimental for me to do so, at this point.

For now, I'm going to remove the donation amount from the headline, and place that detail in the body of the ad instead. $350 for 2-hours. Fingers crossed!

And thanks again for the input, folks!

The rate is optional. When you are on the post-ad pages it says 'optional'.

 

[Smilf]

Still don't know why you're paying someone to design a mobile site when you could've just bought a responsive site.

And I initially read in several threads that listing the rates was going to be mandatory.

 

[erslist]

A few key points...

Removal of tabs and the new design.

The main functionality didn't really change much. We are still an ad list with right column ads and a search, its more of a theme change. Less buttons, cleaner look, but same over all front end functionality.

The underlying issue that is brought up over and over is the City Tabs were removed. Yes tabs were fast and many users are use to it.
But look at a site with tabs for the first time and you see 10,15,20+ buttons - it is a mess. Not only does the removal of tabs clean up the design, it is less intimidating for new visitors and easier for the site to add new cities and provinces.

Try and look at this one from a step back.

$1 an ad.

This has been a big talking point. Even other sites are chiming in.

We are still free in the area's where the posts aren't in high demand.

Regarding Metro Vancouver/Female Escorts.
We offered a mix of free vs paid advertising for 2.5 years. Free works when demand is fairly low, after a point it turns into a mess. Want to moderate a site for free, focus on development and then promote it and compete with other paid sites? Sounds like mission impossible.

Is there such a thing as a great free site?

Craigslist was free, but never really free.
It came with its own cost(time) and headaches. Your daily success was based on whether your competitors or craigslist would flag your ad on that specific day. You had little control over your business or freeing up your time as you were a slave to their system. Craigslist also succeeded because it was apart of a massive parent company that offered a lot more then just escort ads.

With that being said.
I still feel there are unique benefits for users of free sites and paid sites.
However, there is absolutely no way for a free site to directly compete for traffic with a paid site. What a paid ad site can do in terms of reach through their advertising budget cannot be even remotely be compared to what a free ad site can do.

For more info.. http://www.erslist.com/blog/whyers


Why did we release the site without the rest of it?

Ok so we did we apply this change over night and clearly in a hurry. The old site was designed and developed when we were serving a few thousand visitors a day. We reached a point in traffic where the site could have failed at any given moment and there was little we could do about it. We had to make a quick strategy in releasing this site and as a business the obvious focus was on the ads.

We promise we are working on the site full time and will have the other features back and better then they were before!

We appreciate your patience while we work on this.

 

[erslist]

Just did and .....NOPE. It's still doing it.

Clicked " Burnaby / New west, then clicked a ad......viewed the ad.....then clicked the " back arrow " button on my browser......page went back to the " All city location page. I lost the burnaby / new west. .

I always have to pull the tab down and click Burnaby / new west. Always. Its a small isssue but frustrating. That never happened with the old Erslist format.

Can you please share what browser/version you are using?
If you are not using the latest version of your browser then I believe a browser update should fix your problem instantly.

 

[Smilf]

ok here, this is a responsive design http://vancouver.spverified.com - try it on a tablet, phone or pc, it adjusts to the size of the screen and the search functions move around to adjust to the screen. No need for a separate mobile site, this is what I've been trying to tell you for over a year now. You're wasting money and if you're designer had your best interests at heart, he/she would know this and be telling you about it. They offer that in forum software too . ie phpbb, no need for fancy, expensive coding any more.

You can offer free ads and still be profitable Nik, upsell on the premium ads and the agency ads, free ads are your funnel, when you kill them, you kill your sales funnel.

And take cover doesn't work on chrome.

 

[Vancityads]

So lets have a look at this.....

You changed Vancouver over to a paid version so it would not be spammed, yet it is getting spammed and your members are complaining , but at this point you have done nothing to fix it

The only change i see is you are making a lot of money off the spammers, Be honest and stop making excuses, You did this to make a ton of money off the SP's and massage parlors.. and that is fine Nik but don't dance around it with your bs.

Your members are asking for the Ersbook and other features to come back, yet once again you make excuses, Because they don't make you any money and they suck resources from your server

Your plan from day 1 was to move to a paid site and we have watched you do it in steps.

Your members are not stupid

Truth hurts hey

Van W

Also you should tell them about how you offered paid advertiser on other sites to stop paying and you would give them free banner spots on your site if they did. I'm sure Fred would love to hear about it.

 

[erslist]

ok here, this is a responsive design http://vancouver.spverified.com - try it on a tablet, phone or pc, it adjusts to the size of the screen and the search functions move around to adjust to the screen. No need for a separate mobile site, this is what I've been trying to tell you for over a year now. You're wasting money and if you're designer had your best interests at heart, he/she would know this and be telling you about it. They offer that in forum software too . ie phpbb, no need for fancy, expensive coding any more.

You can offer free ads and still be profitable Nik, upsell on the premium ads and the agency ads, free ads are your funnel, when you kill them, you kill your sales funnel.

And take cover doesn't work on chrome.

Responsive sites are great for certain businesses.

We will use ipboard for our forum. However, not a chance for the ad site.

Wordpress, ipb, vbulletin, phpbb - They are fantastic out of the box options with many themes and plugins and work great for the average site.
The second you have specific custom needs you are in for a big problem.

 

[Vancityads]

Responsive sites are great for certain businesses.

We will use ipboard for our forum. However, not a chance for the ad site.

Wordpress, ipb, vbulletin, phpbb - They are fantastic out of the box options with many themes and plugins and work great for the average site.
The second you have specific custom needs you are in for a big problem.

yes agree, if you don't know what your doing

 

[Smilf]

Responsive sites are great for certain businesses.

We will use ipboard for our forum. However, not a chance for the ad site.

Wordpress, ipb, vbulletin, phpbb - They are fantastic out of the box options with many themes and plugins and work great for the average site.
The second you have specific custom needs you are in for a big problem.

That's the key, someone does know what they're doing.

 

[erslist]

So lets have a look at this.....

You changed Vancouver over to a paid version so it would not be spammed, yet it is getting spammed and your members are complaining , but at this point you have done nothing to fix it

The only change i see is you are making a lot of money off the spammers, Be honest and stop making excuses, You did this to make a ton of money off the SP's and massage parlors.. and that is fine Nik but don't dance around it with your bs.

Your members are asking for the Ersbook and other features to come back, yet once again you make excuses, Because they don't make you any money and they suck resources from your server

Your plan from day 1 was to move to a paid site and we have watched you do it in steps.

Your members are not stupid

Truth hurts hey

Van W

Also you should tell them about how you offered paid advertiser on other sites to stop paying and you would give them free banner spots on your site if they did. I'm sure Fred would love to hear about it.

Van W,

Thank you for finally addressing me directly.

I have ignored your childish comments for a while.

Perbs and my relationship is fine, we discuss promotions openly in private.
If you target my site at every given opportunity, do not expect me to not come after you by offering incentives to your customers.

The revenue we see through ads helps us promote our site and grow our user base. Shouting Free ads and insulting your competition will only get you so far.

My reasons mentioned before for not having ERSBook up is the truth.
It is something we already acknowledged and are working on implementing. It has nothing to do with server resources, in fact server prices are very economical these days.

This is a great opportunity for you to step up and be the free ad site for Vancouver, please embrace it and take it on.

There is enough room for both of us. Handling yourself in such a manner publicly is ill advised and shows immaturity.
Has Telus or Shaw called and offered you a promo to switch over? Competition is good for business

Regards
Nik

 

[erslist]

That's the key, someone does know what they're doing.

yes agree, if you don't know what your doing

Ouch. So personal.

 

[Smilf]

Ouch. So personal.

It's not personal Nik, it's business and someone does know what they're doing

BTW if responsive and wordpress design are good enough for CNN, Ford, Anderson Cooper, Mashable, Tech Crunch, The NY Times, Pepsi, Sony Spotify, Wall Street Journal etc. they're good enough to run an ad site.

 

[erslist]

It's not personal Nik, it's business and someone does know what they're doing

I do not agree with your opinion.