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First impressions
I thought about this while posting in another thread, but found nothing else mentioned here when I did a search (OMG, a search? Get out!).
My question is about the default thumbnail image that members and potential members see in an online gallery (for any cam site). MFC seems to have an "anything goes" look, but for the most part, the models image will be a capture from her actual cam, or a professional image (or at least one taken with an actual camera). And I'm not sure but I think at least one site has two images, one for when the model is online, and another for when she is off.
What is best?
I would guess that a quality image, maybe from your pay site or one that you use for twitter, facebook, or whatever would be the best way to go if your all about "brand" and having control over your actual image. But, there is something of value in having a sample image that reflect what a guy is going to get when he follows the link (at least in terms of room and lighting, not really in how your dressed).
Would you change it every time you logged in (if you could) or maybe just change it every few weeks? What about a site that grabs a still shot and uses that, with the chance of having something where your not even in the picture, or it's not your best side (or even, catching you at the end of a private when your half naked or "mid-action").
This probably relates to a bio/profile page, and what images members and non-members have access too, but I'm really just wondering about that first impression right now. Seeing a great loking image, but finding a different woman on the other end of the cam hurts the model (I suspect guys that don't notice are the ones that won't pay, lol) as well as the site. Do you live-up to the impression a guy gets when he looks at your thumbnail? Do your fans scan the online listing for your default instead of your name!?
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Re: First impressions
I recently found this tutorial REALLY, really useful in terms of designing an avatar: http://www.myhoneysuckle.com/thumbnail-tip/
That said, I'm not sure if I've totally figured out what works best for me yet. I generally cycle between a handful of images, but I'm undecided re: the utility of change vs. consistent visual branding.