Andy Cramer founded gay.net two years ago as a BBS. He aspires to "make it the largest and best online gay community in the world." In March, it launched on the Web and to date has 8,600 paid subscribers, two-thirds from the US and one-third from abroad. "This is by far the most interesting thing I've done," says Andy of the start-up, "because we have the ability to reach a worldwide community."
The site functions as a meeting place, but it's more than just a matchmaking service. "You don't form relationships online, you make introductions," says Andy. Andy and company designed the site to be the "gateway to the Internet for gay males." Says Andy, "We did it because there's a need for it," stressing the urgency of having a safe and comfortable online community space. "We're uniting people every day who otherwise would be isolated."
With that in mind, the site features profiles of its members; daily chats on a variety of topics; over 80 gay newspapers from around the world, including Rio's Night and Gay, Phili's Gay News, and the Washington Blade; an extensive resource for gay Web sites; and a section called "Erotica."
But perhaps what makes gay.net a successful gathering spot is its intimate community feel. At the click of a mouse, visitors can get a list of who is on the site at the moment. And if Bob sees that Rob is online, all he has to do is page him to be able to chat privately.
Of course, other Web sites, both big and small, are designed to serve the same role as gay.net. Some, like AOL's OnQ, are offshoots of larger sites, but cater to a more specific crowd. But the evolution of gay communities online is beginning to favor smaller, independent sites. In Andy's words, "AOL was everything for everybody. Now the specialty stores are opening up."
Andy is no stranger to starting up businesses with a gay target market. He founded Headlines in San Francisco, a clothing and novelty store for gay men. But Andy no longer holds a financial interest in the company, devoting all of his energy to the Web site.
Gay.net is run out of spacious offices still sporting the just-moved-in look. Located in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood, the site currently operates with a staff of 18 employees. Only six people work on content from the links pages to the online chats. Naturally, most employees tend to put in long hours. "It's very much a start-up organization," says chief operating officer Larry Diamond.
But gay.net is adding to its small crew and looking to expand its online community with a director of marketing. The chosen candidate will develop programs to build and retain membership and oversee the production of all press materials. The ideal hire will have an extensive background in consumer marketing as well as experience in promotional, direct response, and renewal efforts. Andy adds that although the company tends to be a gay environment, "anyone could take the job."
The marketing director will also play a direct role in keeping the site financially healthy. Since the US$9.95 per month subscriptions are gay.net's lifeblood, bringing in more members will boost the site's earnings. The company's goal is to turn a profit from its member base, but right now it still gets some support from private funding.
This article appeared originally in HotWired.
