There are 54 Million Single Americans
The virtual services to find a soul mate are becoming an increasingly familiar part of America's social life. Since 2009, the online dating industry has grown 100%, with 20 million more people having visited or used an online dating domain. And since 2006, about 17% of married couples have met using an online dating site.
- 40 million Americans have tired online dating
- 1.2 million Canadians have tried online dating
Online daters flock towards the internet world of meeting people because it allows them to browse other singles from the comfort of their own home and without face-to-face rejection. The busy lifestyle many people lead, also tends to push especially professional singles towards the speed and ease of online dating. There is also the ability to weed out obvious miss-matches, or those who do not fit the standards users are looking to fill. For whichever reason, people are flocking to online dating domains, making it the perfect time to invest in a new business centered around matchmaking.
How Much Money Can be Made From an Online Dating Domain?
The online dating industry has increased from a $900 million industry in 2007 to a $1.9 billion industry in 2012. While the average subscription cost has become more affordable in the $35-$50 range, the number of subscribers has increased dramatically, leading to the higher industry success.
Both Match.com and Chemistry.com earned 105.2 million each in 2001 alone. The average person spends $239 on online dating each year. It's not just an American opportunity either- European online services are seeing revenues from online dating domains jump as well year over year.
Start your business with an Online Dating Name: Ten Steps to Success
Online dating domains are hot property on the Internet right now, mainly due to the fact that there's a good deal of money to be made with virtual matchmaking. Below are ten suggestions for a successful dating site.
- Specialize
There are already several general dating services online that dominate the market. Instead of trying to compete with these sites directly, focus on specific groups for your dating domain. Possible social groups you could target include over 55, single professionals, grandparents, or single parents. By narrowing your target audience you can offer focused and attractive services (and hopefully focused and attractive dates!).
- Keep it Local
Only the largest dating services can offer nationwide services. Smaller services can have more success restricting their services to a single city or state. An added advantage to limiting the range of a dating domain is that you can make specific recommendations for local restaurants and activities based on the type of date people are looking to go on. For example, if your service is set up in New York, you may suggest that a romantic Christmas time date would include ice skating in Central Park.
- Dating Software
Invest in a reputable dating software program. You need some method of cataloguing, sorting and matching clients. You likely will also want to have a feature that allows your clients to search your database, update their profiles and view other people's profiles.
- Relationship Advice
Advice on dating can increase interest in your site. Articles on dating, romance tips and relationships are all possible content ideas that will help your dating domain rank well in search engines, as well as lure users into return visits.
- Questions and Tests
Offering fun tests and personality quizzes will keep site users coming back for more. Horoscopes, compatibility tests, and romantic personality tests are all fun ways for people to use your site.
- Communication is Key
For your dating service to succeed, your subscribers need to be able to communicate, either through forums, private messages or instant messaging. Dating service software often includes instant messaging options for dating businesses.
- Games
Multi-player games allow prospective couples to interact in a non-threatening environment, adding another layer of interest to your website. Instant messaging services often include a variety of games.
- Cellular Satisfaction
Internet access is fast becoming a standard feature in cell phones, so why not make it work for you? Dating service subscribers can check messages, play games and take quizzes anywhere if your service has a free phone app to go with it.
- Success stories
Devote a section of the dating domain to tooting your own horn. Invite couples who met through your site to tell their stories- where they met for the first date, which site features brought them together and recommendations for using the site.
- Branch out
You don't need to run a online dating service to be a success in the dating industry. Large online dating domains have a constant demand for new content, whether it be horoscopes, dating advice, new quizzes or new games. Often, smaller businesses don't succeed in running a matchmaking site. Rather, they make money by selling its website's services to the larger sites.
