Best way to start your own dating website
Those who are in the dating industry now and then play with the idea of starting their own Plenty of Fish, OKCupid or something else
But only a few people who have some knowledge about the niche competition make an attempt. And those few have a few options to go:
- make dating site from scratch
- make use of some free dating software that no doubt needs much customization
- just join some program running dating white label site programs
What are pros and cons of each option?
To tell the truth, I do not see any pros, but cons.
OPTION 1: to go this way you should be either well funded or simply out of your mind… but probably you are good at coding and months to toy with this project.
OPTION 2: if you think that free dating software is an easy way to build a decent dating site – you are wrong. Customization can take the same amount of time and funds as option 1. It is extremely difficult to edit someone’s code.
OPTION 3: white label site… No problem with software, and even no problem with user database. At first glance. Firstly, the user database is likely to be months old – so the users are likely to be inclined to actively interact. Secondly, you will run into the problem with search engine rankings and Google will filter most of your pages for duplicate content – this very user database is crawled with some other website.
There are probably more options to enter the game. For instance, go some niche. But you face other sort of problem – most popular niches are filled by top general dating sites. And if you target some less popular niche you will get LOW demand and too small user base.
My conclusion:
FORGET ABOUT STARTING YOUR OWN DATING SITE
Do you share this point? Would be great to listen some others ideas.
Would like to take a speed dating dinner?
Speed dating is relatively new – it really took off at the end of the last century. The idea is to meet many people at one time looking for relationships or more.
A short conversation lasts 5 minutes or so, and then a ring bells and people change their speed dating partners. At the end of the date the participants provide the organizers with the list of those who they would like to share their contact information with. This is how it works.
How much time does it take to decide if you would like to add this person to your ‘wish list’?
30 seconds. There was a research back in 2006 and the findings show that this is the amount of time required to take that important decision. In my opinion, it is 99% based on your partner appearance.
Unlike ‘online dating’ ’speed dating’ enjoys a healthy demand and it justifies why more and more dating agencies offer this sort of service:
Is it a good or bad way to do partner search? It is a hard question to answer. I think it is good as it:
a) allows meeting many people
b) imposes no pressure on speed dating participants
c) increases you’re your chances to find someone to your liking
In China speed dating took one step forward – they run speed dating for business men to define potential partners for cooperation.
Mature dating is a nice target for online dating services
General dating is the niche that is so competitive that one needs millions or some smart ideas to enter and to compete with those who are key players now. So most newly started dating sites target some niche. Seniors are a nice niche to target – now they feel comfortable with PC & internet – thanks to their children and grandchildren. And they are less likely to hang out at the discos looking for a new affair.
Just to confirm the above make a simple query for ’online dating site’ with demographics prediction tool to discover that this search is most popular with:
• 23% - 35-49
• 27.20% - 25-34
• 13.20% - 50+
I think you get the picture.
A few services of this kind are reviewed at this website. New are launched on a monthly basis I guess.
If you would like to understand how matures really approach online dating then you should not miss this CBS news published article with experienced shared by 56-old lady. For those who do not get excited to read that - a new senior dating service (UK based) press release:
MatureFreeAndSingle.com, a New Dating and Friendship Site Launches for the Over Fifties
This month sees the launch of MatureFreeAndSingle.com, a niche online dating site aimed at the over fifties singles in the UK.
Even though the popularity of internet dating continues to grow, one of the UK’s largest consumer groups has rarely been catered for specifically - single men and women over the age of fifty. It was this gap in the market that gave Paula Taylor the inspiration to launch MatureFreeAndSingle.com, an online dating service aimed specifically at senior singles.
“The over fifties feel that the more general dating sites do not always cater for them well enough” says founder Paula Taylor. “At MFS, we’ve made it so that people who join know exactly what to expect. A vibrant community of like-minded mature adults and an easy-to-use, no-nonsense website.”
And they won’t be disappointed. MatureFreeAndSingle has thousands of UK over fifties members. While people can join, browse and fill out their profile for free, Full Membership starts at just £5.41 a month (for a 12 month subscription), and provides a whole host of features and benefits:
- Confidential Email service
- Full profile and demographic searching
- Automatch
- Give gifts to potential friends
- Keep your diary and read your friends’
- Have your personality profiled
- Horoscopes
- Romantic & personality matching with potential partners.
Although MatureFreeAndSingle.com is a niche dating site, this is a niche that is certainly growing. There were 20 million people aged 50 and over in the United Kingdom in 2003. The number is projected to continue increasing, with the over fifties accounting for over 50% of the UK population by 2020. And they are becoming increasingly active and socially mobile too.
“People in their fifties and above are in the prime of life, and are great fun to work with. The common misconception is that if you’re over fifty, it’s the beginning of the end. But far from it!” says Paula. “People are rich with experience, affluent, keen to enjoy their life to the full, and know what they want from life or a partner. I’m really proud that MatureFreeAndSingle.com has been so well received so far.”