Comments on: Dating Industry circa 2006 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/ Online Dating Industry Consulting & Commentary Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:13:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jamee http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-993 Jamee Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:35:28 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-993 Background checks are a great idea. For an online dating company to run them, it can cost quite little since it would be done in bulk- i.e. all members would have them done. For instance, the Little League runs background checks on their coaches and it only costs them something like 50 cents per person. It seems like for the excessive membership fee online dating companies already charge their members, they could spare 50 cents of that profit to put it towards a background check. Background checks are a great idea. For an online dating company to run them, it can cost quite little since it would be done in bulk- i.e. all members would have them done. For instance, the Little League runs background checks on their coaches and it only costs them something like 50 cents per person. It seems like for the excessive membership fee online dating companies already charge their members, they could spare 50 cents of that profit to put it towards a background check.

]]> By: W. kelly http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-992 W. kelly Tue, 24 Jan 2006 20:56:10 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-992 The industry will not self regulate, it makes a fortune from those who run multiple profiles on just one site or those who run profiles on many sites. It does not seem to me that the dater looking to settle down is the best customer for a dating site, this person could provide little as a return customer. Serial daters would, logically, be a dating site's best customer. Matchinform.com offers a type of free date checking that is independent any dating site. We do not run a background check, we believe that there are plenty of people with good credit and no criminal background that one might still wish to avoid. We ask daters to fill out a survey regarding their online dates, and we allow daters to input a user name and see what others have said. We think cooperation in this industry, as opposed to depending upon the good intent of the Match.coms of this world will prove more effective. We would love to know what people think. email us at info@matchinform.com or use the contact us tab at www.matchinform.com. Regards, Warren H. kelly President MATCHinform, Inc. (240) 235-6005 The industry will not self regulate, it makes a fortune from those who run multiple profiles on just one site or those who run profiles on many sites.

It does not seem to me that the dater looking to settle down is the best customer for a dating site, this person could provide little as a return customer. Serial daters would, logically, be a dating site’s best customer.

Matchinform.com offers a type of free date checking that is independent any dating site. We do not run a background check, we believe that there are plenty of people with good credit and no criminal background that one might still wish to avoid.

We ask daters to fill out a survey regarding their online dates, and we allow daters to input a user name and see what others have said. We think cooperation in this industry, as opposed to depending upon the good intent of the Match.coms of this world will prove more effective.

We would love to know what people think. email us at info@matchinform.com or use the contact us tab at http://www.matchinform.com.

Regards,
Warren H. kelly
President
MATCHinform, Inc.
(240) 235-6005

]]> By: markus http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-991 markus Sat, 21 Jan 2006 06:42:33 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-991 2 more free dating sites would actually help me grow. If there are more then 3 then it would be a big negative. Lets not forget that more then 80% of dating sites revenue comes from tricking people into paying via auto renew and impulse signups. At the end of the day the majority of users will go where the biggest selection is. The paid dating industry won't die, but it may have a 50-75% reduction. The biggest unknown right now is microsoft. They are launching a free classifieds system that includes personals. This will be integrated right into MSN messenger and windows live. The project sounds down right scary. Big question is what will happen to the Match.com deal and what will happen with the lavalife deal. Both are paying to display ads on messenger and have a button. 2 more free dating sites would actually help me grow. If there are more then 3 then it would be a big negative. Lets not forget that more then 80% of dating sites revenue comes from tricking people into paying via auto renew and impulse signups. At the end of the day the majority of users will go where the biggest selection is. The paid dating industry won’t die, but it may have a 50-75% reduction.

The biggest unknown right now is microsoft. They are launching a free classifieds system that includes personals. This will be integrated right into MSN messenger and windows live. The project sounds down right scary. Big question is what will happen to the Match.com deal and what will happen with the lavalife deal. Both are paying to display ads on messenger and have a button.

]]> By: bw http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-990 bw Sat, 21 Jan 2006 02:12:35 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-990 In fact, one could argue that free dating sites like yours, markus, have more to worry about than paid sites do. If I'm a casual dater, yours and other free dating sites are lacking in features compared to the social networking giants. If I'm a serious dater, free dating and social networking sites aren't even considered. So going forward, I think the big question really is how are niche free dating sites going to compete against the social networking giants? In fact, one could argue that free dating sites like yours, markus, have more to worry about than paid sites do. If I’m a casual dater, yours and other free dating sites are lacking in features compared to the social networking giants. If I’m a serious dater, free dating and social networking sites aren’t even considered. So going forward, I think the big question really is how are niche free dating sites going to compete against the social networking giants?

]]> By: bw http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-989 bw Sat, 21 Jan 2006 01:59:53 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-989 Casual daters may move over to social networking sites, but there will always be a market for sites that cater to serious daters. And serious will always mean paid. Casual daters may move over to social networking sites, but there will always be a market for sites that cater to serious daters. And serious will always mean paid.

]]> By: RAA http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-988 RAA Sat, 21 Jan 2006 00:24:53 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-988 I hear a lot of talk about background checks, and how that's what the online dating industry needs to improve confidence in women. But here are the flaws: 1. Background checks would need to be repeated often to be meaningful. 2. Not all criminals have a record. Hence, false sense of security would be created. 3. If user pays for the check, it'd discourage users from trying out different dating sites to find one that works. 4. If websites pay for the check, the user still pays indirectly. Regional criminal search - $40 Nationwide criminal search - $50 Sites with 20 million members need to come up with $50 x 20 mill = $1000 mill. Basically a billion $$ a year for background checks! Maybe wholesale pricing and other factors could halve that. Even the whole dating industry revenue isn't anywhere near a billion a year. Do you still think background checks are realistic for mass memberships like online dating? I hear a lot of talk about background checks, and how that’s what the online dating industry needs to improve confidence in women.

But here are the flaws:

1. Background checks would need to be repeated often to be meaningful.

2. Not all criminals have a record. Hence, false sense of security would be created.

3. If user pays for the check, it’d discourage users from trying out different dating sites to find one that works.

4. If websites pay for the check, the user still pays indirectly.

Regional criminal search – $40
Nationwide criminal search – $50

Sites with 20 million members need to come up with $50 x 20 mill = $1000 mill.

Basically a billion $$ a year for background checks! Maybe wholesale pricing and other factors could halve that. Even the whole dating industry revenue isn’t anywhere near a billion a year.

Do you still think background checks are realistic for mass memberships like online dating?

]]> By: markus http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-987 markus Sat, 21 Jan 2006 00:13:27 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-987 Abika.com offers call records and the actual identity of people who use screen names on AOL, Match.com, Kiss.com, Lavalife, and Friendfinder.com. http://www.epic.org/privacy/iei/attachment_a.pdf "Anyone who starts a new dating site with the phrase "revolutionize the industry" has most likely not paid careful attention to the events of the last few years in the industry. Eharmony did it, but at what cost? " I think you mean to say that niche industries like paid dating won't be revolutionized. People are using myspace by the millions for dating and myspace is a good 3 to 6 times bigger then the entire dating industry. Going forward the big quesion is how are niche dating sites like match.com and eharmony going to compete against social networking gaints that use dating as a loss leader. Abika.com offers call records and the actual identity of people who use screen names on AOL, Match.com, Kiss.com, Lavalife, and Friendfinder.com.

http://www.epic.org/privacy/iei/attachment_a.pdf

“Anyone who starts a new dating site with the phrase “revolutionize the industry” has most likely not paid careful attention to the events of the last few years in the industry. Eharmony did it, but at what cost? ”

I think you mean to say that niche industries like paid dating won’t be revolutionized. People are using myspace by the millions for dating and myspace is a good 3 to 6 times bigger then the entire dating industry.

Going forward the big quesion is how are niche dating sites like match.com and eharmony going to compete against social networking gaints that use dating as a loss leader.

]]> By: Susan Mernit http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-986 Susan Mernit Fri, 20 Jan 2006 22:42:08 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-986 Perceptive post, David--watching a "me too" category adapt to emerging technology is one one part of all this; the other is that definitions of privacy and identity vary widely between social networking and dating sites, as does the ability to deliver actual prospects in a more focused way for those who don't *live* online. Perceptive post, David–watching a “me too” category adapt to emerging technology is one one part of all this; the other is that definitions of privacy and identity vary widely between social networking and dating sites, as does the ability to deliver actual prospects in a more focused way for those who don’t *live* online.

]]> By: Matt Lambert http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/comment-page-1/#comment-985 Matt Lambert Fri, 20 Jan 2006 09:23:17 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2006/01/dating_industry_circa_2006/#comment-985 How are startup costs minimal unless you buy an off-the-shelf solution like AEDating? How are startup costs minimal unless you buy an off-the-shelf solution like AEDating?

]]>