Comments on: The Widening Gap between Dating Sites As The Market Matures http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/ Online Dating Industry Consulting & Commentary Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:50:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Allen http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-306067 Michael Allen Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:25:20 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-306067 Most of you have it all wrong. First of all, no one in their right mind will post what is making their site successful. Who would do that? Why give your competition your ideas? That just doesn't make sense. Traffic is key. You can sit here all day and talk about quality members but what defines a quality member? One that pays? No, it's not in the metric. It's a numbers game and content is key. Your site can look like crap and you can still make more money than your competition. Just look at POF. The site lacks everything in terms of a good looking site but what he has is is content and traffic. Content being members and traffic being people coming to look at content. The goal of any dating site owner is not to show that you have something better and cooler than your competition, it's to show that you have a good following and following can only come in time. Successful dating site owners are in it for the long haul and those that put in the time reap the rewards. It's just that simple. One bit of advice for anyone who has a dating site is that you need to become personable with your members. Remember that customer service also goes hand in hand with a dating site. The minute you show you are personally connected to your site and members is the minute you are one leg up on your competitor that doesn't. Most of you have it all wrong. First of all, no one in their right mind will post what is making their site successful. Who would do that? Why give your competition your ideas? That just doesn’t make sense.

Traffic is key. You can sit here all day and talk about quality members but what defines a quality member? One that pays? No, it’s not in the metric. It’s a numbers game and content is key. Your site can look like crap and you can still make more money than your competition. Just look at POF. The site lacks everything in terms of a good looking site but what he has is is content and traffic. Content being members and traffic being people coming to look at content.

The goal of any dating site owner is not to show that you have something better and cooler than your competition, it’s to show that you have a good following and following can only come in time. Successful dating site owners are in it for the long haul and those that put in the time reap the rewards. It’s just that simple.

One bit of advice for anyone who has a dating site is that you need to become personable with your members. Remember that customer service also goes hand in hand with a dating site. The minute you show you are personally connected to your site and members is the minute you are one leg up on your competitor that doesn’t.

]]> By: Thoughts on Niche Dating Sites | ZikBlog http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-301748 Thoughts on Niche Dating Sites | ZikBlog Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:55:40 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-301748 [...] The Widening Gap between Dating Sites As The Market Matures [...] [...] The Widening Gap between Dating Sites As The Market Matures [...]

]]> By: EuropeanKiss http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-238236 EuropeanKiss Thu, 07 May 2009 19:02:48 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-238236 Pemo, I agree! I'm the CEO of EuropeanKIss and have been working very hard in gaining trust in users, making sure any support or help inquires are answered promptly and filtering scammers and spammers. Most dating sites are full of scammers, spammers, fake profiles and very bad designed, because they don't care about the users, they care about $$. Don't get me wrong, yes online dating is a business, but as in any business (online or off) they need to be done in a customer is always right fashion, because any trused business brings back more business in new customers or repeat customers (Users) Tony EuropeanKiss Pemo,

I agree! I’m the CEO of EuropeanKIss and have been working very hard in gaining trust in users, making sure any support or help inquires are answered promptly and filtering scammers and spammers.

Most dating sites are full of scammers, spammers, fake profiles and very bad designed, because they don’t care about the users, they care about $$.

Don’t get me wrong, yes online dating is a business, but as in any business (online or off) they need to be done in a customer is always right fashion, because any trused business brings back more business in new customers or repeat customers (Users)

Tony
EuropeanKiss

]]> By: Pemo Theodore http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-238235 Pemo Theodore Thu, 07 May 2009 18:41:13 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-238235 A bit late to the party - sorry - but I would like to second Jonas's comment. Please could we have more CEOs of dating sites with heart and vision! Money isnt all there is to any business and making sure that your customers have lots of support to find a good match means that your site gets credibility and therefore more customers. Its very short sighted & basically greedy to rip people off where their hearts are concerned! Great post Dave, yet again, thanks Pemo A bit late to the party – sorry – but I would like to second Jonas’s comment. Please could we have more CEOs of dating sites with heart and vision! Money isnt all there is to any business and making sure that your customers have lots of support to find a good match means that your site gets credibility and therefore more customers. Its very short sighted & basically greedy to rip people off where their hearts are concerned! Great post Dave, yet again, thanks Pemo

]]> By: Kamran http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-237387 Kamran Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:54:46 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-237387 I know what you mean about difficulties getting traction. I started my site two years ago. A typical site would not be able to start without lots of promotion money. I went back to the drawing board and am adding some options that I think are innovative (which goes back to your point). Unfortunately, software development is just too time intensive and has taken a long time adding those options. I know what you mean about difficulties getting traction. I started my site two years ago. A typical site would not be able to start without lots of promotion money. I went back to the drawing board and am adding some options that I think are innovative (which goes back to your point). Unfortunately, software development is just too time intensive and has taken a long time adding those options.

]]> By: Jackie http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-237381 Jackie Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:24:39 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-237381 Fernando has been attacking all compatibility matching systems for years and yet his solution has yet to match a single couple. All I’m saying is put up or chill out. Throwing a ton of math at us in a comment is counterproductive and after the 75th time it gets old. Couldn't agree with you more!!! Oops...forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one. Fernando has been attacking all compatibility matching systems for years and yet his solution has yet to match a single couple. All I’m saying is put up or chill out. Throwing a ton of math at us in a comment is counterproductive and after the 75th time it gets old.

Couldn’t agree with you more!!!
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.

]]> By: Jackie http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-237380 Jackie Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:44:23 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-237380 Fernando has been attacking all compatibility matching systems for years and yet his solution has yet to match a single couple. All I’m saying is put up or chill out. Throwing a ton of math at us in a comment is counterproductive and after the 75th time it gets old. Couldn't agree with you more!!! Fernando has been attacking all compatibility matching systems for years and yet his solution has yet to match a single couple. All I’m saying is put up or chill out. Throwing a ton of math at us in a comment is counterproductive and after the 75th time it gets old.

Couldn’t agree with you more!!!

]]> By: Mark Brooks http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-237370 Mark Brooks Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:18:02 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-237370 Forget pareto. The top 10% of dating sites account for 90% of the traffic these days. Any dating service that is resting on its laurels at this stage won't be around in 6 months. Forget pareto. The top 10% of dating sites account for 90% of the traffic these days.

Any dating service that is resting on its laurels at this stage won’t be around in 6 months.

]]> By: Jonas Cronfeld http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-237363 Jonas Cronfeld Fri, 03 Apr 2009 06:59:26 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-237363 @ casualencounters.com/blog/ That's like a doctor saying his plan is NOT to help his clients get well - and that's just plain sick! Or the auto mechanic intentionally leaving some parts broking, so he'll know they'll come back. Dooooh! All the best, Jonas Co-founder, <a href="http://dating.co.uk" rel="nofollow">Dating.co.uk</a> @ casualencounters.com/blog/

That’s like a doctor saying his plan is NOT to help his clients get well – and that’s just plain sick! Or the auto mechanic intentionally leaving some parts broking, so he’ll know they’ll come back. Dooooh!

All the best,

Jonas
Co-founder, Dating.co.uk

]]> By: Sam Moorcroft http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/comment-page-1/#comment-237356 Sam Moorcroft Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:58:39 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2009/04/the-widening-gap-between-dating-sites-as-the-market-matures/#comment-237356 My observation about dating posts and comments is that there are two types, which (mostly) pass each other in the night. 1. The "art" of the space, as in, the look, feel, algorithms, feature sets and innovation strategies, etc. 2. The "business" of dating, as in, making $$. So, we have people talking past each other, over and under each other's heads, getting frustrated on occassion, then the odd post which never seems to make *any* sense, coming way out in left field somewhere (ahem, Fernando, cough cough), and so on. Yes, it would be nice to have better sites and those *few* of us (who actually *make* serious money, and don't just talk about it as if it is something that really doesn't matter, as if we are somehow above that) in the space are constantly looking at ways to do this. But, we are driven (mostly) by the market and *not* by some quest to have the coolest, cutting edge site for art's sake. Well, ok, some of us are, but we wouldn't be doing all that if we weren't successful financially. I find it amusing watching all these people out there prancing on about this thing or that which has to be done or else we are going to disappear(!), because they are clearly experts and we are clueless. Yes, the few of who actually make any money are clueless. Ahh, art and business. Never the twain shall meet;-) My observation about dating posts and comments is that there are two types, which (mostly) pass each other in the night.

1. The “art” of the space, as in, the look, feel, algorithms, feature sets and innovation strategies, etc.

2. The “business” of dating, as in, making $$.

So, we have people talking past each other, over and under each other’s heads, getting frustrated on occassion, then the odd post which never seems to make *any* sense, coming way out in left field somewhere (ahem, Fernando, cough cough), and so on.

Yes, it would be nice to have better sites and those *few* of us (who actually *make* serious money, and don’t just talk about it as if it is something that really doesn’t matter, as if we are somehow above that) in the space are constantly looking at ways to do this. But, we are driven (mostly) by the market and *not* by some quest to have the coolest, cutting edge site for art’s sake. Well, ok, some of us are, but we wouldn’t be doing all that if we weren’t successful financially.

I find it amusing watching all these people out there prancing on about this thing or that which has to be done or else we are going to disappear(!), because they are clearly experts and we are clueless. Yes, the few of who actually make any money are clueless.

Ahh, art and business. Never the twain shall meet;-)

]]>