Darian…Currently we’re in 22 states (43 cities) with another 10 locations ready to be rolled out in Q1 2010. These locations are NOT affiliates nor are they franchise locations… they’re all under the IDV umbrella. We’re growing mainly through acquisition.

Ross… The conversion rate from online member to offline member all depends on how the opportunity is presented to the members. Sites that collect phone numbers from their members see a higher conversion rate… we’re able to call the member directly and present the off-line Matchmaking proposition. A dating site first needs to determine what percentage of their database is qualified for Matchmaking… you would base this on zip code and income (we’re assuming they’re “single”). We work with sites on a CPA and rev share models. Eddy does a great job in the UK though the business model is a bit different. I’ll be happy to get into more detail at iDate…

Joe… Matchmaking is for the every-day-person. As long as you have a job, you’re emotionally ready to meet new people, can pass a criminal background check and are realistic on the type of person you want to meet… Matchmaking can work for you.

Our goal at eLove is to monetize every lead we generate…be it with online dating or matchmaking. The ultimate is when a paid online member upgrades to a paid matchmaking member. The synergies between online & off-line go far beyond lead generation! Our matchmakers have the ability to mine the online database to support their matchmaking efforts.

Terry
eLove

I didn’t pay or do anything besides talk to the salespeople, learn about the intake process, the info they match on (and how much is intuitive) and see how the operation runs. I received no special treatment besides lunch.

Matchmaking Institute may have International scope through partnerships, but there is not single global matchmaker that I am aware of (and their certainly may well be one.)

You would be surprised at how the average age of people using matchmaking services is trending downwards, or so people tell me.

After a few years on a dating site, paying a few grand to get targeted matches starts to make a lot more sense to some people, and not necessarily rich.

Matchmaking seems like a lucrative business, I think online dating is more focused on the technical aspects. I think the matchmaking institute has a global database that matchmakers and customers can log into. The one area that will always be lucrative is wealthy marriages. Wealthy men want privacy and single women want the wealthy husband. Anyone who advertises that as a coaching service and does it successfully will have it made.