Reading the interview with Shaddi founder Anupam G. Mittal over at OPW.
If you look at the UK market, in September we saw a dramatic fall.
This is the third time I’ve heard this in a week, and not just in the UK. Wondering what factors are involved with this supposed drop in traffic/conversions across the online dating industry? Social networks dropping dating ads again like Myspace did last year, general consumer malaise, the economy, or is something else responsible?
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social networks grow really fast in those months and it hurts dating sites.
Hi Dave:
The entire 2009 showed big sites like Match, Chemistry, True, eHarmony, PerfectMatch, Be2, Parship, Meetic and other paid sites have less traffic than 1 year ago or decaying in traffic.
Match, Chemistry, True, eHarmony, PerfectMatch, Be2, Parship, Meetic and other paid sites had been resting on the laurels of past glories since years.
I think daters are getting tired of those major paid online dating sites.
Tired of being scammed with “automatic renewal” of their subscriptions and other “credit-card billing trickery” that will not be allowed any more.
Why paying a subscription if PlentyOfFish and OKCupid are offering the same for free!
Regards,
Fernando Ardenghi.
Buenos Aires.
Argentina.
ardenghifer@gmail.com
Well that might be the case for large generic dating sites or personality profiling sites in the UK, but as far as media owner branded dating sites are concerned we had a good September (following a good August – lots of rain helped drive up visits!) and a very strong autumn. Widening it out, looking at 2009 versus 2008 uniques, page imps and importantly revenues all increased substantially year on year.
As I said in Miami, niche sites with a strong usp and loyal audience will increasingly prosper as users tire and move away from generic dating sites with less compatible members.