Back from a few days on Nantucket. I feel like I’ve been away for a month. Next week I’m taking a few days off as well, need to get in some summertime fun while it lasts.
ReadWriteWeb says:
More than 10% of the searches for the top 10 dating search terms were URLs (match.com, plentyoffish.com) and almost all of the queries were something that .com could have been added to for direct navigation. If mainstream users learned to navigate using the address bar instead of the search bar – what would happen to the search economy and innovation online?
Follow the link to see dating search terms, from Hitwise. Turns out browser builders should probably get rid of the address bar and just go with a Google search box instead.
June Hitwise Dating Site Rankings from Online Personals Watch. I don’t know why I bother to even mention traffic stats, all they reflect is the amount of money sites spend on advertising. It’s the same handful of sites which continue to buy lots of cheap traffic. The numbers have zero to do with the quality of the sites, so what if you can drive a lot of traffic to your site? Just look at how Mate1 is falling off the chart after spending millions to break into the top 10.
What is the value of Yahoo Personals? I can’t believe Hitwise didn’t break out Y! Personals traffic in this article about the value of Yahoo properties.
SNAP Interactive’s ‘Are You Interested’ Dating Application Surpasses 10 Million Users on Facebook.
I love hearing about advice for making a great first impression. Lately I’ve been thinking about the importance of a great personal ad photo. I have 25 photos on Match. I’m snowboarding, driving a tractor, riding my bike, standard boring professional headshot, holding up a giant fish, relaxing with friends or doing rock-star karaoke. I want to show that I have range.
But what constitutes a great primary photo? A friend told me that he put his profile photos on HotOrNot and found out that his primary photo didn’t get nearly as good a response as some of his other pix. What a great idea.
IsACatch takes on Engage. Site home page features a McCain ad, huh?
Because sometimes someone else isn’t around to help.
Facebook Chat Easter Eggs.
SpeedDate Facebook application bites the dust.
Online Dating Goes Web 3.0 with MyLove2be.com. Throwing a bunch of features together isn’t what makes a great dating site, and what’s with charging for the service?
G-dating Dating Site Builder.
HuffPo on Today’s #1 Dating Problem: Love Maximization.
Unfortunately, in today’s online world, it’s very easy to become a “love maximizer” with the tempting smorgasbord of dating choices constantly available. With so much choice, it’s so easy to fall into the temptation of seeking an “upgrade”–even when your sweetie is total sweetie! Or you can wind up with “choice paralysis” and not be able to get into a relationship at all.
OPW’s MyDouble CEO interview. Facial recognition is the new speed dating. There are several well-funded facial recognition companies entering the online dating space. I don’t see the value in the whole “sharing matched photos with friends” thing. That’s not a business, that’s a fun little widget for your profile page. Based on the demos I’ve seen and the conversations I’m having with companies in the space, there are much more compelling ways to implement pattern matching. I’ll be talking a lot more about this in the near future.
Eharmony blog says eHarmony is buying ProjectWedding.
Client Viximo was mentioned in a Boston Globe article about virtual goods. Businessweek has a similar article, Venture Capital Loves Virtual.
Match.com has tiered pricing on the subscription page (thanks to my friend up north for the info.) Did someone at Match go buy some new servers? Site is positively snappy these days.
According to Job listing aggregator Indeed, Yahoo! Personals is looking for a new General Manager. What’s that, 4 managers in as many years? Current GM Egon Smola has been in the position eight months. Here are the official Y! Personals Job Openings.
Bring out the Tinfoil Hats: Paranormal Passions introduces 100% free social networking & online dating for believers in the paranormal…and for those who aren’t sure, but have an open mind. With groups allowing members to focus on their particular area of interest, it is easy to find people who share a passion for ghost hunting, psychic phenomena, UFO’s & hauntings. While there is no way of knowing if other-worldly participants watch over the site too, it would be a great place for them to find open minds, wouldn’t it.
My favorite story of the week by far: President Bush Boosts Porn Industry With Economic Stimulus Plan.
