Look at these PlentyofFish ads. Defecating animals, the usual “hot girls messaged you at POF” and now we have ads that trick members into clicking them because they look exactly like, and are positioned directly next to, photos of people on the site. Crap ads (literally) and click scams, welcome to the worlds largest online dating site.
I thought that maybe Match would come in and elevate the free dating game, but they only lasted a few months before they threw in the towel. Unfortunate, as it would have been nice to see POF and Match battling it out based on effectiveness and quality. Instead, free dating remains synonymous with a low quality experience. This is not good for consumers or the dating industry in any way shape or form. Glad to see OKCupid has chosen to stick with high road.
PlentyofFish is down-market and OKCupid is edgy. Expect to see a mid-market free dating site on the scene in 2010 which swoops in and takes the middle of the market away from both free and paid dating sites. Huge market opportunity to wedge in-between POF and OKC. Problem is, buy-in at the free online dating table is cost-prohibitive at this point. Maybe Zoosk will morph into more of a dating site and establish a position in the middle, but they’re stuck at the lower-end like POF, necessitating the need to go upscale to hit the fertile middle ground. Can you tell that I’m beginning to put together my 2010 online dating industry predictions?
