OPW -- June 15 -- If you want to start your own internet dating service you have two choices:
1. Build your own software and start from zero members, in which case your site won't convert and you'll need to spend a lot of money building your database to critical mass.
2. Or, use a white label service to set up your brand on an existing network. Low up front costs and headaches, and your site converts from the getgo, but you get typically 50% of the revenues. Not bad when you consider how much software development and customer service would cost you. Some services will even allow you to copy over your members (the members that you have generated) from their network once you reach a critical mass of users. But you'll have to negotiate this up front.
White label services make sense if you're a mega-affiliate wanting to build some brand quity, or are a newspaper or radio station, or entrepreneur wanting to try something new, etc.
Not all white label networks are created equal. WorldFriends Networks is strong in Asia only. Others are focused mainly on the UK. Some pay 30%, some 60%. I interviewed the C-levels and/or senior managers at DatingCentral, DIY Dating, EasyDate, LoveAccess, White Label Dating and WorldFriends Networks. Infinity Personals and Vintacom will join in later. Seven companies, 56 questions, in 11 areas of interest; Company Overview, Userbase, Product Offerings, Customization, Payouts, User Account Portability, Application, Implementation, Partner Support, End User Customer Support, and End User Features. I asked them the questions that YOU should ask, as a prospective user/entrepreneur/mega-affiliate.
Email me at mark@onlinepersonalswatch and I'll get the spreadsheet to you. Here's the way to use it. Mouse-over the boxes that have a little red triangle in the corner to see the notes. Then, look at the importance field and rank the items that are most important to you. 10 is most important, 0 is irrelevant. Then look at the scoring at the bottom of the spreadsheet. You can use the spreadsheet as a decision analysis tool.
I have already added in importance rankings to get you started. With my starter rankings White Label Dating came out at 224 and EasyDate came had 165. But don't use my rankings, create your own. Let me know how it goes, and any suggestions for improving/adding to the spreadsheet. - Mark Brooks
This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch.
