Online Personals Watch: News on the Dating Industry and Business

Hottest Social Phenomenon: Cougarism

19ACTION NEWS - Nov 30 - More middle aged women are opening their options to include a little action with men sometimes a lot younger. And the cougar dating websites are endless. A spokesman for DateACougar.com says business is booming up more than 80% in the last year. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Daters Without Borders

NY POST - Nov 29 - More and more New Yorkers are searching for love on European dating sites. Lillian, a 42-year-old Manhattan copy editor signed up for Meetic.com. She Skypes with a Parisian man from the site for an hour each day. Susan, a 22-year-old grad student, also struggled with dating locally, so she widened her eHarmony parameters. Even “Real Housewives of New York City” reality star Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen met through Matchmaker.com while living on different continents. Mark Brooks, editor of OnlinePersonalsWatch.com, says international romance is a growing trend, due to singles’ increasing pickiness about potential life partners. “The longer the shopping list, the further afield you should cast your net,” he advises. A single New Yorker four years ago, he flew to Prague for a European online dating conference where he met and fell for a Czech woman. They married last April and now live in Malta with two daughters.

Here are some of the most popular dating sites from around the world:
Europeans: Meetic.com
Brits and Canadians: PlentyOfFish.com
Asians: AsiaFriendFinder.com
Australians: RSVP.com.au
Indians: Shaadi.com
Russians: Mamba.ru

FULL ARTICLE @ NY POST

See all posts on Meetic                   See all posts on FriendFinder
See all posts on eHarmony             See all posts on RSVP
See all posts on Matchmaker.com   See all posts on Shaadi
See all posts on PlentyofFish          See all posts on Mamba.ru

Dinner Dates Celebrated Its 20th Anniversary

RICHMOND TIMES - Nov 29 - Hillie Marshall, the fonder of London based dating agency Dinner Dates, has played cupid for more than 20 years. Ms Marshall first came up with the concept in 1989 after her own divorce, and has since hosted ~25,000 events, and helped to set up ~150 weddings. Over the past 20 years Dinner Dates has held matchmaking meals at swanky venues including the Ritz, the Dorchester, Royal Ascot and the Royal Regatta. Other activities have included golf, tennis and pigeon shooting excursions, trips to art galleries, museums and the theatre and holidays to China, Cologne and Portugal. Now after 20 years, Ms Marshall would be willing to sell the company to the right buyer. FULL ARTICLE @ RICHMOND TIMES

See all posts on Dinner Dates

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Internet Dating Industry Weekly News Nov 26th, 2009 - 3 mins

This is the news for the week of November 20th through November 26th, 2009. Please follow this link to enjoy the high-resolution version. Here is the news we covered for this week:

• PlentyofFish.com Growing Strong, Takes Aim at Science of Dating
• Match.com Partners With Ebay Australia
• Peoplefinders Network Launches Two New Apps
• Final Voting Open for iDate Awards

Yenta911.com Merges Online Dating With Social Networking

JWEEKLY - Nov 25 - Yenta911.com is a new Jewish dating site that gives members flexibility in their profiles by allowing them to keep a blog, post videos and connect with their friends who are also using Yenta911.com. “You can learn a lot about a person by seeing who their friends are,” said Yenta911.com's founder and CEO Alexandra Weiss. FULL ARTICLE@JWEEKLY

Mark Brooks: You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. This site will do well with youngsters, but not so well with people 35+ who tend to be more concerned about revealing their singleness. The older set tend to like the anonymity that traditional dating sites offer.

iDate Awards: Vote For Your Favorite Site

OPW - Nov 25 - As part of the iDate Awards, you can now vote for your favorite site in these categories:

Best Dating Site
Best Dating Site Design
Best Software Provider
Best Mobile Dating Site
Best Matchmaker
Most Innovative Company
Best New Technology
Best Payment System
Best Affiliate Program
Best Marketing Campaign
Best Up and Coming Dating Site

You can see and vote for the nominees here. You will be able to vote up until January 7th, 2010. The first iDate Awards ceremony will be held the night of January 28, 2010 in Miami. The awards are organized by the Internet Dating Conference and Online Personals Watch.

Match.com Partners With eBay Dating

DIGITAL MEDIA - Nov 24 - match.com becomes the exclusive dating partner for eBay, and mirrors similar agreement with ninemsn and News.com.au. Much like the ninemsn deal, this is not so much an integration as a traffic building exercise for Match.com. The match.com portal is effectively bolted on underneath eBay's sites menu and header with revenue generated for eBay via referrals to the dating service. FULL ARTICLE @ DIGITAL MEDIA

See all posts on Match.com

Why The Dating Industry Doesn't Like Events

OPW - Nov 25 - Several dating services have experimented with events in the past. Most notably, Match ran Matchlive for some years, but folded it. Lavalife ran events at cinemas and mixers. Spark Networks ran Joes Club, and more recently bought Hurrydate. Cupid bought Predating in 2004, and last month sold it back to the original founder. Does the internet dating industry love events. Nope. Why? The consensus is, they're a pain in the ass to do well, and generally not profitable. They keep you awake at night, and can be sources of major customer dissatisfaction. Also, I hear, the people who come to events are NOT the kind of people who use internet dating. Large events make money. Small events are merely cost centers, unless they're run by volunteers. And its very tough to find good volunteers that don't burn out quickly. And then there's the whole aspect of liability. Ugh! Good luck finding decent insurance. 

If you want to attend some events, or would like some role models to be inspired by, here's some options I recommend looking at:

England
Spice UK - started in 1980, has 8 branches and is a very good deal.  
CitySocialising - new kids on the block, just got 250k GBP funding and are breaking out all over the UK.
OutdoorLads.com - Gay outdoor events group with lots of inexpensive camping options.

USA-Wide
Events and Adventures - Singles focused events and adventures.
Its Just Lunch - Lunch dates based matchmaker
FastLife

Los Angeles
LAPC - L.A. People Connection has been around for years, is free and is volunteer run. (Co-founded by my ex-wife)

San Francisco
OAC - Outdoor Adventure Club, the standard for outdoor adventures.
The Meeting Game - Inexpensive dating events.
Urban Diversion - Adventure and social club based in San Francisco with some evemts in Silicon Valley.

Texas
DFW Outdoors - Dallas/Fort Worth. Powered by Memberize. A popular social and outdoors club.
Hill Country Outdoors - Austin. The original club started by the Memberize founders.

Speed dating in the USA
Predating, Hurrydate, 8 Minute Dating

Speed dating in the UK
Speeddater.co.uk - acquired by EasyDate in 2008, runs events all over the UK

If you know of more great events and adventure clubs, please add them to the comments on this post. We'll review them and perhaps create a page on OPW for people to refer to in the future. Personally, Irena and I LOVE events. We're party people and would rather be running a party or adventure hike, than sitting behind a keyboard.

This post also appears at the iDate Forums.

Zoosk Hooks Up With $30M

SF BUSINESS JOURNAL - Oct 23 - Zoosk, a so-called online “social” dating service, is now on a $30M annual run rate, and in 2009 it expects to generate $20M in revenue. Zoosk gets 2.3M U.S. visitors monthly, and 8.5M globally, according to Quantcast. Mark Brooks, a well-known online dating site consultant, said Zoosk’s integration with social networks means people don’t have to fill out profiles and they can more casually make connections than on traditional dating sites. Having visibility into a prospective date’s friend network also provides a sense of safety, he said. FULL ARTICLE @ SF BUSINESS JOURNAL

See all posts on Zoosk

Price Reduced - White Label Network For Sale

OPW - Nov 24 - In September we listed Personalica.com for sale for $125k.  Here we are two months later and the as-is cash quick-sale price is now $35k. Contact Andrew Ahachinsky directly if you're interested in the white label network Personalica.com.  Included are:

- A user base of 150K+

- White label technology -5,000 man hours of dev

- Affiliate network technology
- Active affiliate partners
- Domain 

- Content
- Related creative

All due diligence information including all log files and executive summary available upon request from Andrew.

Got a domain or site to sell?  Email me at mark@courtlandbrooks.com and we'll list it for free.

Quepasa's Papacito Dating App

PRESS RELEASE - Nov 24 - Quepasa.com's new dating app "Papacito", which was launched in mid October 2009, has resulted in 592,608 user "engagements". The app has also generated ~300,000 page views since its launch. The app allows users to anonymously admire other users by adding them as their "Papacito." Quepasa is one of the world's largest Latino social networks. FULL ARTICLE @ PR-INSIDE

AshleyMadison.com: 'Life Is Short, Have An Affair'

CBS ATLANTA - Nov 23 - AshleyMadison.com is a dating agency designed to help people cheat, discreetly. And, it's big business. "It's extremely profitable," said Noel Biderman, founder of the site. He said he started the site in 2001, partially to help marriages, not destroy them. The affair-guaranteed package costs $249. It gives you 1,000 credits or 1,000 messages you can send. FULL ARTICLE @ CBS ATLANTA

See all posts on AshleyMadison

The PeopleFinders Network Announces Lie Detector Apps

PRESS RELEASE - Nov 22 - The PeopleFinders Network, the provider of online and mobile people search services, announced the launch of "Stud Or Dud" and "Are They Really Single" iPhone apps. The apps provide singles with quick, easy-to-view reports that can help them make important decisions about potential love interests. The reports are based on background information including age, marriage and divorce records, criminal history, business ownership, property ownership, evictions and more. Users can purchase each application for $0.99. Both services are also available online where users can purchase a single report for $9.95 or an annual membership with unlimited reports for $24.95. FULL ARTICLE @ PR-CANADA

Class Action Against Match.com Moved To Dallas

DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL - Nov 21 - Match.com has managed to get an East Coast class-action suit moved to the local area. Originally filed in New York, the litigation alleges that the “vast majority of Match.com members are canceled subscribers, or have never subscribed at all,” court documents say. The suit also charges that if a Match.com subscriber writes to someone on the site, the company won’t inform the subscriber in the event that the person they’re writing can’t read or respond to the e-mail. Match.com said that the lawsuit “is without merit, and we will defend it vigorously. FULL ARTICLE @ DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL

See all posts on Match.com

Wayne Stillerman, Founder And President Of Datebility

OPW INTERVIEW - Nov 23 - Wayne Stillerman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 23 years ago. The disease and his recent divorce became his inspiration for Datebility.com, which he launched in early 2009. His site caters to daters within the disability community. – Jenn Rubin

 Listen to the interview

Why did you want to start Datebility?
I have multiple sclerosis, and I was diagnosed 23 years ago. MS is a progressive disease, and mine progressed to the point where I was having trouble walking.

Several years ago, I found myself going through a divorce. I was single and on my own. I went on traditional dating websites, and I didn’t find them to my liking. I felt like I was being prejudged based on my disability. I wanted a place I could feel comfortable exposing my disability and telling people about it.

Can you estimate the size of site’s membership base?
We’re currently closing in on 500 members.

How has the site been customized for the disability community?
We have bloggers that are from the disability community who understand our members. There is Gary Karp. He’s a paraplegic, but he’s also an author, keynote speaker and expert juggler.

We also have Dr. Jenni Skyler, who founded the Intimacy Institute. She’s a sex therapist and provides useful information anyone can use.

Tell me about the site’s virtual dating feature.
Virtual dating is wonderful, especially if you’re disabled and have mobility challenges.

A member goes on Datebility and invites another member on a virtual date. They’ll set up an avatar, which is computer image they pick. The virtual date takes place in a nice setting, like a beach cafe or restaurant. You can type in various messages as you do on a traditional email. If you type in “LOL,” your avatar laughs. You can you even blow a kiss or hold your partner’s hand. A virtual date can also be used as a tool to pre-screen your date.

Have you created the virtual date platform yourself?
We’re partnered with OmniDate. We actually have a contractual arrangement with them, which allows us to use their software to bring it directly to Datebility members.

Besides OmniDate, who are some of your other partner organizations?
We don’t do a lot of advertising, so we’ve tried to work with a lot the organizations and foundations that are in the disability community, like Gilda’s Club, The Wellness Community and the MS Society. We have even co-hosted presentations with these organizations around South Florida, where we are based.

How do charitable contributions play a role in these partnerships?
We have the ability to put a “Donate Now” button for any charity on our website. It’s a secure system. For example, members who would like to donate to the National MS Society can just click, and the money will go directly to the charity.

Are there other sites out there similar to Datebility?
There are a couple of websites out there that are for the disability community, but they don’t have the features that I mentioned.

What is Datebility’s Lifetime One-Time membership plan?
In today’s tough times, many people do not have a lot of disposable income to be spending monthly on a dating website. We have a membership called Lifetime One-Time. For $37.99, they can have a lifetime membership to Datebility.

Nobody knows how long it’s going to take to find that special partner. This membership plan takes the pressure off people. Also, they don’t have to worry about a monthly auto renewal on their credit card.

What type of financial resources does it take to get a site like Datebility up and running?
It took about $75,000, but we’re using programmers that aren’t here in the United States. It makes it a little less expensive that way.

Are only those with a disability allowed access to the site?
We are a fully inclusive dating site and want everybody to enjoy the features that we have and welcome anyone to join.

Where do you hope to see the site a year or two from now?
I see us with probably about 10,000 to 15,000 members in the next year. The disability community is 54 million strong in the United States, so it’s a big market. It’s over 650 million worldwide.

What about in terms of content development?
We are in the process right now of soliciting a new speaker to write about the travel industry. Anyone who is disabled and has to travel knows it’s a difficult thing at times. We’re also looking for a diet and nutrition blogger.

How do you see your personal dating journey playing out?
I met my fiancée on a free site, PlentyofFish, which is a very, very popular site. She was able to look beyond my disability and see me for the person that I am.

If you met your fiancée on PlentyofFish, why would you advise daters in the disability community to use Datebility over more-established sites?
We specialize in the needs of the disability community and see a wonderful opportunity to bring people together. We don’t feel we’re in competition with the traditional sites, such as Singlesnet, Match, eHarmony, PlentyofFish, etc. I’d encourage people to try a few different websites to see where they’re most comfortable.

Dating Service Or Prostitution?

OPW - Nov 22 - The dating industry has had a hard time getting fair rates for processing because of unfair classification. Take a look at the visa merchant category codes and you'll see class 7273 Dating and Escort Services. You'd think the internet dating industry deserved its own distinct classification. Your comments please.

New Book: Sex vs. Love: The Ultimate Showdown!

OPW - Nov 21 - Patrick Perrine's 2nd book Sex vs. Love: The Ultimate Showdown! is available at Amazon. Unlike his first book, Bringing Perfect Back, Sex vs Love is written for men, women, gay or straight. It is an easy read, with a fun and insightful look into sex, love and relationships as they exist today.

Internet Dating Industry Weekly News Nov 19th, 2009 - 4 mins

This is the news for the week of November 13th through November 19th, 2009. Please follow this link to enjoy the high-resolution version. Here is the news we covered for this week:

• Earnings reports from SNAP Interactive
• October European Online Dating Rankings from Nielsen
• Cougar craze in full swing in Europe and North America
• eHarmony's marriage claims under scrutiny

How A Computer Nerd Revolutionized Online Dating

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE - Nov 20 - Markus Frind, the founder, CEO, and sole owner of Plentyoffish.com, works as little as he desires. He’s been quoted as saying he works about 10 hours a week. Plentyoffish.com now has 16M users, earns tens of millions of dollars a year, and is growing 80% a year. Alexa ranks Plentyoffish.com the 35th most trafficked site in Canada and the 100th in the US. It serves up 2.4 billion page views/month.

Plentyoffish.com spends far less money than other sites do. Match.com and eHarmony.com each spend $100M a year on advertising. They run thousands of costly servers even though their traffic is smaller than that of Plentyoffish.com, which has only 11 machines.

The next level Frind aims to conquer is the world of “scientific” dating research. Companies like Chemistry.com, eHarmony.com and Genepartner.com hire psychologists and scientists to design questionnaires and even DNA tests to help people find mates. Frind did hire a relationship psychologist to create “compatibility matching tools” for Plentyoffish.com. Now he thinks he can do better with his own algorithms. “The science of dating,” Frind scoffs, “is all BS.” Those much-heralded matching tools are only 15 or 20% better than chance. And does Frind think he can optimize and tweak his way to beat that score? “I could double or triple it.”

See all posts on PlentyofFish