Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

iDate2008 Exceeds Previous Attendance Records

NEWSWIRE -- Jan 30 -- The Internet Dating Conference in Miami (iDate2008) will be the largest event ever. Attending the event will be executives from the following industries: Online Dating, Venture & Enterprise Capital, Social Networking, Software, Mobile Telecommunications, Online Marketing, Matchmakers, Alternative Payment Processing, Background Screening, Affiliate Programs and others. Speakers at the event include executives from: Penthouse, White Label Dating, Sinofriends, MeetMoi, Jangl, Mary.com, Cupid's Coach, and the Opium Group, among others. The event is still open for registration, however, delegates need to register for the event on-site. FULL ARTICLE @ NEWSWIRE

Live Blogging iDate

OPW -- We'll be live-blogging a number of sessions on Thursday and Friday, btw.  We're using CoveritLive.com so you'll be able to comment and IM the blogger, and answer polls live. 

Valentine's Day Crash Course

PR NEWSWIRE -- Jan 29 -- Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Paul A. Falzone, CEO of The Right One and Together Dating, offers advice for how to find Valentine's Day bliss.
- Join a singles group.
- Tell all of your friends and family you are interested in meeting someone.
- Post a profile on an online dating site.
- Get out.
- Have a singles party.
- Smile.
"Love is just around the corner, but you have to be ready for it. But it won't happen in a closet. You have to be out in the world," said Falzone.

The full article was originally published at PR Newswire, but is no longer available.

SiteTuners To Discuss Landing Page Testing

BUSINESS WIRE -- Jan 29 -- Tim Ash, president of SiteTuners, will provide a presentation on Improving Internet Dating Conversions with Landing Page Testing at the Internet Dating Conference taking place on January 31-February 1, 2008 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.  By improving conversion rate, Internet dating websites can lower its CPA and become a super affiliate magnet. These dating sites can quickly grow their program and its affiliates will make a lot more money without having to raise the payout structure. FULL ARTICLE @ BUSINESS WIRE

Countdown To Valentine's Day: A New Take On Dating

PR NEWSWIRE -- Jan 27 -- Three weeks until Valentine's Day, gay male relationship expert and founder of myPartner.com, Patrick Perrine, gives sure fire tips for meeting new people:
Attend Events
- Don't Move Too Fast - True love is first a meeting of minds; the bodies connect later.
- Dress For Success
- Pretend you're famous.
- Say Hello and Shut Up - "A bore is someone who keeps talking after I have something to say."
- Be a Good Listener
"Follow these steps," says Perrine, "and you're on your way to a year- round Valentine's Day."

The full article was originally published at SF Business Times, but is no longer available.

Presidential Election, OnlineBootyCall Stylie

OPW -- Jan 28 -- Here's another tongue in cheek campaign from OBC. Booty Decision 2008 is a poll on OnlineBootyCall.com that encourages people to get involved in the Presidential campaign. he polls are still open. For the spouses, Elizabeth Edwards leads with 70%. The candidates' leader is Hilary with 57%. Barack Obama has only 48%. Comparing parties, Democrats averaged 52%; the Republicans only 25%.

Mark Brooks: Your comments please.

Plentyoffish Offers Ad Targeting

THE PARADIGM SHIFT -- Jan 27 -- It's tough to find dating sites that will actually allow you to advertise your dating site on them.  Plentyoffish allows competitors to advertise. Markus drives a ton of traffic (millions of dollars/yr) to dating sites. You can buy age and gender targeted traffic on POF through Google now. Right here.  (Full Disclosure: Plentyoffish.com is a client of Courtland Brooks)

CPMs Headed Up?

ONLINE SPIN -- Jan 24 -- JPMorgan analysts, in their "2008 Internet Investment Guide, Nothing but Net" which was released last month, expects the CPMs of graphical online ads to grow 3.9% and the number of ads per page view to increase 8.3%. Overall, they expect revenue per page (RPM) to grow 12.6% in 2008. They cited four primary drivers: lower comparables from 2007, better inventory sell-through, behavioral and geographic targeting and ad exchanges. There will be a CPM growth on social networks. It won't be hard, since these networks are driving off of such a low base as it is, but they will certainly benefit from much better targeting.

The full article was originally published at Online Spin, but is no longer available.

Match.com Powers Dating For FreeAds

NETIMPERATIVE -- Jan 24 --  Match.com launched the dating service on Freeads.co.uk, the UK's biggest independent classified site. Users of Freeads.co.uk will have access to Match.com's database of UK singles. Match.com also powers the dating services for MSN and Yahoo.

The full article was originally published at NetImperative, but is no longer available.

Penthouse To Discuss Its Acquisition Of FriendFinder At iDate

MARKET WIRE -- Jan 24 --  Marc Bell, CEO & Owner of The Penthouse Media Group Inc., will discuss the acquisition of Various, which included the popular dating website FriendFinder, at the Internet Dating Conference taking place on January 31-February 1, 2008 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Based upon current registration figures, this event will be the largest gathering of online personals executives in history. FULL ARTICLE @ MARKETWIRE

 Mark Brooks: This sets a few precedents. #1 The very public acquisition of an adult dating company, #2 FriendFinder actually coming out and talking. Definitely a good thing. This will be one of the best attended sessions at iDate.

PlentyofFish Selected For New Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program

PR WEB -- Jan 23 -- PlentyofFish has been chosen to join the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program, designed to connect high-potential startups to an extensive support network that provides access to Microsoft people and programs, guidance on future directions, and support to accelerate their success. Companies like PlentyofFish were selected by Microsoft for the program based on their innovation, marketability, growth potential, funding, platform decision and strategic importance to Microsoft.

The full article was originally published at eMedia Wire, but is no longer available.

Gay Love Online, And This Time They Mean Business

GFN -- Jan 22 -- E-Harmony's discrimination towards gay clients, has led entrepreneurs to rethink services specifically for gay singles. Patrick H. Perrine MA, PhD is the founder and matchmaker behind myPartner.com. GFN spoke to Dr. Perrine about how he went from relationship counselor to online cupid.

GFN: Why enter into the competitive Internet dating world?
Patrick Perrine: I realized there was a major underserved market of gay and lesbians singles. Nobody was providing a place with the right tools and resources to create positive relationships.

GFN: What did you learn from sites like Gay.com to make myPartner different?
PP: We did a tough competitive analysis, and we took our initial user feedback very seriously. Match.com is incredibly successful because they are constantly changing. That was a big model for us. 

GFN: Where did you get the financing to develop the site?
PP: I used my personal resources to develop the company. Recently, I did take on some angel investors.

GFN: What is your advertising/marketing plan? 
PP: We get a lot of traffic from organic search. October 1st was the start of our major online advertising campaign. 

GFN: Do you eventually want to address lesbians?
PP: It may be something we tackle in the future.

The full article was originally published at GFN, but is no longer available.

2nd Virtual iDate Conference

OPW -- Jan 23 -- The second virtual iDate conference for the Internet Dating Industry will take place on January 24, from 8am to 8pm EST. The event is designed to help you make appointments for the Miami event in January. If you are unable to attend, the pre-conference virtual event will assist you in meeting with others. Pringo Networks is hosting the event and Userplane will provide the chat software (including Video Chat). More information on the virtual conference can be found here.

The Attack Of The Ad-Sponsored Phone Call

CNN MONEY -- Jan 15 -- At the end of last year, privately held Internet phone company Jangl started testing "in-call" advertising. While customers wait for Jangl to connect their calls, the originating party may hear a short audio advertisement. Potential advertisers, Jangl says, include wireless game and ringtone purveyors. Jajah, also an Internet-based communications company, is set to launch in-call ads this year. Customers will opt into the service, and in exchange for listening to a 15-second clip, they'll earn credits that will offset their phone bills.

The full article was originally published at CNN Money, but is no longer available.

Mark Brooks: This is ground breaking. Free anonymous calling, with a rev share back to site owners. Nice! (Full Disclosure: Jangl is a client of Courtland Brooks)

iovation Provides Safer Environment for iDating Community

AD-HOC NEWS -- Jan 22 -- Mobeze, online dating community, has implemented iovation's ReputationManager service to help reduce fraud and abuse for its San Diego-based online dating Web site. Using patented device-based technology, iovation's ReputationManagerTM service allows Mobeze to screen Internet-based devices at any point of customer interaction, from registration to sign-on, while protecting the identity and privacy of their customers.

The full article was originally published at AdHoc News, but is no longer available.