NETWORK WORLD -- Feb 7 -- No one knows online dating better than Mark Brooks, editor of OnlinePersonalsWatch.com. Brooks is a modern-day Cyrano -- he's a consultant to many of the Web's largest online dating sites as well as traditional matchmaking services. Network World interviewed Brooks about the hottest trends in online dating.
Q:How many online dating services are there?
MB: Hitwise has estimated there are 800-plus. I think that's about right for the U.S. A lot of them are affiliate sites that are driving traffic to the main dating sites.
Q: How has online dating affected traditional matchmaking services?
MB: Internet dating has warmed an entire generation of users to the prospect of getting help in dating and paying for that help.
Q: What new technologies are you are seeing in online dating?
MB: One of the biggest innovations is avatar-based instant messaging. One site that's pioneering the use of avatars is OmniDate.com. Another emerging technology is iovation, which helps online dating sites battle fraud. With iovation's Reputation Manager, one dating site can flag a person as abusive and throw them out and then let other sites in the online dating community know about it.
Q: How has online dating technology changed in recent years?
MB: Actually, online dating is in about the same place that it has been in for the last three years. One of the things I'd like to see is more technology being applied to personality profiling. In this area there are four companies worth mentioning: Perfectmatch.com; eHarmony.com; Chemistry.com; and True.com.
Q: Have social networkings like Facebook and MySpace cut into online dating traffic?
MB: The numbers show that less people are coming to Internet dating sites. According to ComScore the number of people who came to Internet dating sites in December 2007 was down 10% over the prior year. But I don't think it's the end of online dating. I think the lookilous have gone away.
Q:What are the hottest trends in online dating?
MB: One is the rise in Baby Boomers and also rise of free dating sites, such as Plentyoffish.com, DateHookup.com, OkCupid.com, Matchdoctor.com, Bookofmatches.com, Smooch.com and CrazyBlindDate.com.
Q: What do you see as the future of online dating?
MB: It's difficult to enter the market and be a large generic dating site at this stage. The only thing you can build today is a niche dating site, and even niches are hard to build. That's why we're seeing the rise of a bunch of companies that offer white-label dating services. One of these companies is Whitelabeldating.com.
"One of the things I'd like to see is more technology being applied to personality profiling."
more technology?
What does it exactly mean? Innovations?
Innovations for the Online Dating Industry ......... will definitively come from new discoveries on Theories of Romantic Relationships Development.
* It seems that what is important in attracting people to one another may not be important in making couples happy.
* Temporal patterns of relationship variables may indeed play a significant role between prospective mates -> Last stage of temporal patterns: if only high level on personality* similarity* between mates is the core of relationship stability and satisfaction == Dyadic Success for 26_and_more_years_old_persons interested in serious dating.
personality*: measured with the 16PF5 normative test in different languages (no other actual online dating site is using it!)
similarity*: calculated using quantum math equations
Kindest Regards,
Fernando Ardenghi.
Buenos Aires.
Argentina.
[email protected]
Posted by: Fernando Ardenghi | Feb 10, 2008 at 03:54 PM
Mark,
You forgot to mention the pioneering tests offered on PlentyofFish. What's so enticing about Markus' stuff is that the feedback reports reveal "hidden preference patterns" that the testing algorithms detected in questionnaire data.
Then, the reports actually "coach" you in how to use those hidden patterns to better connect with a romantic prospect -- either in what questions to ask, behaviors to do or not do and couple activities to try. More than DNA-based or biodata-based approaches for attempting to assess "chemistry," this is the cutting edge in profiling technology -- giving coaching action plans in feedback reports that derive from the unique response patterns (not aggregate scores) of test takers.
No other compatibility tools I know of have combined date/relationship coaching with the cutting in edge in compatibility testing. This profiling technology is akin to "targeted advertising" for romantic prospects.
Thx,
James Houran, Ph.D.
Online Dating Magazine
Posted by: James Houran | Feb 10, 2008 at 05:14 PM
interesting, looks like social networking sites are taking a bite out of online dating sites' income. i wonder when we'll see them retaliate with their own facebook like applications....
Posted by: Sam Stone (onlinedatingpro.com) | Feb 10, 2008 at 07:28 PM
I would thank you for the plug, but it's Smooch.com ;)
Posted by: Martin Bysh | Feb 11, 2008 at 09:45 AM
I think you all have a point. Technology certainly has enabled people to refine the search for that special partner and if you think about it that in and of itself is wonderful thing. With the miriad personalities out there it certainly pays to use whatever selection process works best for you just to get that first meet.
From there on it's back to good old fashioned face to face common sense, compatibility and resonance.
Posted by: Relationship Coach - Dov Baron | Jan 28, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I think we can expect to see online dating surpass the next few years even with social networks looming over their shoulders. There's a lot of restrictions on social networks which dating sites are more relaxed about. Not ''everyone'' thinks with a clean mind ;)
Posted by: Krystal | Feb 09, 2009 at 05:11 PM
Some interesting points have been raised. However, even with profiling now a big part of dating services, you still find a lot of users disappointed with their potential partners when they actually physically meet.
I worked in dating for 11 years in the UK for a sister company of a major US provider and although people are getting better quality matches these days, in general there's still a big gap between reality and exepectation - profiling or not.
I think in a few years time many dating sites will have a virtual dating aspect that allows members to try out their potential partners in a cyber world before actually moving on to a physical meeting. This option would definitely close the gap between expectation and the real thing
Posted by: Dating Coach | Aug 31, 2009 at 07:43 AM
Yeah, I think Free dating sites arent really the way to go, because support is lacking in some cases and also scammers and spammers tend to sign up on them...
Posted by: Anton | Sep 19, 2009 at 03:22 AM
Based on some patent filings from Yahoo I hope that we see some real innovation in the Online Dating space soon. Especially worrisome are the topics of security and privacy.
Posted by: Sam Summers | Sep 23, 2009 at 11:35 AM
"What new technologies are you are seeing in online dating?"
The humble web cam would be at the top of my list together with communciation services such as Skype or Windows Live. The biggest barrier to getting to know someone online is the absence of body language. With a good internet connection, that barrier is broken down.
Posted by: Alex Jute | Sep 24, 2009 at 06:49 AM
Free sites are far superior, often ranking even higher in traffic. Dont understand why anyone would pay to join a dating site these days. The pay for model is done.
Posted by: Seduction Affiliates | Oct 14, 2009 at 10:17 AM
It is absolutely amazing how many dating sites are out there. Everyone is looking for that home run like the creators of Match.com got. Looks like that shaft is pretty much mined out.
Posted by: Seducing Ladies | Oct 14, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Great post, Mark. You mention the decline in visits to dating sites. It's impossible to believe that Facebook, with over 300 million active users - and their fastest growing demo being 35+ - isn't becoming the preferred DATING site for many, simply by nature of the fact that it's their preferred social networking site.
Posted by: Jamie London | Oct 27, 2009 at 02:45 PM
People would probaby feel better about saying they met on a social networking site over dating site too, less stigma. The best thing about the social networking sites is that you can meet people from your past that you possibly looked over or the timing wasn't right. You find each ohter again after all those years and decide to meet. I bet there have been a lot of people getting together in this way. Since I have been on Facebook, I have had 2 or 3 guys from High School write me and tell me they had a crush. If I wasn't already married I might have investigated the matter.
By the way, I met my husband on Match.com!!
Posted by: Dawn (online dating book) | Nov 02, 2009 at 09:37 PM
What this is all saying is that dating sites need to be a bit different to succeed. Just having yet another site makes you one of the crowd - what makes you different? This is where a lot of the social network integration will come out to play and seperate the wheat from the chaff.
Posted by: Six Singles - Free dating sites have to be different | Jan 05, 2010 at 12:07 AM
I would have to say that pay sites are far superior to the free ones. I had experience with both when I began my dating online after my divorce. I guess I am also partial to them because I met my wife on Match.com and we are both extremely happy with the outcome.
Posted by: John Patton | Mar 12, 2010 at 07:12 PM
Yes a lot of people will be using facebook for dating but many will be wary of doing this in case their friends catch on and so will still be using the more traditional dating sites. Also believe that online dating as a whole has played a big part in the demise of pubs and clubs nationwide, just as online shopping has closed many high street retailers.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
Posted by: Debbie Best (thebest-datingsites.com) | Oct 05, 2010 at 03:08 PM
I have been dating online for some time and earlier I met a few jerks but it was easy to figure out
if they were jerks or not and then I met my boyfriend whom I’ve been dating for 14 months now and we’re just as happy as when we first met everything is great.
Posted by: datings sites | Nov 02, 2011 at 02:17 PM