Key Learnings For Online Daters From iDate 2009

ONLINE DATING MAGAZINE -- July 13 -- iDate is an established conference for the online dating industry, but it’s not a venue for consumers. It is the only dating conference in the US, and it runs two US shows a year.

Major Themes of iDate L.A. 2009:

- Personalization

Dating sites like Match or eHarmony don’t consistently deliver on personalization; they instead push and depend on volume. I kept hearing in the halls of iDate is that big dating sites are becoming antiquated in their features and business models. The takeaway for daters: Explore niche sites and start-up sites to see what features they offer above and beyond what large dating sites offer. 
    

- Competency

Without ongoing research and development, dating sites can’t remain connected to the customers’ needs. One of the most active research and development programs I’ve seen firsthand is that of PlentyofFish.com. The owner, Markus Frind offers a direct pipeline between him and his membership. The takeaway for daters: Dating sites belong to active users, not the management. Innovation seems to be very slow at the moment in the industry.

- Integration
Online dating sites are no longer an isolated industry. Some of the iDate presentations addressed how companies need to integrate with other businesses to provide better payment solutions for customers, whereas other talks examined how dating sites can be meshed with social networks.  The takeaway for daters: Don’t wait for dating sites to bring new features to you; be creative on your own.

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