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

Late Life Romance

PRESS RELEASE - Sep 25 - According to U.S. Census Bureau News, there are 15.8M single Americans who are 65+. These older Americans account for 16% of all unmarried and single people age 18 and older. Many of these seniors have found themselves single again after a divorce or the death of a significant other. Relationship expert Paul A. Falzone, CEO of The Right One and Together Dating, encourages single seniors to take advantage of technology and observe new dating etiquette.

New Dating Etiquette
- Meet in a public place by your own transportation.
- Men and women now split the bill. 
- Don't air your "dirty laundry". 
- Guard your personal information and your assets. Know that there are many people who are quick to take advantage of the loneliness of seniors. Be aware that not everyone you meet may be a person of substance, ethically and morally.

The full article was originally published at E-Media Wire, but is no longer available.

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Internet Dating Industry May News - 11 Mins

This is actually the news for May. We're playing catch up.  I had some critiques of the video and fixed them.  You said you weren't happy with the sound quality.  We fixed it with a pro microphone.  You wanted hi-res.  You got it.  You weren't happy with the video quality, so I nixed my mug from the video and added hi quality images. 

June, July and August are in process.
- Meetic's strategy after buying Match UK
- Dating site abuses Obama
- Zoosk adds Netflix and Last.fm to date cards
- CNN features virtual currencies
- Craigslist sues South Carolina attorney general
- DNA dating safety and ethics concerns
- Matchmaking does ok despite the downturn
- Illinois state nixes tax hikes that include taxing dating sites
- Sex toys for the horny Japanese

We're working on June, July and August videos.  Please let me know if there's any other ways we can do better with them, and make them more useful.

Pre-Date Agreements

PRESS RELEASE -- July 17 -- Pre-date agreements have become more commonplace in recent years. While not legally binding documents, these agreements do put in writing the expectations people have of the other person going into the date, during the date and in the aftermath. Paul A. Falzone, CEO of The Right One and Together Dating said: "A pre-date contract acts like a checklist for yourself to make sure you’re in a good place to begin a relationship.” Things in the agreement include: punctuality, attire, terms of discussion, physical contact, alcoholic intake, paying the bill, honest post date feedback. FULL ARTICLE @ PR LOG

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The Right One, Internal Memo

OPW -- July 7 -- The Wisconsin Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Great Expectations (GE) alleging that the Milwaukee-area branch of the national dating service engaged in “deceptive and illegal sales practices,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The Wisconsin DoJ suit specifically accuses the GE office of distorting its fees, embellishing its number of member marriages and defying the state’s no-call policy, according to the Tribune.

The Right One and Together Dating are competitors to GE and CEO Paul Falzone and owner Brad Megahan wrote in a June 25 memo “The Right One/Together Dating has always and will always conduct its business in an ethical manner.” Falzone and Megahan referenced the GE lawsuit: “Also mentioned in the investigation were high pressure sales tactics, such as holding onto a perspective member’s driver’s license and credit cards to prolong interview. We will not tolerate these practices at The Right One and Together Dating.”  The pair went on to instruct all employees to review The Right One/Together Dating training curriculum, which details the organization’s ethics policies and proper business guidelines. They also reminded staff never to quote membership statistics, due to the constantly changing makeup of the company’s clientele.

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The Right One Opened A New Office In Chicago

PRESS RELEASE -- June 23 -- The new Chicago office is The Right One’s fifth office operating in Illinois, with other locations in Downers Grove, Rockford, Normal and Schaumburg. In the fourth quarter of 2008, The Right One and Together Dating showed an 18% increase in new memberships over 2007. Concurrently, the company has opened five new locations and has plans to open four more locations in the near future and the hiring will continue.

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

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The Right One/Together Dating Announces Continued Growth

PR WEB -- June 4 -- At the end of last year, from October through December--the very height of the recession -- The Right One and Together Dating experienced an 18% increase in new memberships from the same time period the year before. On top of that, during the last six months, The Right One and Together Dating have opened new locations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois and Austin and San Antonio, Texas. FULL ARTICLE @ PR WEB

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Internet Dating Is Flourishing

COURIER POST ONLINE -- May 26 -- There are about 93m single people in the U.S, according to the U.S. Census Bureau but only three million use online dating services. And then there are countless others who turn to professional matchmaking companies. The Right One prides itself on an effective approach that results in a match nationally every 17 minutes and a wedding per day. It's Just Lunch International, doesn't release statistics but the company's president, Irene LaCota, points to its continued expansion in and outside the country as solid proof that its program for the last 18 years indeed works. Both companies agree that the majority of their clients are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and come from all walks of life. The Right One declined to disclose pricing of its packages, and It's Just Lunch International said its lowest-tier package starts at $1,000. There are many singles that avoid online dating services because they don't want to sacrifice their privacy.

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

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Seeking A PC Affair?

MIAMI HERALD -- May 2 -- In March, Ashley Madison claimed annual revenue in the tens of millions of dollars and 3.3m users worldwide. South Florida was its sixth-largest market (177k users), behind New York and Los Angeles. The Gender breakdown is 70-30 men-women; 60-40 in South Florida. Americans spent $957m on dating sites in 2008; in 2013, Forrester projects $1.5 billion. February data from Compete show that Adultfriendfinder and Fling logged 37.9m unique visitors, more than the next 12 dating sites combined. Sites like these and Ashley Madison have one big advantage over the competition: ''Their target audience is going to be on the site forever,'' says Mark Brooks, an Internet dating industry consultant. "The typical dating services are victims of their own success. After three months, people bail -- they sign off because they've met someone, or they skip over to another dating site. The people at Ashley Madison have already demonstrated they're not going to be committing any time soon, and they keep on cycling back around. It's a wonderful cash machine.'' ''Sneaky or deceptive is not my cup of tea,'' said Paul Falzone, founder of TheRightOne, and a professional matchmaker for 30 years. "These guys are totally the opposite of what we're about . . . Do you want to spend your life with someone you're compatible with, that you enjoy, or do you want to live a lie?''

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

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Open Season For Man-Hunting

WITTY BITCH -- Apr 18 -- Ah, spring. The newly bloomed flowers, the trees, the lawns of green – and when the fire awakens in all of us after a long winter and begin the annual tradition of man-hunting. With rising hemlines and chirping birds, mating season launches into full swing for both men and women. Witty Bitch has composed a simple list of ways to catch a mate during this season of love, as well as how not to mess it up. From things like shaving your legs after winter hibernation to simply smiling when you see someone who catches your interest, and minding your manners on a first date. She even references words of wisdom from Paul A. Falzone, author of ‘A Singles Guide to Finding the Right One’ and CEO of The Right One and Together Dating, says, “It’s not 100% necessary to stay off the Big Three. After all, a first date is where you do find out a little more about your date.”

The full article was originally published at Witty Bitch blog, but is no longer available.

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Master Matchmaker Recommends The Best Way To Find Love

PRESS RELEASE -- Apr 18 -- According to Paul A. Falzone, CEO of The Right One and Together Dating, there is no best way to find love. It’s all a matter of personal preference for the person doing the looking. Falzone states, “Comfort level really is the deciding factor for most people when it comes to choosing online dating or traditional matchmaking services.” Where some people prefer the ability to browse through hundreds of profiles at their leisure, others are more comfortable having someone else find the right person for them. It’s up to each person to decide which is right for them.

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Breaking Up Has Gotten Easier

PRESS RELEASE -- Apr 15 -- All the new technologies available to help singles meet have also made it easier to break up. Advice from Paul A. Falzone, CEO of The Right One and Together Dating to end things amiably:
- Stay away from “it’s not you, it’s me” and other clichés
- Avoid e-mail and text
- Do not say you will call or stay in touch if you will not.

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

Mark Brooks: The very fact that breaking up is easier, is another reason the idating industry is doing well.  More member cycles. (Full Disclosure: TRO/TD is a client of Courtland Brooks)

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Getting From ‘First Call’ To ‘First Date’

TIMES UNION -- Apr 13 -- Although we’re in the age of technology, phone conversations are a must, says Paul A. Falzone, CEO The Right One and Together Dating. Hearing the other person’s voice on the phone allows you to process more information. Not only are you listening to what they say, but how they say it.

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

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International Dating Ventures Co-brand Dating Solution For Media

PRESS RELEASE -- International Dating Ventures, the holding company for The Right One and Together Dating, and the online dating sites LoveAccess.com and TogetherChristian.com, announced the availability of a co-brand dating solution for media outlets such as a newspaper, radio or television station or show to incorporate a dating service element into their website. 'The solution provides media outlets with ‘dating out of a box' - which means the media outlet provides the brand and marketing and International Dating Ventures takes care of the rest,' explained Nelson Rodriguez, the company's CTO.

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

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How to Get Online Subscribers To Purchase Offline Services

MARKETING SHERPA -- Mar 4 -- Paul Falzone, CEO of International Dating Ventures (IDV), purchased LoveAccess.com in 2008. He planned to use the dating site to produce leads for a high-end matchmaking company, The Right One/TogetherDating. Falzone’s marketing team attracts online subscribers for LoveAccess.com and leads for The Right One/TogetherDating mostly through affiliate/co-registration, paid search and SEO. “What’s important is to identify if this user qualifies for matchmaking,” says Terry Fitzpatrick, COO of IDV. The team needs to know: Does the prospect live near one of the matchmaking offices? Does the prospect earn enough to consider paying the $3,000 matchmaking fees? Is the prospect single? As a rule, the team won’t email online dating subscribers about the matchmaking services unless they have been in the database for 90 days. “We give them 90 days just to find out … is online dating working?", says Falzone. If it’s not, they’re asked if they would be interested in matchmaking. The last step is a contact via phone. The team generates ~15,000+ leads per month for the telemarketing centers. Results: This year, 25% of gross revenue for TRO/TD came from converting online subscribers into offline matchmaking buyers. FULL ARTICLE @ MARKETING SHERPA

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iDating Game Just Got Hotter

OPW -- Mar 1 -- With more than a third of Americans over 50 being divorced, widowed, separated or perpetual bachelors, according to a 2006 statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, seniors are increasingly flocking to online dating sites. Members 50 and over comprise 35% of WhileLabelDating.com's overall member database according to WLD's managing director Steve Pammenter. No more friend referrals or waiting on barstools in hopes of finding the on. “What’s happening now is quite unprecedented,” said Mark Brooks, a consultant and editor of Onlinepersonalswatch.com. “Experts are teaming up with dating sites for better understanding on how personalities are compatible.” For Paul Falzone, CEO of The Right One, PhD’s and psychologists lack the personality needed for this industry. “I want people working for me who love people and who really want to help them." According to Jupiter research, the dating industry made $889m in global net. By 2012, their analysts predict $1.9 billion. FULL ARTICLE @ OPW

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