Monday 30 November 2009

Christmas is a good time to start!

Like most industries, the online dating industry experiences seasonal trends. Some of those are very obvious (like Valentine’s day) whilst others are not so obvious, so I’ll share some thoughts with you regarding Christmas and why it is one of the busiest times of the year for online dating.

I suppose, first of all, it’s a good idea for me to point out from the outset that Christmas really is one of the peak times in the dating industry and as such is a great time for you to get started. You can take advantage of the increased volume of singletons looking for love online, whilst also providing them with ‘more choice’ – particularly if you have a specific niche site.

And to make it an even more attractive proposition, the Christmas peak is followed by a New Year peak and then shortly afterwards by a Valentines Day peak.. busy times my friends.

So, why is it so busy? Well, there are no scientific studies that I can access and give you a real answer on. All I can do is to present some theory. It may be down to the change in social activity during the Christmas season. This change will see people socialising more with friends, work colleagues and family. But will gear their Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations around family. For the single population there could be feelings of loneliness or they could simply be reminded that they are single. And there is the obvious fact that more people are at home whilst offices and other workplaces close, in which case may spend more time online.

Whatever the reason, you should keep an eye on these trends and adjust your marketing efforts accordingly. Help the single population to find someone this Christmas by launching your own dating site and giving them more choice and be rewarded for your efforts. You’ll be glad that you did…

Tuesday 24 November 2009

Choosing a Dating Site Niche

The online dating industry has seen a fantastic upsurge in the popularity of niche dating sites and this can only be a good thing. It is good because it provides an increase in the uptake of online dating services and as such benefits the whole industry.

 Think about it… a consumer performs a search for a dating site and maybe tags on some terms that show he is interested in finding people in a specific location or who fit into a particular ethnic group. So, when he/she finds a dating site that is geared exactly towards his/her needs then the likeliness of becoming a member is increased dramatically. And so exists the greatest benefit of niche dating sites… high conversion rates.

 This is one of the examples that I mentioned in a previous blog, where numbers really matter. In order to fulfil the needs of the average online dater you need to show them as many members as possible who are within the group that he/she has searched for.

 With specific niche sites you don’t even need huge visitor numbers to give yourself a reasonable income, because it will just convert like mad.

 Geographic niches offer a huge advantage for online daters as they can narrow down their search to people they really are more likely to meet up with. So, for them the benefit is clear. If they live in New York and as such can be confident that they are not going to find members who are a 3 hour flight away, they’ll be happier to use the site, spend time on the site and get in touch with other members. And when that happens… everybody’s a winner.

 The same can be said for niches based on ethnic origin or religion. We have seen the traffic rankings within the dating industry, show a great increase in those visiting sites offering such specific groupings. And because these niche markets aren’t saturated, there are a lot of opportunities for new players to enter. Particularly if you already have access to a niche audience who would be highly likely to take up a dating site membership. Strike while the iron’s hot I say.

 So if you really do want to take advantage of this growing market, choose your niche(s) according to: your own knowledge (maybe of a specific city/region), your existing traffic or audience, research results (possibly by exploring google trends and identifying high volume long tail search terms).

 Will 2010 be the year of the niche? We’re willing to invest in that possibility so you don’t have to. Set up a free niche dating site on our platform and get your share of this rather delicious pie.

Monday 23 November 2009

It's a numbers game

The biggest revenue generating dating sites are those with the larger numbers. So the numbers are seriously important to your success in this business. Grow a massive database and your members will be happy in the knowledge that they will be highly likely to find people in their area.        

Of course, I just stated the obvious, but always worthwhile to point this out. Why? Because this is one of the reasons our white label platform is the best of its kind. We have got the numbers to make it work for our partners. And we grow those numbers at a rate you just wouldn't believe.

It's so seriously important, particularly if you are looking at launching into a particular niche. Whether that is a geographic niche dating site or any other niche. This is where it becomes so crucial.

I mean... what chance have you got to pull in an empty pub? Unless the bar staff are flirting with you, none.

I'll share my views on niche dating sites in the very near future.

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Free Dating Site Franchise anyone?

For anyone thinking of entering the lucrative online dating industry, I would like to give out some free and hopefully useful advice.

The first thing I need to mention is that starting from scratch is a big no. This industry is all about the numbers and numbers are exactly what you are going to need. By which I mean members.

So effectively this limits your options to either making an acquisition or going the white label dating route. But remember, not all white label dating companies are created equal.

Some white label dating companies are essentially software companies. They have created a software platform and have strapped on a database to make it a white label dating service. Others, however, are dating companies. And those companies have built up successful dating businesses and can then offer what is essentially a franchise of their successful business model.

You see the difference now?

So, my advice is, to look at how successful the white label dating provider has been in building up their own dating sites because that will give you a good indicator as to whether they are a software company or dating company. The difference is huge. You can easily check out which sites are getting the most visitors by going to OnlinePersonalsWatch.

 I mean you wouldn’t ask Microsoft to help you become a successful novelist would you, just because they created a reasonably good word processing package. No, of course you wouldn’t.

Friday 13 November 2009

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to the very first post of my personal blog.
Firstly, for those of you who do not know who I am and what I do, I will give a bit of an introduction.
I am originally from Ukraine but now live in Edinburgh with my wife and three children. My time is spent between Edinburgh, London and Ukraine.

Our company has its headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, which I have since discovered is a real hub of innovation and technology. So I guess its a relevant location for us.

As Chief Executive of EasyDate Ltd. I run the day to day business and drive its growth, which has so far matched my expectations.
This is one of a number of directorships I hold and one that is certainly giving me the most satisfaction.
The dating industry is thriving and there is a lot of consolidation and growth among the larger players.
With Match International and Meetic now under the same ownership there is expected to be further changes at the top of the tree.

** please note: As English isn't my first language some of my posts may be edited.