| |
|
|
Dating Goes Cyber And
Its Big BusinessPopular and
innovative, online dating sites have innovated the world of
romance. High on the popularity list, online dating is big
business. It is a $ 1 billion industry that is thriving because
it has provided affordable options to thousands of singles. The
projected growth per year is set at 9% with revenues of $516
million coming just from consumer subscriptions.
According to Hitwise a market research firm, online dating is
extremely popular and here to stay. In fact online dating often
accounts for 1%of internet usage. The business has moved with
need. Extremely popular are niche sites that focus on religion,
ethnicity, or special interests.
Many sites promote social networking and offer music, games,
interactive content and more. This appeals to youngsters aged
18-24. There is no pressure to date or find a relationship
although you are welcome to develop a friendship formed on the
site into something deeper.
Extremely professional, online dating sites offer some degree
of security, protect your privacy, offer advice on possible
matches, guide you on how to navigate the site, and offer
exiting things like online discussion groups, cyber messaging
with virtual bouquets, and phone calls. The move now expected
is to use new technologies to connect people through SMS,
mobiles and 3G services.
The concept caught on like wildfire because people were to busy
to find time to date, shy to approach strangers, and wary of
meeting alone. With online dating a person can log on from the
security of his or her own home or office. One can meet as many
singles as he or she wants to in a single session. The costs
are much lower than going on a date and one can get to know a
person before meeting them. Since online profiles list likes
and dislikes and photographs it is possible to pick and choose.
A person can avoid the awkwardness of meeting face to face and
finding out that the date is just not right.
What more you can date from any corner of the earth and don’t
have to be in the same town to get in touch. But as always
there are advantages and disadvantages to online dating.
To sustain revenues, the business is looking towards being user
friendly; generating revenues from romance related
advertisements such as getaways, make overs and so on, and
becoming more friendship oriented rather than purely romance
oriented. Sites are offering greater consumer protection and
incorporating many news ways to make contact like videos, SMS,
MMS, and TV based services. Many even go the extra mile and
organize singles events.
There are over 2500 active online dating sites with large ever
growing memberships. Although many experts feel the online
dating industry is heading for a plateau others predict
diversification and great imaginative business modules.
Whatever the prediction online dating sites fulfill a need that
other commerce sites don’t. They promote romance and sell
dreams.
|
Please report any
broken links to: info@endlessrelationships.com
|
|
|
Digg
Fark
Furl
Reddit
Spurl
BlinkList
Delicious
Wists
Facebook
Netvouz
Livejournal
Ma.gnolia
Newsvine
Stumbleupon
Yahoo My Web
Google Bookmarks