Making Money in the Online Dating Gold Rush of 200

Making Money in the Online Dating Gold Rush of 2004

by: John Weisenberger

Have you noticed the explosion of Websites related to love, sex, matchmaking, relationships, etc.? They’re popping up all over the place. Why the sudden popularity you ask? Well, the reason for this กgold rushก towards Online Dating & Relationship Oriented Websites is really quite simple: people are making a lot of money with them!

So how can you claim your share of this exploding marketplace?

Well you could go off and start your own Online Dating service to compete with the likes of eHarmony and Match.com (if thatกs your idea of fun) but thatกs really not the best way for small business owners to make money in this, or any, new marketplace.

In reality, the easiest and surest way to make money in any gold rush is selling tools to the prospectors! I think youกll see what I mean in a moment.

In the Beginning…

Consider, if you will, that whenever any new industry begins there are always hundreds of other businesses needed to support it and make it truly complete. For example, just think of all the businesses that are now connected with the automotive industry. Tire companies, glass companies, mechanics, insurance agencies, driving schools, etc..

Your very own Dating & Relationship oriented website could be one of the complimentary businesses supporting the new Online Dating marketplace while generating thousands of dollars of profit in the process.

Complimentary businesses such as relationship advice sites, personal matchmaking services, astrological compatibility testing sites, personal appearance กmake overก sites, background checking services, etc., etc., are all possible product or service ‘toolsก needed by todayกs กromance prospectorsก searching for love on the Internet. Iกm sure youกll be able to come up with other product and service ideas too if you think about it.

So what other types of relationship oriented businesses are springing up based on the technologies and business models pioneered by the Online Dating sites?

New companies such as Friendster.com and Linkedin.com are two good examples of a new generation of nondating, nonromantic, relationship building Websites springing up to connect people for business relationships or other social activities. Others will surely follow their lead into this adjacent marketspace and your online business could be one of them.

Setting Up Shop.

Okay, so now that you know the best way to make money online is to sell tools, the next big question youกll need to answer is whether your new Website will be a general store carrying all types of tools or a specialty store providing some type of specific expert service or product. Letกs talk about the general merchandise store first.

The General Store

Imagine if you will an 1849กs old west general store loaded with canned goods, clothing, kerosene lamps, picks, shovels; everything the local prospectors needed. What would be todayกs Online Dating equivalent to the general store? Well in our analogy it would be a Dating Directory Website. Hereกs how they work.

Dating Directory Websites provide a service to their customers by collecting information about all the various Online Dating services in one centralized location. This allows their visitors to comparison shop among the various dating service companies while also making convenience purchases of advice eBooks, romantic gifts, sexy lingerie, etc., while they’re browsing the entire กgeneral store.ก Dating directories make their money from the affiliate sales commissions they are paid by the producers of the products they carry.

If you’re thinking of getting into the Online Dating & Relationship Marketplace, setting up your own Dating Directory general store is probably the easiest way to get started. All thatกs required is the construction of a กstore frontก Website and then registration with multiple affiliate programs for the products that you want to sell.

Dating Directory startups are easy, low cost and can be built up over time with products you really enjoy selling. In addition, no product development expertise is required because you are essentially just the กshop keeperก selling someone elseกs products.

However, before you decide to open up your own Online Dating & Relationship product general store, you may what to consider specializing in one particular area of the market where you can carve out a niche of your own. Letกs talk about this strategy for a moment.

The Specialty Shop

When it comes to the Online Dating & Relationship marketplace everyoneกs an expert. Including you!

Itกs true. Whether you’re young or old, single or married, gay or straight, everyone has their own special knowledge about Dating and Relationships that can provide you with the background and knowledge needed to write a newsletter or eBook of your own.

And while Iกll admit that writing an entire eBook and setting up your กspecialty shopก Website is more work than running a general store Website, the potential rewards are much greater due to the uniqueness of your specialty product and the value you can deliver to your customers. So whatever you do, don’t underestimate the power of the knowledge you have to offer. Get started on that newsletter or Ebook today!

Bottom Line…

If you’re thinking about starting your own online business, check out this fast growing marketplace. It could be right for you. And remember, if you want to make money without risking the large amounts of capital required to compete with the big guys, don’t try to start your own Online Dating กgold mineก, sell the dating & relationship กpicks and shovelsก instead. Thatกs where the little guys win.

Copyright 2004 John Weisenberger

About The Author

John Weisenberger is the author of กMaking Money with Dating & Relationship Oriented Websites: The Facts, Statistics and Ideas You Must Know to Succeed in This Fast Growing Marketplace. For more information visit http://www.RomanceBiz.com/402

John Weisenberger is managing director at RomanceBiz.com The global source for Online Business Insights, News and Tools designed to help both new and experienced Dating & Relationship Website operators succeed.

This article was posted on April 16, 2004

by John Weisenberger

How To Survive Speed Networking

How To Survive Speed Networking

by: Alan Matthews

Get More Clients From Networking – Follow The Rules Of Dating.

If you’re a business owner, you probably spend quite a lot of your time at networking events. In fact, it may be the main way you try to get new clients. But do you ever feel that you could get more from these meetings? Do you actually get the results from your networking to justify the amount of time you put into it?

If you don’t find you get a lot of interest from the people you meet, it may be that you’re going about things the wrong way. You may need a new approach.

My own view is that you can’t go far wrong if you think of networking more like dating. The two activities have a lot in common ( although, I must admit, I’m relying on distant memory here ). Here are some things you need to think about.

1. What sort of person do you want to meet?

If your answer is ข anyone ข you risk wasting time talking to a lot of people who just aren’t going to be ข the one ข. You also sound a bit desperate, to be honest. Not everyone is going to be your ideal client. Once you know who that is, you can be more choosy about who you talk to.

2. Where are you likely to meet them?

There are lots of places to meet people, but where will you find your ideal person – in a club, at evening classes, at the Bingo? Don’t just go to the first place you find, pick the event where you know the person you’re looking for is most likely to be.

3. Think about joining a dating agency so you can look through details of the other members.

Look at the members list of any group before joining if you can get hold of it ( ask for photographs if possible ). Also, look at the list of attendees before a meeting so you can make a beeline for the people you want to talk to.

4. Accept that it takes time to build a relationship.

Don’t expect too much too soon. People will need time to get to know and trust you and, in this case, you’re looking for a long term relationship, not a one – night stand.

5. Think of something interesting to say about yourself.

If someone asks you ข What do you do? ข don’t just say ข I’m a Financial Adviser ข or ข I’m a Consultant ข and expect them to swoon. Tell them what you do for people, how you help, the problems you solve. But don’t make things up to impress them, you’ll be found out sooner or later.

6. Don’t spend the whole time talking about yourself.

One secret for getting people to like you is to ask them about themselves. Be a great listener, not a great talker. People love talking about themselves, they don’t want to listen to you telling them how wonderful you are. Stop talking before they lose the will to live and ask a question. Prepare some good ones in advance so your mind doesn’t go blank. Avoid ข Do you come here often? ข or ข So what line of business are you in? ข Try to find something you both have in common.

7. Don’t be too pushy on your first date.

Just because someone shows an interest doesn’t mean you can bombard them with information about all your products or services. You’ll look too needy and that puts people off.

8. People always say they’ll ring, they never do.

Sad but true. Don’t rely on other people ringing you, make sure you get their number so you can call them. It’s much more important to get someone else’s business card than to give them your own. It gives you the initiative.

9. Keep your numbers in a little black book.

Set up a contact management system so you don’t lose the details of the people you meet. This might just be a card index or it might be sophisticated software. Whatever it is, have a system which you know how to use.

10. Keep in touch.

Do contact them again if you got on well, they want you to really. Call or write, refer back to your conversation and mention something they said. Send them an article about an interest they mentioned, it will show you were listening and you care about them. It’s amazing how many people go to networking events, then never follow up with the people they meet. Don’t expect ข love at first sight ข, it takes several contacts before someone is likely to do business with you.

I hope that’s given you some ideas. Of course, you still have to remember the basics, such as dressing up a bit and cleaning your teeth, but that’s down to you.

And, of course, there is one big difference between networking and dating – with networking, you’re allowed to see lots of people at the same time!

Good luck.

About The Author

Alan Matthews is a Marketing Coach, Trainer and Speaker. He helps business owners to prepare and deliver a clear, compelling marketing message to get more clients with less effort. To receive his free report, ก Why Isn’t This Working? How To Get People Interested In your Business ก email mailto:[email protected]

Alan Matthews

email: mailto:[email protected]

website: http://www.trainofthought.org.uk

This article was posted on February 07

by Alan Matthews

Solve Big Problems To Make Big Money.

Solve Big Problems To Make Big Money.

by: John Weisenberger

One of the fundamental truths Iกve learned about Internet Marketing is that no one really wants to pay for information. The truth is, the only reason people will ever pay you for your information right now is because you can solve their most immediate and important problems right now.
For example, promise someone your eBook will take away their fear or pain regarding some specific issue and they will gladly part with their hard earned cash to see if you have the solution to their problem.
So what does that mean to small online dating and relationship oriented Website operators like you and I? Essentially it means that people on the Internet will only pursue and pay for the products and services that solve their most immediate problems. For example:

A sick person will pursue a doctor
A person with legal problems will pursue a lawyer
A person needing a mortgage will pursue a banker

So in our Online Dating & Relationship oriented businesses…

A person needing a date will pursue an online dating service
A person wondering if theyกve found their perfect soul mate will seek verification
A person seeking a special type of sexual encounter will seek others of a like mind.
etc., etc., etc..

This is a very important point to remember when choosing the specific types of dating and relationship oriented problems you plan on solving for your customers.
The Bigger the Better.
Another important thing Iกve learned is, if you solve small problems, youกll make small money; if you solve big problems, youกll make big money.
Now think about that for a moment. Don’t lawyers and doctors make more money than store clerks and waiters? Thatกs because the problems they solve are much more significant and important to peopleกs lives. Thus, people are willing to pay more for the services of these highly paid professionals.
By the same token, promising to help someone cope with the emotional turmoil of a divorce or relationship breakup is much more likely to make you more money than merely promising to find them a date for next weekend. Beginning to see my point?
As you look for specific subjects and niche markets to exploit within the online dating & relationship oriented marketplace, don’t forget to look for those areas where you can solve someoneกs biggest and most immediate problems.
The good news is, as long as they are men and women on this planet, there will always be relationship problems to solve. Some problems will be bigger than others and offer innovative entrepreneurs tremendous opportunities for large profits.
So just remember, the bigger the problem, the bigger the potential for big profits.
Copyright 2004 John Weisenberger

About The Author

John Weisenberger is the author of กMaking Money with Dating & Relationship Oriented Websites: The Facts, Statistics and Ideas You Must Know to Get Started in This Fast Growing Marketplace. For more information visit http://www.RomanceBiz.com/502

This article was posted on May 31, 2004

by John Weisenberger

Running a Mom and Pop Online Dating Site

Running a Mom and Pop Online Dating Site

by: Steve Eyes

I do get my share of emails asking me what it is like owning an online dating site. A lot of guys have this perception that I’m a owner of a harem of ladies that I’m trying to get rid of. They tell me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such beautiful ladies. I hate to shatter their dreams, but I own no one and as beautiful as these ladies are, the work put in to running an online dating site is 90% grunt work. I spend very little time looking at the ladies bios or pictures. Once I have them on the site, the next time I may look at their picture or bio is if I get a request to do so.
So why do I do it? Those times that two people do find each other makes that 90% grunt work worth it. Also, I have this sense of obligation. That is how I met Liza. To me, meeting her was a miracle and I want everyone to find what we found.
Money? Don’t get me started but that is the last reason I run an online dating site. Many think I’m raking in thousands of dollars. Not so. I charge $25 for a year membership. Last year my business reported a loss and I’m sure I will do the same this year. The biggest misconception that people have is it cost nothing to run a dating site. Far from it. I won’t bore you with the details, but if you are getting in this business to be rich look elsewhere. I think I may make enough to keep my printer in supply of ink (dam, why is ink so expensive?).There are other expenses involved like the cost of the server, promotion, phone bills, replacing computer parts, and so on. But by far the biggest investment you make is time. Some days I can spend hours just answering emails let alone the time spent maintaining a website.
So again, you ask, why do you do it? I guess now is a good time for a sample. Here is an email I received the other day.
ขDear Steve and Liza
God bless you so much. I first be on your site a year ago. Today I email you from the USA. Like you Liza, I find someone who love me very much. His name is Joseph and we call him Josh. His mom is so nice. I don’t get to meet his dad he already leave us for a better place. I now be here for 2 week and we get married soon. Of course you are invited to come to the wedding. Liza I want to thank you for the help when I email you so many time before. I know at time I lose my faith but you always tell me to trust what I feel inside and stay who I am. I’m glad I have your email to keep my heart strong and my trust in love on right path. That I want to thank you so much for. Josh don’t write much, but he say he join your service when he see my picture and write me right away. In time we get to know each other and find love. He be the four guy to write me, but other don’t feel right. With Josh, it feel we have something in our heart the same. One time he write Steve and Steve so kind to answer his email right away. I know he too say thank you. Now our road begin in USA. I hope it ok I email you again if I have question about living in USA or about green card. We always be your friend in California. If you come here please visit us. God Bless you both.
Judithข
That is why. Sorry, I didn’t put her real name, but those are her words. It never fails. Just when I think I had enough I’ll get a letter like the one above. I also get lots of emails from the ladies pleading for me to help them find someone. I guess this is what keeps me going and the reason I run an online dating site.
Let me make one more remark about money because if I don’t, I’m sure someone will challenge me on it. I know that there are web sites who do make money running a dating service. It can be big business. But there is a distinction. The bigger corporate sites that have large advertising budgets and investors, do make money. I’m not fortunate enough to have such resources at my disposal. But there are thousands of us little mom and pop sites who are just getting by. If there is a distinction, it is the fact most mom and pop sites have experienced the process of meeting someone through a dating service and getting married. Basically, my site is just that: my experience of meeting Liza on the internet, my experience of going to the Philippines to meet her, my experience of petitioning her for marriage to come to USA, our experience of adjusting to life together in the USA, and so on. As much as eHarmony advertise their personality profile, I wonder if any of them lived the life of meeting someone on the internet.
So give the mom and pop dating service a chance. You may get something more valuable then a personality profile, but someone who has experienced what you are hoping to find. Someone who knows what it takes, who has been there, who understands your concerns, and is willing to share and help you find your love beyond a picture, a few words and a personality profile. Instead, what you will get is sincerity, an expression of gratitude for the love they found, and a friendly hand on a road they once traveled. That, my friends, isn’t about money or a personality profile, but about how one heart found another heart on the world wide web. That is who and why I run a mom and pop online dating service.

About The Author

Steve Eyes is the webmaster and owner of FilipinaEyes Association. His experience comes from finding love on the internet and helping others do the same.

http://www.filipinaeyes.com

http://www.filipinalady.biz

http://www.filipinalady.net

http://www.filipinalady.org

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 23, 2004

by Steve Eyes

Dating Site Review: Udate

Dating Site Review: Udate

by: Matt Matcherson

Udatians often complain about the slowness of Udateกs messenger กwhispersก, but it’s always been one of my favorite dating places! Iกve simply had the best luck connecting with this format…and the old twin site kiss.com.

Kiss.com was absorbed into match.com, touted for a while as the กNew kiss.comก. I mention this because for a while Kiss and Udate were identical style sites with different members. Now the match.com site has กpowered by udateก tacked up here and there. I have no inside scoop, but it does make you wonder if Udateกs days are limited. I would hate to lose this site because it is really a fun and simple place to connect.

Itกs easy to see who is online matching your criteria or who browsed you. You are also notified which ขfavoritesข are online. It is so easy to get into spontaneous live whispering here that many members hide their photos from nonfriends when the number of contacts becomes a nuisance. Then if things slow down for them they make the pics visible to all again. A technique Iกve noticed women using anyway!

If you haven’t visited Udate lately…

You may want to give Udate another look. They have fixed the whispers system and you can quickly exchange words now without waiting. With the old system I would sometimes say something stupid and the box would go dead! No chance to further explain. Also in the flow of a narrative one person and then the other may go on and on with a story. It’s nice to let that happen and be able to interject other comments freely. A much more natural way to whisper!

The new look is bolder looking with brighter graphics.

The encounters page has been broken into a couple tabbed pages. กWho has been looking at meก and กwho you Iกve been looking atก The number of results per page is also more limited, but yes the site is much faster now!

Udate isn’t the biggest site out there but it remains a great place to meet people.

About The Author

Matt Matcherson is a writer musician and humorist. Sometimes he even writes funny music. His site Match Tales brings dating stories, site reviews and free dating support forums to the web.

http://www.matchtales.com

This article was posted on February 15

by Matt Matcherson

Copywriting Makeover: Know Where Your Customers Ar

Copywriting Makeover: Know Where Your Customers Are In The Buying Process Part 2 of 2

by: Karon Thackston

In part one of this article series, I introduced a client of mine (AEwebworks) who suffered from some copywriting traumas. The basic diagnosis was a lack of synergy within the copy, ineffective use of testimonials, a lack of focus on the target customer’s buying process, and the inability of the current copy to support the search engine goals of AEwebworks.

After doing some research, I created a plan of action for writing SEO copy that would impress the engines AND AEwebworks’ visitors. You can view the original copy in PDF format here: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/AEWebWorksOriginal.pdf.

The Rewrite

After finding the revelation that most of those who were shopping for online dating software were already familiar with the features (and the associated benefits) of the software, I decided that focusing on those elements would simply make AEwebworks sound like every other developer of dating scripts. That would definitely not get the results I was looking for.

My probing uncovered that almost all dating software customers have three primary concerns: installation, upgrade policies, and support. It just so happened that AEwebworks had phenomenal offers for each of these.

The headline was changed from:

ขGet into Internet dating business with reliable, effective and profitable online dating softwareข to ขCustomizable, Full Featured Dating Software Complete With Free Installation, Lifetime Upgrades & Outstanding Supportข

The new headline highlighted three extremely valuable benefits to the visitor and also included one of the chosen keyphrases.

The body copy began by making an emotional connection with the customer. It recognized the frustration the customer faced when trying to choose between the different dating software programs and dating scripts.

The copy then continued to connect by stating the fact that AEwebworks developed their software with the help of their clients by listening to their complaints, needs, and wants. It also merged quickly into a section that offered firm, proven solutions to the dating site owners’ most pressing problems.

As the customers continued to read, they found out about specific benefits of buying software from AEwebworks as opposed to other developers. And of course scattered throughout the page were links to the ordering section of the site.

In addition to the emotional connection and the problem solving aspects of the copy, it was also search engine optimized (SEO). You’ll notice the subtle use of keyphrases throughout the copy. Enough to promote good search engine rankings, but not so much that the copy is ขstiffข or ขforced.ข

Every other word is *not* a keyword. The copy has a natural flow to it, but yet it is fully optimized to do its job where rankings are concerned.

You can view the current copy here: http://www.aewebworks.com.

The Results

I always find it best to let the client handle this part of the article. To quote, ขI wanted to tell you the good news! It looks like our rankings are improving. We are back in Google and traffic has doubled. We have record high sales for the last two weeks… about 70% higher than our next bestselling twoweek period ever!

ขOverall, running our site got much easier after adding your copy because people ask fewer questions about where to find information… they are able to sort it out for themselves from the site copy. We previously had about 510 emails a day on average from prospective customers; now we get AT LEAST 15 A DAY! WOW!! So, in short, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GREAT WORK!ก

They are now back in play on Google and also have exceptional rankings with other important engines like Yahoo, MSN, and AltaVista.

Another happy ending!

About The Author

Karon Thackston © 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out Karon’s latest ereport ขHow To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)ข at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

This article was posted on March 23, 2004

by Karon Thackston

Copywriting Makeover: Know Where Your Customers Ar

Copywriting Makeover: Know Where Your Customers Are In The Buying Process Part 1 of 2

by: Karon Thackston

When you begin to write copy for any product or service, there are a few things you have to take into consideration. The first is always your target audience: who you’ll be writing to. Finding out about the needs and wants of the audience members, their communication styles, their lifestyles, and a multitude of other elements are ขmustsข before writing one word of copy.

But something most people neglect is giving due attention to the buying process as a whole and where your target audience is within their own process. Understanding this can, oftentimes, make or break the success of your copy.

When AEwebworks (an online, datingsite software developer) approached me about rewriting their website copy, it became immediately apparent that their copy could benefit from paying some due diligence to the buying processes of their customers.

The Problems

My primary concerns with the copywriting on this site included the lack of synergy within the copy, the use of testimonials, the lack of focus on the target customer’s buying process, and the inability for the copy to support the search engine goals of AEwebworks. In its present state, the copy contained few mentions of keyphrases.

You can view the old copy in PDF form at this link: http://www.copywritingcourse.com/AEWebWorksOriginal.pdf.

When I first read the copy, it felt as though I was being pitched to from all sides. The headline spoke to someone thinking of entering the online dating site industry. The body copy did not support that headline; rather it spoke to someone who had already made the decision to launch or improve a dating site.

The use of testimonials at the bottom of the home page posed a challenge for two reasons. The first was the sheer location. The design of the site was such that it appeared nothing fell ขbelow the foldข (what was first seen when the home page loaded onto a browser). The second challenge was that many of the testimonials were from people asking questions or stating they were considering trying the dating software… not actual customers attesting to the benefits they’d personally experienced.

In addition, while the information included in the body copy was good, the information given on the home page needed to outline why AEwebworks was better than the competition. In its present state, it did not. That meant finding those aspects of buying dating software that were most important to the customer and highlighting them within the copy.

Lastly, I needed to focus the home page copy on only two or three keyphrases and increase keyword saturation for those phrases. This also meant creating a copy strategy that would allow me to use the keyphrases effectively without making the text sound stiff.

The Solution

As always, I started the project by gaining a good understanding of who the target customers were, what they wanted, their fears, their likes, their dislikes, and anything else I could discover. After a good bit of research, and after reading the completed target audience analysis from AEwebworks, I felt I had a good understanding of those I would be writing to.

In order to combat the lack of synergy within the copy and the lack of focus on the target customer’s buying process, I created a copywriting plan. From my research I found that installation, upgrade policies, and support were the three most common gripes buyers had about dating software. I decided to make overcoming those obstacles the focal point of the copy instead of the actual features and benefits.

That may sound like an odd choice, but that’s where recognition of the buying process comes in. Considering that the majority of visitors to the site had already made the decision to launch a new site or had chosen to upgrade an existing site, they were already well versed in the features of datingsite software and their associated benefits. Yes… the benefits did need to be mentioned; however, other issues proved to be more pressing to this particular group of customers.

The use of testimonials on the home page was easily corrected by simply deleting the ones that did not directly apply to actual users of the software. I chose two for use within the copy and suggested that, as AEwebworks gets more testimonials, they create an entire page that visitors can read.

That left me with overcoming the inability of the current copy to support the search engine goals of the site. I suggested AEwebworks review their keyword choices to be sure they were targeting the ones most likely to bring in qualified customers. After a review, they provided me with a revised list to choose from.

I selected three keyphrases for each page in order to allow an adequate level of both keyword saturation and natural language. For the home page, the terms ขdating software,ข ขonline dating software,ข and ขdating scriptข were used.

After all the hoopla with Google, AEwebworks was in foul shape as far as search engine rankings were concerned. I had to pay particular attention to creating copy that impressed the search engines AND their site visitors in order to help them regain ground with their positioning and sales efforts.

The plan was in place. Now ขallข I had to do was write the copy. In part two of this series, you’ll get all the details on how I turned ขOKข into ขWow!ข

About The Author

Karon Thackston © 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Copy not getting results? Learn to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out Karon’s latest ereport ขHow To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)ข at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

This article was posted on March 23, 2004

by Karon Thackston

FInding a Safe Dating Site

FInding a Safe Dating Site

by: Leif Croonquist

Seems like everywhere we surf on the Internet nowadays we run across this little advertisement: กFree online personalsก. They are everywhere, they are dating sites, and more are opening up shop every day.

Welcome to the newest internet gold rush. More and more people are signing up to these new and กfreeก dating sites. What they are really getting is a place on the web where they can post their profile and let strangers contact them. As more and more dating sites pile up on the web, more people are ending up with very distasteful experiences because of this. Why? 99% of todayกs (and tomorrowกs) dating sites do not screen their members at all. This means there are sex offenders, predators, scam artists mixed in with genuine people who are looking to find a match. Dating services need to be very discretionary and much safer, until that time comes here are some important things to consider when thinking about joining a dating site.

1). Examine the siteกs physical properties. Is it poorly constructed with missing graphics or jagged fonts, misaligned sections? If so, this indicates a lack of attention to detail in the construction and layout of the site. It may have been pre purchased and the owner does not have the skill to alter it correctly. Why would you care? Well, a site in a state like this gives a clue that the back end program probably is also in a state of disarray or disregard. If the webmaster cannot construct the face of the site, then it is likely they cannot also construct important safety features behind the site. A hacker then could easily penetrate it and get your personal information including your photo. If you eventually pay this site, your credit information could be stolen as well! A nicely designed site means careful construction and a better chance of good quality code running the site in the background.

2). Look at some sample profiles on the site before you sign up by running a quick search. Do the profiles look a little bogus? A lot of them are. Many sites (especially new ones that have just started up) pad their membership database with photos of models or random (usually goodlooking people) to attract new members. Do the profiles have a lot of jibberish characters or nonsensical phrases in the descriptions? That means the dating site you are at does NOT screen the people who sign up. This welcomes people with illintent. You should get out of there immediately and go to one that does.

3). Does the site have a privacy link? Look at the bottom of the siteกs main page. If they have a privacy link, click it and examine. Make sure they specifically state that they do NOT sell your information to anyone. This is an invitation to a spam and junkmail nightmare. Also look for some sort of a web site rules page or a terms of use page. Check to see if they screen their profiles or somehow disallow racial, hate or overly sexual material. If they don’t state this than, anything goes for this site, another reason to leave.

4). Does the site have a links page? If so click and examine. See who they are affiliated with. Usually, there will be graphical banners or icons next to the names of their associations. Are they sexsites? Spam sites? Even a quick glance in this area could tell you what kind of a dating site you are at.

5). What is the copyright date at the bottom? This could indicate the age of the site. If it is very young, this could help you determine if the site has worked out all the kinks (program bugs) and how many members they have accumulated.

6). Be wary of statements like กYou are the 4697th member to join today.ก and กSearch through millions of profiles.ก these statements are usually false. Major sites, which have been running for YEARS usually can support these statements. look for a กwhos onlineก link. If you are the only person (1 guest online means JUST you are there) then you know these claims are false. A site with millions or even thousands of members will always have a bunch of people currently online. If you detect this in a dating site, it is better to leave than to take a chance with a dishonest site.

This is just a short list of ideas to help keep you safe when dating online. Be leary, be safe. More information can be found at www.cupidsblackbook.com.

About The Author

Leif Croonquist is 34 year old writer from Portland, Oregon. He currently writes for www.cupidsblackbook.com.

This article was posted on August 28, 2004

by Leif Croonquist