Sponsored by Flirt.com:
When someone says that they met their partner on a dating website, it doesn’t garner the same kind of reaction it once did. Before, people thought that if you had to use the internet to meet someone, you were some kind of leper and there was something wrong with you. However, today? That isn’t the case. More and more people are signing up to dating sites in the UK, and it isn’t because they are unable to find someone who will date them or that they’ve dated everyone they met, but they are joining because they are just too busy to dedicate time to meeting someone they want to spend time with.
Business minded people understand this need, and it’s no wonder why there are so many dating websites available. These people are cashing in on the online dating craze and you can, too — if you know how. If you’re someone who has always had a knack for matchmaking and your friends always turned to you for dating advice, now is your chance to open a dating website of your own.
Wait, before you start giving us the side eye and thinking we are crazy, hear us out! Creating one of these dating sites isn’t nearly as difficult as you might think. In fact, it can be pretty darn easy if you follow these five simple tips.
1. Choose the Right Niche
When you think of online dating, chances are there are a few very popular brands that come to mind. While these brands offer services to a very broad audience, you’ll want to focus your talents and offer your services to a niche that is under-represented.
For example, let’s say you’re a busy businesswoman who doesn’t have a lot of time to waste. QuickFlirt.com has that covered, but you get the idea. To find your target audience, do a little research. Focus on building a site that meets their needs and market the hell out of whatever it is that makes you unique.
2. Choose a Business Model
When it comes to how your site operates, you have a few options. Most dating sites use either advertisements, a subscription-based model, or some kind of combination of the two. There are some very popular sites that run solely on ads, and their members can use the services for free. However, with this particular model, you aren’t going to be raking in the big bucks.
If you want a small site, perhaps a subscription-based service is more your speed. Just be mindful that if people are going to pay for your service, they are going to expect to get something worthwhile — so don’t forget to include various tools and unique services.
3. Make Your Algorithm Rock
When you go to an online dating service, you are going to be asked a thousand questions to get you started. These questions aren’t there for you to just kill time, they are there for you to fill out so that the website can better match you with other members. These questionnaires are designed to bring people who are most compatible together with the hopes of helping you find that love of your life.
When you’re setting up your site, you need to think about the values that are going to be the most significant for your members. Not only that, but you need to decide how you’re going to rate the users’ answers. Once you’ve figured out your algorithm parameters, you can then hire a programmer to create and set up your search tool — if you don’t know how to do it yourself, that is.
4. Draw in Your Customers
To have a successful dating website, you’re going to need people to sign up and use your service. In the beginning, it may be slow, and if there aren’t a lot of people signing up, it is going to fail really quickly. No one wants to be on a dating site where there are only a small handful of people!
You need to throw a lot of focus on marketing and give people a reason to sign up for your site. This means making offers for free membership for a month for every referral, or maybe you can give the first 100 people to sign up advanced features like an automatic upgrade in membership. Once your site has gotten enough members, you can promote your site much better on sites like Google, Bing, and other search engines.
5. Maintain a High Standard of Quality
All sorts of people are going to be joining your website, but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to fit in. As an owner of a new dating site, you are going to have to be ready to deal with things like sexual harassment, abuse, and even privacy concerns. You need to have a system in place that will allow your users to flag someone for inappropriate behavior.
The way you handle these flagged users is entirely up to you. You could remove certain privileges like no chat room access for a month if they were flagged for spamming a chat room. If they were sending lewd messages via your messenger service, restrict their instant messaging capabilities. In extreme cases, you have to be prepared to suspend or even ban members.
Creating an online dating website may seem like a huge feat that you may not be ready for. However, if you’re someone who has your heart set on helping singles all over the world find each other, then this is something you should definitely consider. With a bit of planning, a vision, and some guidance, you can break into the world of online dating. And if you wanted to, you may even be able to find love on your own website!