You may well have noticed, but Internet dating is one of the hottest topics at the moment, with new sites/apps being launched on a daily basis, and the longer-established versions claiming memberships running into the millions.
For any entrepreneur tempted to get into this line of business, there are some obvious pros and cons. On the plus side, there is no sign of interest in this subject abating. Quite the reverse. The demand for these outlets is a phenomenon which is growing and growing. On the minus side, if you are thinking of exploring this market, you will be facing a lot of competition. But if you can get it right, there is every chance you could make a success of your venture. If you are going to start running a popular dating site, here are some of the recommended actions.
Research your subject area
There are already huge numbers of dating sites out there, catering for a diverse cross-section of the population. Many of these are fairly generic, aimed at introducing singles across a wide range of parameters. Others are deliberately targeting niche areas. So the first decision you have to come to is, what type of dating business do you wish to operate?
Obviously, it will be very difficult to come up with an idea which has not been covered before, but the trick to pulling this off is to approach your topic from a different angle, establishing your own brand and cultivating a specific customer base.
Formulate your business development plan
You need to treat your online dating business like any other E-commerce enterprise. Before you get as far as cobbling together a basic website or trying to entice customers, you will need to write down your business strategy. This should cover every aspect of what you intend doing, from the web host you will use, to how your site will be designed. A host of considerations will have to be taken into account. What sort of payment plan will you put in place? How do you intend to interact with your potential customers? What security measures will you implement? How often should you refresh content?
Before you even get that far, you’ll need to consider who is going to produce your articles and whether or not you might consider incorporating an affiliate marketing aspect in order to increase the potential of your online business to generate income.
Design a killer site
Dating websites are obviously a very visual medium. When it comes to attracting potential customers, you will have to achieve a balance between incorporating a lot of high-quality images, inevitably containing attractive models, and balancing this with well-written and engaging web content. You must satisfy yourself that any photographs you upload meet with the appropriate copyright commitments. The site itself should be easy to navigate and logical in its layout. There is no point scrimping on the more dynamic aspects of your web pages, so when it comes to monetizing, don’t be tempted by the false economy of trying to incorporate some cheap off-the-shelf software package. It would be more advisable to engage the services of a reliable professional web developer to provide a technologically secure financial system.
Add ons
Aside from your main web presence, you’ll need to take care of parallel activities, such as registering your business with the appropriate authorities. Another important factor to incorporate is ensuring you can streamline the service you intend providing with social media platforms. Make sure your articles are equipped with ‘like’ and ‘share’ buttons so your message can be propogated through all the usual platforms.