Hello.
My name is Ben Lovegrove and in this video I'm going to explain how you can start a dating
site.
Your first site could be a part time job that brings in a little extra income each month
but it could expand into a full time occupation consisting of one large site or a portfolio
of several sites.
I started my first site in 2004.
The following year I started several more.
I sold one of the more successful ones and have kept most of the others going for over
ten years.
So for over a decade my portfolio has generated income and with a little care and maintenance
the sites will continue to do so for years to come.
So how can you be part of this industry?
What options and opportunities are there for a newcomer?
Even though online dating has been around for a long time now there are still opportunities
for anyone with the dedication and ideas for new sites.
It's not a path to instant riches but if you invest your time and money wisely you stand
a good chance of generating a healthy return.
Later on this video I'll be talking about choosing a target market for your sites and
in other videos I'll go into each of these following site types in more detail but first
let's look at the main site types.
The three types are:
1.
An independent site 2.
A white label site 3.
An affiliate site At the end of this video I'll provide some links to companies that
provide the resources you need.
The Independent Site
The independent site means that you, the owner, retain full control over the site.
This means you have full autonomy and can change it in way you like at any time.
You retain all the income that the site generates.
Obviously, when the site is new, you'll probably be spending more on marketing and development
than you receive in income but if the site succeeds then you keep all the profits.
The disadvantage is that you're also responsible for all the day to day administration.
This means you have to check all the profiles, answer all emails, and deal with all other
aspects of administering an online dating site.
You can outsource these tasks to a contractor or delegate it to an employee if your company
is large enough but either way you will have to pay for someone else to do the administrative
tasks.
The White Label Site
A white label dating site is one that brings you into partnership with an existing online
dating company.
They provide the platform, access to an existing database of members, and all the technical
and administrative support.
You can make your white label site as small or large as you like.
You can develop it into a multi page site and add a blog or even a shop if you think
it's a sound business idea but remember your prime purpose is to convert visitors into
new members and existing members into subscribers.
The partnership with a white label company will involve sharing the site's revenue.
What percentage you receive each month depends on the agreement and how well your site performs.
You may find that there are variations created by any temporary promotions or deals but you
should be able to collect at least 35% of the site's revenue each month.
Your role in the partnership is to start the site, develop the design, and market it to
the target audience or niche (more on the niche sites later).
The advantages are that all the the back-end tasks (technical and administrative) are taken
care of for you.
All you have to do with the site is to market it month after month.
Another advantage is that the white label company could be a leading brand in the online
dating world, so your site might be able to display links to Customer Charters and other
reassuring evidence of high level of integrity.
The disadvantage as you've probably already guessed is that you have to give up a large
proportion of the site's income.
The Affiliate Site
An affiliate site is similar to the white label site but it's generally a simpler process
to set up.
The revenue share is usually a fixed rate which may be a choice between a small sum
for new members and and a larger sum for new subscribers.
The advantage of this type of site is that it's quick and easy to set up and most affiliate
companies have niche networks ready for you.
All you have to do is to choose the niche you want to develop a site around.
The disadvantage is that it can take a little while to make changes to your site if you
want to amend or improve it in any way.
Choosing Your Target Market
General dating sites are those that try to match-make straight single men and women.
A niche (or niche as our American friends say) dating site is one that targets as specific
section of the community.
This could be anything from a group based on religion, sexual orientation, hobbies,
age, profession and many other factors.
So for example there are dating sites for Catholics, lesbians, golfers, over 50s, and
medical professionals.
There may also be a site for Catholic middle aged lesbians who like to play golf but you
can be too particular about the niche.
You may be able to think of a new niche that hasn't been targeted yet.
Alternatively, you could create a site for people who belong to an existing tried and
tested niche that still has plenty of scope for growth.
Remember that sites come and go and it's those that stay the course and keep at it that succeed.
You will need to do some market and keyword research in order to determine the size of
the niche.
Take into account the demographics of the people and any seasonal trends.
It's an advantage to choose a niche that interests you.
The reason being that you can save money by writing new content for your site yourself
if it's a subject with which you are familiar.
If you can draw on personal experiences then your writing will be of interest to your target
audience and you can provide this content at no cost to you other than the time it takes
to write it.
So in conclusion then, if you want to start an online dating site here are some companies
that can help you:
1.
Redspan Solutions Ltd - This is my company and I can help you with domain name registration,
hosting, mentoring, and coaching for all three types of site.
Visit www.redspan.com
2.
White Label Dating - These guys are my business partners for my sites.
Their support and resources are second to none.
Find them at www.whitelabeldating.com
3.
Successful Match - This company has been in the business for 16 years and pays out plenty
of money to affiliates.
For example, go to benlovegrove.com/link/successful-match-seniors/ to register as an affiliate and start promoting
an over 50s dating site.
And yes, that is my affiliate link!
I hope you've found some ideas in this introductory video.
In other videos I'll go into each of these dating site types in more detail.
So be sure to subscribe to my channel so that you are notified when the new videos are ready.
Please give this a video a like, leave a comment, and share it with others.
Thanks for watching and good luck with you online business venture.