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Is running a dating site possible?

by silveraden
16 replies
I've been running 5 successful local FB groups about dating in different niches with an average of 50k members each. I am not making money aside from promoting my own blogs (which doing pretty well with adsense), and selling some of my stuffs online. I also make 3 figures a month from local advertising (pinned posts, cover pics).

I plan to create a separate and stand-alone dating site out of these groups. I know I am going to work hard to start from scratch, but considering that I already have a target audience, do you think its possible?

I have no problem with promotion at all. My target is to get at least 1000 paying members for the first 3 months.

Any idea of encouragement is highly appreciated.

Thanks
#dating #running #site
  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    Yes this is possible. What platform are you going to use for your dating site?

    When you say "from scratch" do you mean you want to create your own dating site platform?

    There are a number of 'white label' dating services that provide the back end, products and services. You just rebrand as your own site and drive traffic.

    Similar to a PLR digital product.

    Or do you mean a site about dating not a dating site in the sense that people sign up to meet other members? If you mean a dating site for people to look for a partner then 1,000 is way too few members. That's why places like match.com pay VA workers to create thousands of fake profiles.
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    • Profile picture of the author dana67
      I also think it is possible, but the dating niche is very competitive and there are already a number of big companies/sites there. Try to think of ways that you can make your site and service stand out from the rest.

      Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author flipflop09
    I was literally just about to start a thread on my idea of making a niche dating site.. lol. So yes I think it's possible and good to have a target audience already scoped out.

    If you don't mind me asking, how are you planning on creating the site? Would you pay developers to make it from scratch? That's the part I'm stuck on, I'm willing to invest my own money but don't know enough about the world of web development to know what a realistic and fair cost would be..

    Anyway good luck, online dating isn't going anywhere anytime soon and just because others have paved the way doesn't mean there isn't room for new success
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    • Profile picture of the author onSubie
      Originally Posted by flipflop09 View Post

      If you don't mind me asking, how are you planning on creating the site? Would you pay developers to make it from scratch? That's the part I'm stuck on, I'm willing to invest my own money but don't know enough about the world of web development to know what a realistic and fair cost would be..
      Take a look a white label dating sites. You develop the niche and brand and domain name and the white label service provides everything else.

      So sign-ups, member database, billing, etc is all handled by the white label service while you provide the domain, niche (dating for geeks, mature dating, etc) and traffic/promotion.

      All sign ups go into the main database that is shared by the various white label partners. They show up in searches so even if you are just starting, any member searching will get results pulled from the central database that meet their criteria.

      I have not run a dating site but I have done some research into white label services and ideas for niching down into sub-categories for dating.
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      • Profile picture of the author flipflop09
        Originally Posted by onSubie View Post

        Take a look a white label dating sites. You develop the niche and brand and domain name and the white label service provides everything else.

        So sign-ups, member database, billing, etc is all handled by the white label service while you provide the domain, niche (dating for geeks, mature dating, etc) and traffic/promotion.

        All sign ups go into the main database that is shared by the various white label partners. They show up in searches so even if you are just starting, any member searching will get results pulled from the central database that meet their criteria.

        I have not run a dating site but I have done some research into white label services and ideas for niching down into sub-categories for dating.
        Thanks for the suggestion, I think that could work in some situations but I wouldn't want to be tied up with the revenue share aspect of it.. I've considered using a software template like chameleon and then paying for it to be customized..
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  • Profile picture of the author silveraden
    I plan to create my own platform. I don't mind paying a decent and experienced developers here locally than sharing big part of my income with private label dating providers.

    My experience with datingfactory have been a disaster and I will never rely my business again on third party company.

    I already inquired about clone but customized scripts of some dating sites like ashlymadison.com but with lesser features.

    This plan has been inside my mind in the last 4 months but I won't jump into something with insufficient knowledge while still earning on my other ventures.

    I also spent a decent amount of time searching wf for private label dating and most of the feedbacks are negative on working with private label.

    Here are some related threads that I found yesterday.

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ing-sites.html

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ite-usa-d.html

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ing-sites.html

    One problem I found out with white label dating is that, almost half of members are affiliates who are forced to register just to maintain their membership in affiliate program.
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    • Profile picture of the author boomboombenoit
      Originally Posted by silveraden View Post

      I plan to create my own platform. I don't mind paying a decent and experienced developers here locally than sharing big part of my income with private label dating providers.
      I just wanted to agree that developing your own platform is a solid way to go. The startup cost can be mitigated by releasing your MVP and collecting some revenue from your existing groups. From there you can add more features and expand your reach.

      I feel you're in a good place to launch your own site and be very successful.

      Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author algorithms and strategies
    Originally Posted by silveraden View Post

    My target is to get at least 1000 paying members for the first 3 months.
    I would rather set the target at a high number of active members. So that after 3 months, everyone who joins the site really gets in touch with interesting (non faked) persons. Those pioneers which apply for a membership at the very beginning should be encouraged by a free (or almost free) membership for the first 3 months. Monetarizing too early kills your growth.

    I plan to create my own platform.
    If you pay all the work for something new, do not just make a clone and then make it 10% better than its original, but try to invent indeed new solutions, such as tinder.
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  • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
    I think that anyone that wants to start their own dating service should really do their homework, as I have to imagine that the costs are enormous. Also you need to have a massive amount of members, because who is going to use a site that doesn't have a lot of members in their area. Catch-22, how to get members, without already having members.

    Before trying a white label solution, make sure you read the fine print! I have looked at some and I was not thrilled to say the least.

    I'm a big email guy and personally, I would rather just have a big list of people interested in dating and promote offers to them. Which is actually what I do.
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  • Profile picture of the author n3o
    50k members is quite a good list to start with
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  • Profile picture of the author charlotteava41
    Of course. There are no legal issues unless somebody takes legal actions for illegal activities in the website. As long as you have legally set it up there shouldn't be any issues. In fact not much licensing is required other than privacy terms n conditions and setting up any business needs a permit. recently I purchased free tinder dating mobile clone and I've started earning by using ads and AdMob.
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    Originally Posted by silveraden View Post

    I've been running 5 successful local FB groups about dating in different niches with an average of 50k members each. I am not making money aside from promoting my own blogs (which doing pretty well with adsense), and selling some of my stuffs online. I also make 3 figures a month from local advertising (pinned posts, cover pics).

    I plan to create a separate and stand-alone dating site out of these groups. I know I am going to work hard to start from scratch, but considering that I already have a target audience, do you think its possible?

    I have no problem with promotion at all. My target is to get at least 1000 paying members for the first 3 months.

    Any idea of encouragement is highly appreciated.

    Thanks
    If you get enough of a user base, I'd say yes, look at what happened with POF, they started small and eventually grew very large..
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  • Profile picture of the author tich
    Originally Posted by silveraden View Post

    I've been running 5 successful local FB groups about dating in different niches with an average of 50k members each. I am not making money aside from promoting my own blogs (which doing pretty well with adsense), and selling some of my stuffs online. I also make 3 figures a month from local advertising (pinned posts, cover pics).

    I plan to create a separate and stand-alone dating site out of these groups. I know I am going to work hard to start from scratch, but considering that I already have a target audience, do you think its possible?

    I have no problem with promotion at all. My target is to get at least 1000 paying members for the first 3 months.

    Any idea of encouragement is highly appreciated.

    Thanks
    You will need to spend a lot of money building out the site. When you are taking on sites like match.com it's not going to be easy
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    This is indeed possible. Just make sure that all of your members are 100% real. The dating site world is cluttered with PLR sites that have fake members. They all have template responses based on the keywords found in a single message to them. See stuff like that makes me just look on Match and eHarmony. I can't say they're totally 100% "safe", but they're industry leaders in the broad niche of "dating".
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  • Profile picture of the author Gambino
    Originally Posted by silveraden View Post

    I have no problem with promotion at all. My target is to get at least 1000 paying members for the first 3 months.
    I like goals, but I think it could be your demise. Why would someone pay to join "yourdatingsite.com" when they could join Match, or eHarmony, or Tinder, or POF?

    I can't think of any logical explanation to join your site instead of one of the established, reputable dating sites.

    I too would recommend focusing your attention to building a large, stable user base of real people who actually log in and meet other users. Without that, your site will fail. Forcing people to pay right out of the gates puts a barrier between you and success that doesn't have to be there.

    Think longer term. I would actually model the site after Plenty of Fish, if I were to start a dating site.
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  • Profile picture of the author SCrafted
    Banned
    I don't know because i never owned a dating site but from what i heard you need a lot of money.
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