starting a business with a dating site

[johnbmw]

hi
i was wondering about the dating sites that are out there and how they are made.
i know there are some softwares that you purchase and download to your computer but have no idea how to run the business.

my wife and i and her friend thought it would be a good idea to do this, to actually have a dating website and to run it. but this is something brand new and obviously dont have a clue how to start this business.

can anybody point me to a direction,
i abviously dont know much about this subject, i will have to do more research but you guys are always helpful and thought to come here first.

i apprecite any help to get this started to see if im WAY over my head, hopefully im not i feel very strongly about this.



john

[Christie Love]

Hi John,
Well, actually I spent my entire day creating a new dating website. I should have it complete by tomorrow. (I hope) I created the site using Word Press. It's simple to do and search engines love blogs because you will be adding updated content regularly. I hope that lead you in the right direction.

Best!

[johnbmw]

hi
but dont you have to have a professional software?
if you google dating site sofware you should get a bunch on the first page.
but the problem is not only creating the website.
the problem is running the business.
i already know its lucrative and it will be targeting a specific group of people im not worried too much about the trafic BUT how do i do this business without reading a manuel, ebook, somthing.
i want something more than wordpress, its great that you accomplished that in one day, thats very impressive.


john

[rondo]

There are tons of scripts available either free or paid eg:

Online Dating Software - webDate

Dating Software Pro: Start making money with our dating script!

You'll find many more at www.Hotscripts.com


Andrew

[Michael Mayhew]

He's a great free one.
Dolphin :: Smart Community Builder :: Free Software

Hi John,
If you are talking about building a dating membership site then most of those scripts that have been posted or you find in google are not going to be what you think.

1. Most of them have no idea about the laws, yes laws was made and strict guidelines must be followed when it comes to dating membership sites.

2. They are not secure, protecting your members should be your first concern.

3. They are not coded to handle 10,000's of members.

If a dating membership is what you are looking for then you will also need a dedicated server and a proper built site that is going to match up to the big boys. Because if you do not get a proper site then you are going to have one heck of an uphill battle to complete with those huge sites that have billion dollar advertising budgets.

You must do your research first and then go from there.. but again you are going to need a proper built site and not one thrown together by a self-proclaimed coder.

Remember "Free" does not always mean good...

James

[Sarah Harvey]

The RichJerksNet.... if you have installed a dating site as I have and gone through scripts...then all I can assume is that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Most dating scripts are designed to hold x amount of members. Sure some of them are better than others, but it's easier to do the research and find the right script that will work for him.

One thing you had right though is the fact that it will require a dedicated server. But not when you start. You can start with normal business hosting and once you have some 150+ members, and making some revenue then I would suggest you start looking at a dedicated server.

It is really easy to get a script and install it, but what you will be competing against is hundreds and hundreds of dating sites. It's really crappy in that aspect.

So be prepared to spend a lot on advertising.

What could work is the fact that you create the dating site and then launch it in your local community offline. You will have more success.

Okay so here are the Steps:


1) Register a domain name

Choose a domain name that will reflect your dating site. Think of something original, and a bit different than just Durban-Dating.com as an example. Think of who you will be targeting. This could make or break you. I have seen pretty successful dating sites where they target 18-30 year old exclusively and others target people aged 35+. Keep that in mind when you design your site as well.

2)Find a script that is worthwhile.

Visit: Hot Scripts :: The net's largest PHP, CGI, Perl, JavaScript and ASP script collection and resource web portal or try one of these:

eMeeting - Dating Software and Community Software in One!
BoonEx - Community Software Experts
PG Dating Software - PHP scripts for Online Dating, Personals, Networking and Matchmaking sites
Dating Software php for your Online Dating Business
Dating Software Script and Dating Site Solutions

or sign up for a site that offers you a complete dating site like DIY-Dating - Create your own dating site

There are tons of scripts....just do a search in google for: Dating Website Scripts

Always look at the price, the actual design of the site. If you can change the design at all, etc. Just view a demo of the script and try them out. You will know what you like and what you don't. Always check support/forums for the script and see what issues regularly crop up. This can be a good indication also of how many problems the script contains and if it will be easy to install etc.

3) Once you found a script you like, then install it on your domain. Then just configure it and change the design etc. You will have a fully functional dating website.

4) Hard part- advertise and get people to your website.

As far as running a dating site as a business... well if you want it proper and legal then register your websites name as a business entity and open a business bank account etc. For information on how to run a business you can find all that info on the internet for your chosen country/state etc.

Essentially that is all there is to it. The hardest part is advertising and getting people to sign up. The rest....is very-very easy.

I have been building site for over 15 years I fully know what I am talking about.. Just getting any old script is not going to work for a business to look and be professional. You are competing against some very high end websites and the fact is there are laws that most of those scripts "DO NOT COVER"..

Do your research and you will find a few dating site (huge ones at that) that was actually fined for not being up with the laws as passed by congress when it comes to communications between 2 parties.

Also fact is most of those scripts have no security, no matter how you look at it. You dont have security you put your site and members at risk of hackers.

James

[johnbmw]

thank you guys for your reply

i know the competition is high, BUT im targeting a certain group of people and beleive me when i say this there is no competition out there. maybe one forum. im not competing with match.com or eharmony.com. im going to promote my site first locally and thats about 5 thousand people in one day. double if i want more. i know about this market quiet a bit.

with that being said

James,
it is very very important to me to protect the people that will sign up for the site. that is my #1 goal because it is personal with them and i wont have a bad reputation.
you were talking about laws and certain guidelines, i dont know what those are im guessing not to let people abuse each other and not do anything illegal. im not 100% sure.
a dedicated server, do you mean a hosting server? please explain what that mean.
what are the right scripts that have the right security?

Sarah
thank you you made it sound easier on since i feel like i have the advertising part down.
you said once i have 150 members i would have to find a dedicated server, how do i do that.
you said find a script that is worthwhile. i dont even know what that is. please explain it to me



john

John,
A dedicated server is a server to host your website on. I suggest Web Hosting, Reseller Hosting, and Dedicated Website Hosting w/ cPanel - HostGator dedicated servers start at $174.00 and I suggest you "do" start with dedicated if this is what you want to do. Moving a live website from one server to another can be a pain for your users so you are best to get the dedicated server to begin with.

A properly built script, I suggest you hire a professional and not use one of those pre-made mostly open source code scripts. The kind of security I am talking about is keeping your database safe from hackers, keeping your login and registration safe from bots, blocking known scam countries, and etc. I am talking about real security. Yes I am a developer but I would have no interest in building a dating site, already done it .. way too much involved and my fee would probably be out of your range unless you have several thousands. Only way you are going to get a "proper" built site is to hire a professional.

There are certain laws on the books as far as people making contact with each other where a dating site is concerned. There are also certain laws that pertain to personal information such as location, age, birthdate, and etc.. I would highly suggest you research local and federal laws where dating websites are concerned.

James