PRESS RELEASE — Sep 10 — Perfectmatch.com, taps into the dissatisfaction with casual dating sites for market differentiation and continued growth in a crowded space. The result: 300% jump in affiliate sales in the past 18 months, Perfectmatch.com provides compatible matches and comprehensive search capabilities. The company targets online users 26 and older, and has achieved the most growth with the over-50 segment. The Commission Junction program manager reworked Perfectmatch's program terms to offer publishers tiered compensation; diversified Perfectmatch's publisher base by developing coupon offers to attract coupon and deal publishers; coordinated the company's search efforts; recruited and optimized quality publishers efforts; and updated creative and content. Sales went up 29% after the first month and tripled after nine months. FULL ARTICLE @ EARTH TIMES
Month: September 2007
Genital Herpes Lovers Unite
OPW — Sep 9 — ‘Rick’ commented on the post on VDdate: "Doesn’t it seem a little humorous that their media/PR company is called ‘Outbreak Media?’" – Mark Brooks
Singlesnet Low-Brow Dating Advertising
ONLINE DATING INSIDER — Sep 6 — More proof that most high-volume dating sites are more interested in low-quality traffic than a quality dating experience. Singlesnet has resorted to the ass-tastic ad campaigns that True and Mate1 originated on social networks over a year ago. What are the chances that the ad traffic is gender-targeted and women see a naked hunky guy? FULL ARTICLE @ ONLINE DATING INSIDER
New Book – Real-Life Accounts Of Online Dating
VENTURA COUNTY STAR — Sep 6 — After a 24-year marriage ended, Rene Schultz found herself in the confusing world of online dating. Searching4MrRight.com is a book that contains 23 funny, heartfelt and sometimes frightening real-life accounts of the dates she made through online sites, such as Match.com.
The full article was originally published at Ventura County Star, but is no longer available.
Finding Your Perfect (Organ) Match Online
THE BALTIMORE SUN — Sep 6 — MatchingDonors connects those needing a transplant with strangers willing to help. Since its launch in 2004, the site has facilitated 46 transplants. Although controversial – some thought it trivialized organ donation, favored the rich, and fueled black market activities – with none of these fears coming to pass and nearly 97,000 patients awaiting organ transplants in the U.S., this non-profit organization has gained cautious acceptance.
Mark Brooks: Some sites match hearts, others match other body parts.
Virtual Intimacy Leads To Real Carelessness
THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE — Sep 5 — A recent study of 740 women with online dating ads showed that the women exercised great caution when communicating with strangers and meeting them for the first time. However, for the 568 women who did finally meet their dates, 30% reported having sex on the first date and 77% of those didn't use condoms. Among the general population, condom use with a new partner is more common. Why are online daters less careful? Mark Brooks, editor of OnlinePersonalsWatch.com, said people hoping for romantic relationships sometimes project what they're looking for onto virtual mates they may not know much about. He called it the "halo syndrome". "It can be pretty high emotion and high passion on that first meeting", he said.
Nokia Betting On Mobile Social Communities
REUTERS — Sep 5 — Juniper Research expects annual revenues from wireless social networking to increase from $260 million to $3.9 billion by 2012. Top cellphone maker Nokia is betting on that. In July, the company bought Twango – a service that allows users to share photos, videos, and audio files – and now plans to build this social networking technology into the underlying layer of its S60 software.
Mark Brooks: As carriers suffer from commoditization, the phone and software companies will be in stronger positions. Apple (iphone), RIM (blackberry) and Nokia (N95), etc, need to strengthen their mobile SNS and dating, along with gaming and content (music and videos) offerings and build new revenue streams that the carriers can take a cut of. A small cut preferably, but that depends on just how fast the phone and software companies move.
SexSearch Offering 100% Affiliate Payouts
PRESS RELEASE — Sep 4 — SexSearch is offering new affiliates a 100% payout on revenues generated through September 30th. The adult dating site, which claims to have the best converting affiliate program in the online dating space, currently pays out over $1 million each month to affiliates. With 15 million members, it is becoming the largest adult dating site.
The full article was originally published at Free Press Release, but is no longer available.
This post also appears on FrequentFlirters.
30-Year-Old Harvard Grad Already On Third Internet Business
THE BOSTON GLOBE — Sep 5 — Sam Yagan, founder of SparkNotes and eDonkey and only 8 years out of Harvard, already is trying his hand at another Internet endeavor. OkCupid, the free dating site he created with his SparkNotes’ partners, was designed to be a social environment where users (currently 420,000) can create their own quizzes. FULL ARTICLE @ THE BOSTON GLOBE
Controversial Dating Site Reaches Out To Katie Holmes
ENTERTAINMENTWISE — Sep 1 — Dating website AshleyMadison has offered Katie Holmes a free lifetime membership so she can seek out a “meaningful relationship” and “fill her lonely bed.” The agency, which claims over 1.4 million wannabe cheaters, has proposed that an extra-marital affair might be just what she needs to spice up her marriage to Tom Cruise.