MARK BROOKS – May 7 – Does the world need another free dating site? The people behind TRUE think so, and have just launched Singlesbee to compete with the likes of Plentyoffish, and OKCupid (owned by IAC/Match). I quizzed Ruben Buell, the long time President of TRUE.
Why start a free dating site?
We believe that there is a large market within the free online dating space. We also feel that there is no longer an excellent completely free site available to singles today. We believe that we can fill that need and gain tremendous market share in the free space.
How's Singlesbee better than other free dating sites?
SinglesBee is completely free. There are no up sells and no gimmicks. Users are free to email and wink without any volume restraints or limits. We also have placed our Scientific compatibility quizzes on the site. The quizzes represent millions of dollars in research and testing and are now available to users without cost. We also have included our proven techniques in trapping and removing scammers. The experience we have in the dating space is evident in the site and the features that our users have access to.
How will you make money from it?
The site is supported by third party advertising.
Are you accepting advertising from other dating sites? How can they advertise and what are your rates?
We are accepting advertising from other dating sites. Rates run between $2.50 and $5 CPMs.
Do you think Internet dating will eventually all go free?
We believe that the free dating market and the paid subscription dating service serve two different segments of the dating population and that we believe that they can co-exist nicely.
How are free users distinct from paid users as a separate group? How are their needs and life stages different?
There is a segment of the public that wants additional features such as background checks etc. Those individuals are willing to pay for that service. We also believe that many people like to know that the person they are talking to is paying and serious about finding a partner or a relationship. The free space has a lower barrier to entry and so may have individuals who are not as ready to really jump into a serious commitment.
What psychology profiling principles drive SinglesBee questions and compatability profiling?
SinglesBee’s tests were put together over years of development with several Psychologists working on staff and as third part individuals. These tests were setup to insure the best form of compatibility across the board. They are not intended to be for just people interested in getting married but work across the full spectrum of the love continuum. Our tests have been scientifically tested to be free of bias.
Do you have a mobile app in the works?
We are looking into a mobile application and website at this time.
It seems the people behind TRUE had duplicated TRUE as a free site and called it Singlesbee. There is no innovation.
eHarmony Inc. had failed with Jazzed and eDarling had failed with BetterDateDE free online dating proposals.
The same with IAC, they had failed with DownToEarth then rebranded to sTir.
POF and OkCupid are freemium, they want daters to upgrade memberships. Purely free model is dead.
It seems the people behind TRUE had duplicated TRUE as a free site and called it Singlesbee. There is no innovation.
eHarmony Inc. had failed with Jazzed and eDarling had failed with BetterDateDE free online dating proposals.
The same with IAC, they had failed with DownToEarth then rebranded to sTir.
POF and OkCupid are freemium, they want daters to upgrade memberships. Purely free model is dead.