Dating sites that have earned millions.
Who would have thought? Online dating, which once seemed like pure madness and playing the lottery, has become completely normal.
Profitable business.
With the advent of mobile applications, this industry has begun to develop not only throughout the day, but also by the hour.
The very attitude towards finding love online has changed. From the depths of browser history to shortcuts shamelessly placed on smartphone desktops. There”s no shame in dating online anymore.
Match. com was founded in 1995. The popularity of the resource grew quickly. New functions have appeared, new happy couples have been formed. Star Match. com did not go dark — the site continued to function as usual.
But now online dating titans have emerged to give them competition. There are about 150 bold spots in the state alone—all in one place. The industry is like a freshly baked fragrant pie. Everyone wants to grab a piece.
As this business grows, more types of dipping sites and applications for them are becoming available. Consider, for example, the company eHarmony. It belongs to the category of “romantic” resources — users pay a certain amount of money and choose a suitable partner. Why are this and similar sites so attractive? A large audience and a supposedly well-thought-out algorithm promise to find everyone an ideal soul mate.
Now you can find anyone — be it Irish farmers or sugar daddies (in other words, sponsors). Religious beliefs, sexual orientation, nationality — there is a place for literally every taste in this industry.
In 2012, the total revenue of American dating sites reached US$2 billion. And this is far from the limit.
We take a look at the five most popular and profitable dating sites.
TOP 5-5
- No. 5 — OKCUPID, $50 million
Founded in 2004, by 2010 it had approximately 3. 5 million active users.
Read also: Real dating sites — Top 5 most popular
Online dating no longer surprises anyone. Real dating sites create all the conditions for comfortable communication. The purpose of registering on the site is different, not.
The resource is aimed at representatives of traditional and non-traditional orientations.
Each user fills out a questionnaire, and based on his answers, the algorithm calculates his compatibility with other users.
There is no fee for using the site. OkCupid exists for advertising.
In 2011, Match. com bought OkCupid for US$50 million.
- Fourth place — Zoosk, $90 million.
Zoosk is headquartered in San Francisco. In 2011, the site brought its creators a record $90 million. Since then, its popularity has been growing.
Its audience is 25 million people from all over the world. Regular users aren”t put off by the $30 monthly fee.
The first message is free. But if your interlocutor shows interest in you, you will have to pay. Otherwise, sending messages is not available.
An application for Facebook was also released.
- Third place — E-Harmony, 180 million US dollars.
Founded in 2000. The site has come a long way — ups, downs, scandals. Initially, e-Harmony was supposed to be a Christian dating site. Of course, same-sex couples were left out.
Psychologist Neil Clark Warren (who pioneered the method of assessing people”s choice of partners) spoke out against same-sex marriage.
Dating site
In 2009, e-warranty revenues reached US$200 million, but revenues declined a few years later. In 2013, the site brought its creators a “small” 180 million.
- Second place: Plenty of Fish (POF), $200 million.
It debuted in Canada in 2003. Founder: Markus Frind.
Like OkCupid, POF exists by providing free access to the site and selling advertising.
The site became so popular that “counterfeits”—sites that imitate POF—began appearing on the Internet.
Markus Freund can take comfort in the thought that imitation is the highest form of praise.
And $200 million in revenue is a very nice bonus.
- No. 1 — Match. com, $401 million.
The world”s largest dating site. Site gateway to a resource group owned by IAC. OkCupid is also included in this list.
In 2010, IAC”s total revenue was US$401 million.
Let us remember that this happened several decades ago, when the industry was not so developed.
Match became popular thanks to happy couples who met on the site.
The site team is working to improve the partner search algorithm. The monthly fee is $20.
