Advanced online dating

A host of cool new companies making sure that willing singles stand out amidst the millions and millions now listed with dating sites.

The aforementioned 3G dating service may make it even easier to date on the go, but what about the host of cool new companies making sure willing singles actually stand out amidst the millions and millions now listed with dating sites? Consider this data, from a Match.com survey: “The first mistake people make with online dating is rushing through their profile. And it shows. In a survey of more than 5,000 online dating members asking about the most common profile mistakes, 51% complained about profiles with poor spelling or grammar, 23% complained about singles referencing their exes in profiles and 23% complained about the photos posted with profiles.” Consolidation is a sure sign that this industry is maturing. When TRENDWATCHING.COM wrote about specialized photography services for online daters in its FEEDER BUSINESSES article, it highlighted SoulmatePics and SingleShots. In the meantime, Soulmatepics has partnered up with DateBetter, making the latter company a one-stop-shop working anyone looking for love online: better profiles, better photos and better dating skills. Also helping profile posters improve their photographic first impressions is LookBetterOnline, a Los Angeles company that links daters with local professional photographers across the US and Canada. Partnering with over 20 dating sites (plus online business network Ryze), LookBetterOnline seems to be grabbing a fair deal of the market share.For those who insist on using their own snapshots, LookWow offers easy online photo enhancement. Users don’t need to download software; they just upload their digital or digitized picture to the website. Like Photoshop for dummies, LookWow offers instant improvements such as ‘Brighten Smile’ and ‘Glamorize’. The San Francisco-based startup’s website is advertising-supported, so the service is free to users, although paid premium services fees may be added in the future. LookWow is also available to enterprises for licensing.And what about making sure a date is not a freak or a felon? What about narrowing the search by going for niche dating sites? These (US based) new business concepts have the answer, and are begging to be copied worldwide, or partnered with… oh well, you know the drill. Here we go:True and TellCupid: these online matching services focus on the security aspect of dating. True claims to be one of the few online relationship service that screens communicating members against the largest criminal record database on the internet, and also requires members to certify that they’re not married, scanning them against public records to check marital status. TellCupid even provides bodyguard services (all licensed private investigators) for men and women who may want the extra-added security of knowing that they are not alone on their first date.Lemon Date is the first dating service that lets users post a rating and read reviews of potential dates from any other dating site. In their own words: “Be honest in your profile… you will get the truth squeezed out of you if you are not!” Ratings include info on how the date went, what someone was like, whether the profile was accurate and if their photo really resembled them. We truly live in an age of transparency, and providing these kinds of checking services for any kind of business or person will remain a hot business for a long time to come.“>Want niche? Millions online combined with distinct preferences means that in the world of dating, niche now rules. Check out VeggieDate: the largest online vegetarian dating and networking service, with currently over 13,000 ads. Want to make money from the Gamer Generation? Learn from MMODating.com, the first and only dating site specifically designed for gamers around the world. In their own words: “No more searching millions of profiles on another site to find someone to play the newest MMORPG with”). Whether you’re in social software (Friendster, LinkedIn), dating, or retail: online niche mania is here to stay.Lastly, there’s a spawning cottage industry of writers that specialize in creating alluring profiles and essays. To name just a few: Dating Profile offers both profile reviews (USD 39), and complete profile writes (USD 79). E-Cyrano is the nom-de-plume of a former Hollywood screenwriter, who now uses forty-five minute consultations and questionnaires to capture the voice of his clients and write personalized personal ads on their behalf. Recognizing that love can’t wait, Better Profiles provides all profiles within 72 hours, with packages starting at USD 29.95. Imaginative and entrepreneurial writers: get in the game! Start-up costs are low, since you don’t need much more than a website, a few Google ads, and a catchy way with words.