More and more entrepreneurs are being tempted to launch start-up businesses, and one trend growing in popularity is online dating. This industry is now global, with thousands of sites commanding multi-million memberships. Do these stats indicate a marketplace that has become too saturated? Perhaps on the surface, but if you follow some business tips about promotion, there’s no reason why your dating site couldn’t be a resounding success. Here are five of our best tips.
1. SEO for Dating Sites in a Narrow Niche
What is your vision for a dating site? There’s always a strong temptation to go for a broader approach, a catchall strategy that might deliver the maximum number of potential customers. But a better option would be focusing on a narrow area. Think of a popular subject, then give it a unique spin, incorporating appropriate keywords.
Let’s take an example – mature dating. Online dating has become increasingly popular among mature women in recent years. This is due to the increasing number of mature singles who are looking for mature hookups and long-lasting relationships.
With online dating, mature singles can sign up for mature women dating site and find like-minded individuals who share similar interests and values. What keywords would a mature single guy aiming to find a partner be using to help him? ‘Mature single.’ ‘mature date.’ ‘middle-age dating.’ All of these possibilities and many more will drive traffic to your dating service for mature individuals. Always remember to apply SEO throughout your site, both on the front-end (the content) and the back end (the metadata or descriptions you use to describe what pages are about).
2. Business model
When promoting any business venture, it’s always important to bear in mind that there’s never any need to reinvent the wheel. Do some research into business models for networking that are already being applied, along with websites that are achieving the highest traffic.
3. Social Media
Previously, new ventures relied on large advertising budgets to get their content noticed. Nowadays, you can harness the power of social media. Incorporate ‘like’ and ‘share’ buttons so that the singles using your web service can be proactive. Encourage site visitors to write reviews and then share these throughout their social media networks.
4. Develop a Unique Approach
It cannot be stressed enough that you need to stand out from the crowd. As we’ve stated, there are already thousands of sites out there, with many catering to sugar mommas and their potential babies, as well as numerous other subjects. You need to think of what you could offer that would inspire people to choose your site above others on the same wavelength. Think of incentives you could offer, such as adding names to a mailing list if they subscribe, in exchange for getting a heads-up about fresh content. Think of the branding you use for your web pages – will it appeal to customers interested in your niche? You could always ask for feedback.
5. Advertise Your Dating Site
There are many ways to boost your presence without resorting to expensive advertising campaigns. Submit your details to review sites that will provide prospective newcomers with an overview of what they might expect if they join. Other options are low-cost, such as adding forums, which will expand your network, and also add your URL to web directories. But the best solutions often involve tapping into what’s already out there, such as adding those aforementioned social media buttons.
There are certain things to keep in mind. You don’t need to invest in state-of-the-art computer equipment to achieve the best results. Instead, do some research into practical software solutions. But the most important factors are creativity and imagination. If you can apply these in conjunction with our pointers, you’ll steer a path to success.