Internet dating is certainly big business, with the main players in this field commanding memberships running into the millions.
For any budding entrepreneur, the combination of a popular theme and a flexible platform seem tailor-made for making a commercial success. But how easy would it be to set up your own dating site like Naturally Dating? Here are some tips towards making a success of an online dating business.
Choose your niche
Before you even get as far as designing web pages or considering the algorithms to apply to bring singles together, you need to decide which particular dating topic to specialize in. There are already many generic matching sites, some of which have been established for long enough to have carved a huge slice of the pie.
There is no point setting up a brand-new website if you are going to be entering a field where the competition is always going to be intense. Far better to focus on an area you are particularly knowledgeable about, making this niche your specialty.
Write a business plan
The next important area is the creation of a business plan. This is where you decide exactly what your dating business is going to pan out, establishing fundamental questions. How will you fund this venture?
Where are your target customers? How will you target them? What existing sites will be your main competitors? What will you be able to offer potential customers that is any different? Who will design your site? What sort of monetization will be introduced?
Will this purely be a website or are you considering an app version? What plans will you put in place to ensure continued growth? It is also crucial to remember this plan must be flexible enough to be revised at any time.
Design your site
The good news about any online enterprise is you rarely have to reinvent the wheel. Take some time studying other dating resources to get inspiration about page layouts and navigation, as well as user-friendly tools. There are many options for online site-building templates for anyone who isn’t necessarily a coding expert. WordPress is but one example. But if you really want to make a success of your venture, it might be advisable to employ the services of someone with good web development knowledge, especially when it comes to integrating a robust financial interface.
Get marketing
Even if you launch on all-singing, all-dancing eating site, you need to promote this platform rather than assume customers will arrive at your doorstep. Try opting for a snappy name which people will instantly associate with dating rather than a trendy but ambiguous one which needs to gain traction before it will begin inviting along new customers.
The good news is it can be relatively straightforward to market your site within other social media channels. Unlike the E-commerce model of old, where a lot of capital had to be thrown at advertising, this can now be done efficiently – and at little cost – with imagination and ready access to popular resources such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and many others. You can blog about your site, as well as inviting customers to spread the word about their dating success within their own social media platforms.
Ensure excellent customer service
Always put your customers first. Make sure there are avenues for anyone to get in touch with site administration, particularly if users have issues on everything from technical advice, to raising concerns other singles might be behaving unprofessionally. Good customer service is invaluable in spreading the word that your site is reliable and can be trusted.