Online Dating: Shop Till You Drop!

So I have come to the conclusion that online dating is a lot like shopping.  And, how we act as consumers plays a huge role in how we now date.  For Instance, we recognize a need to have someone meaningful in our life, we then go out and gather different information on our options and then compare the different alternatives.  The process of online dating is merely the process of pushing a shopping cart down different isle.  The internet now allows us to have access to a number of different alternatives.  Which in my opinion would be very overwhelming, but people are shifting toward becoming more knowledgeable consumers and want to have all the information they can, in order to make the best decision.

-Dana

Translating Online Dating Profiles

Here's a funny video on how to translate online dating profiles and find out what they are REALLY saying.  Obviously this video is purely for entertainment purposes but the main point of the video is that anyone can basically say anything.  It's important to keep in mind that people want to look good, and are likely to fib a little bit here and there.  That's the beauty of communicating online, people can basically play different roles and be whom ever they want to be.  I think that's what scares me the most about online dating services!!!

-Dana

The Little Couple and Their Online Dating Story

Apparently TLC's, The Little Couple met online on a dating service.  Click on this link to watch their video which explains the whole process on how they met. VIDEO.


After seeing this video my perceptions of online dating had changed a bit.  For little people, it is probably a struggle to find someone you're compatible and with dating services it makes that process a little bit more easier to find someone.  The Little Couple, Jen and Matt met on a site for little people.  They instantly connected and are now happily married.  This couple strongly supports online dating, and prove that it can be an effective way to meet someone.

-Dana

Interesting Statistics on Online Dating

I read an article today on Dating Statistics by John Sharp which covers some interesting facts about online dating and people around the world.  Some of these stats include:

• Online Dating Usage: 140 million from China, 40 million from US, and 15 million from India
• More Popular Service: E-Harmony has over 20 million users, and Match.com has over 15 million 
• Facts about E-Harmony:  Members must fill out 400 question survey
• Break Down of Users: 52.4% Male, and 47.6% Female, the average visit per site time is approx. 22 minutes
• The Online Dating Industry is worth approx 1.049 billion per year and expected to be 1.3 billion in 2013
• Customers of Online Dating spend on average 239$ per year
• 1 in 10 users are scammers, and 1 in 10 users leave the site within the first 3 months
• In America, men lie most about: Age, Height, and Income
• In America, Women lie most about: Weight, Physical Build, and Age
• Average length of courtship for marriages: Met online- 18.5 months, Met offline- 42 months
• 1 out of 10 sex offenders use online dating to meet people

I thought these were some really interesting facts about online dating, and from based on what I have researched a lot of it seems to be pretty accurate.  Especially the point about the average length of courtship.  It seems that a lot of people that meet online get really serious fast.  I wonder what the reasoning behind that is!

-Dana

The Stigma of Online Dating- It Is Still There!

Before beginning our online dating experience, both Josh and I were aware of the stigma that is associated with meeting people online.  However, we thought if we were more educated on the topic then our perceptions might change.  I know for me, mine didn't change and I still can't get my head around it and not think about the stigma that it has.

But for those of you that enjoy the online dating experience there is hope!  According to an article Online Dating Stigma- Is it Gone? the stigma of online dating is starting to disappear over the years. Celebrities such as Dr. Phil, Charlie Sheen, Joan Rivers, and Halle Berry have been known to check out online dating services.  From learnings from my Consumer Behaviour class, individuals are likely to accept certain products and services more if there are celebrities endorsing it.  So perhaps this will be a growing trend and people will develop more acceptance toward online dating services.

-Dana

The Future of Online Dating

The growing trend toward online dating has proved to be very profitable for many businesses.  Therefore, these types of businesses want to uphold a good reputation and are becoming very professionalized.  There is also a prediction that online dating will be eventually taken over through mobile use.  

The consumers are in control, and everyone is all about convenience these days so it is very critical that online dating companies make this shift.  Furthermore, people are starting to consider social media outlets such as Facebook, and Myspace as dating sites as well.  This fact may end up hurting online dating companies in the future, as Facebook and Myspace can now provide similar services without the attached stigma.  

Where do you guys see online dating in the next 5-10 years?

-Dana