Online Dating Business vs. Social Networking – No Match

The online dating industry is said to have brought in some $500 million during 2005 and that figure is even higher now. It is also estimated that around fifty million Americans have visited an online dating site at one time or the other. With figures like that, we can safely assume that online dating works and works well. If it were not so popular, online dating as a business model would certainly have failed by now, due to lack of income. Even with the huge popularity of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook amongst others, online dating sites not only continue to thrive but are also continuing to attract more new members than ever before. However, what is it about online dating that still attracts so many folks.

The odds of finding a compatible dating partner in your hometown are slim. Even when the population is large, you have to know many folk, or visit many bars, or party around a large number of social arenas to improve your odds.

Internet dating services offer anonymity, safety and a wide reach. They also offer, in a way, a more narrow reach. They can use complicated matching algorithms to pick prospective partners. That sort of targeting helps increase your odds still further.

The sites themselves often have specialized areas or sub-sites that cater to an even more targeted audience. You can easily find a gay or lesbian site, a Christian site, a senior’s site or an ethnic site. Indeed, there are dating services for virtually any niche that you can think of and then some.

Nevertheless, beyond all this, many folk, whatever their tastes and interests are looking for fundamentally the same thing. That special somebody, whom they can relate to, understands their jokes and shares their values. At the same time, online dating sites make it easier to connect with that special someone when they may be nearby yet unknown or far away and hard to reach.

With extensive profiles, photos and videos, it is possible to quickly sift through a whole host of potential prospects. With matching software based on extensive psychological research, it is possible to narrow that field to a manageable number. Moreover, you can do all that from the convenience and safety of your keyboard.

Add to that the many newly expanded options, such as using online dating sites via your cell phone or PDA and you have a service that is unbeatable. So, what are you waiting for – go and join one.