There is clear evidence that mainstream online dating sites are losing out as niche market sites are becoming more popular.
A recurring theme on this blog is finding the right niche dating site for you. The big sites are fine if you are looking for casual dating but if you are looking for that special someone then a niche site is the place to start.
I was doing some research for a friend today, looking at niche dating sites and was quite surprised at just how far the large sites are stretching their imaginations these days.
One search term was I researched was Gothic dating. I think we can all agree that this is a highly specialised niche market, you can’t even sneak a “well I quite like wearing black” in there.
Yet a search on google returned the following results:
No 1. Gothic Souls which is one of the ugliest dating site scripts I have seen but is at least run entirely for Goths. When you look at who runs the site you can see that they run four dating sites (Gothic, vegetarian, over 50’s and snog london) so doubt they have any interest in the Gothic scene but at least they have kept the site for a niche market.
No 2. We have flirtbox .. I had to do a double take in case I had read the URL incorrectly. Yes it’s flirtbox and we know how well they specialise in the niche market of Gothic dating … NOT. Just for fun press the link and see what happens. Basically anyone that has listed Gothic rock music on their profile is advertised as a potential Goth dating partner. Of course if the same person also listed classical music they would be advertised on that page as well. The search term was also for UK dating sites and yet at the bottom of the page you can see fourteen different countries displayed.
No 3. Is Gothing Dating hurrah, a site that is actually designed for Goths. This appears to be run by Claire and Jools, I like the personal touch but the latest news says happy new year. I hope they spend some time marketing the site and updating more frequently to keep members online, as they could easily do well in the UK Goth market simply because of their interest in the Gothic scene.
No 4. Site number 4 is a rugby coaching website … perhaps google was trying to keep me guessing?!
No 5. Is Loopylove … such a Gothic sounding name. Of course if you google military dating, salsa dating, vegetarian dating or wears frilly knickers dating then Loopy love and the like will also be listed.
No 6. We have UK Goths dating and bravo it is for Goths and is a nicely designed site. It is produced by afdotgothicmatch.com (number 7 on the page) and their homepage includes this piece of information “We provide website design, dating software, hosting, membership database,“, so UK Goths dating is basically an affiliate site to drive members to Gothic match but it is for Goths and you would meet other Goths there, albeit on a site you didn’t know you were signing up for.
I think that demonstrates the point well enough. The dating industry can be a huge earner for the big sites and they are so determined not to lose market share that they will be so blatant in their attempts to get you to sign up for what is clear to anyone not what they are advertising.
The day Flirtbox or Loopylove become niche Gothic dating sites I shall join the Gothic scene in salute, until then I shall continue to shake my head and tut at their tactics.
You then find small sites like Gothing Dating that appear to be set up and run by people with an interest in the gothic scene, for people in the gothic scene but they are drowned out by the big sites doing the online muscle job.
This is why I always suggest you research carefully before picking a dating site to join. If you are a Goth then support Goths who are trying to help other Goths meet and find a small site run by them. They understand your lifestyle, share your interests and you are not just a fast buck to them.
Whether you are looking for vegetarian dating, biker dating, rural dating or whatever, choose wisely and don’t be fooled by the big mainstram dating sites that are now using these tactics because they are losing out to niche sites.
March 17th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I think niche sites can help you find someone who is really interested in the same thing as you if you are passionate about it. I think a lot of the paid membership sites are hurting from the free ones as well. I’ll have to look into the Gothic ones, I’ve never heard of them before – I guess there’s probably a lot of niches I hadn’t considered!!
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March 18th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Hi Chelle, if you start to research it is very surprising just how many niche market dating sites are out there, even things you would never consider.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
quite a writer aren’t you couldnt agree more
June 8th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Overall mainstream will do better than niche sites, nomatter how you look at it. Soon they will open gates for the same visitors as the those goth sites are trying to attract and what will happen then ?
June 11th, 2009 at 2:53 am
Yes Oz mainstream sites will always be more popular and have a larger database but for those with a particular interest there will always be room for niche sites. What will the goth do when they join a mainstream site and find very few of the members share their interests?
June 11th, 2009 at 3:00 am
Oz you must be a man … not finding shoes to match your new outfit is far more frustrating than being ignored LOL … only kidding.
Yes the best way to deal with rudeness is ignore it or you just invite more.
July 26th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
I don’t know much about the dating Niche, but the value of looking for specific Niche’s within a niche is shown here. Optimising your content and keywords for the specific terms “gothic dating” is going to allow your site to get those visiors, apposed to the main stream sites, targeting general dating terms with higher volume.
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August 29th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Nice little list there, quite a good read. I agree with chelle that niche sites can help you find someone who you match really well with.