The aforementioned 3G dating service may make it even easier to date on the go, but what about the host of cool new companies making sure willing singles actually stand out amidst the millions and millions now listed with dating sites? Consider this data, from a Match.com survey: “The first mistake people make with online dating is rushing through their profile. And it shows. In a survey of more than 5,000 online dating members asking about the most common profile mistakes, 51% complained about profiles with poor spelling or grammar, 23% complained about singles referencing their exes in profiles and 23% complained about the photos posted with profiles.”
Consolidation is a sure sign that this industry is maturing. When TRENDWATCHING.COM wrote about specialized photography services for online daters in its FEEDER BUSINESSES article, it highlighted SoulmatePics and SingleShots. In the meantime, Soulmatepics has partnered up with DateBetter, making the latter company a one-stop-shop working anyone looking for love online: better profiles, better photos and better dating skills.
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Now consumers can add yet another use for their handsets: mobile dating. ‘Deaikei’, or mobile device-centered dating services, have been around in Japan for more than 3 years – all of the major Japanese mobile service providers have branded dating sites, and they actually outrank online dating sites in popularity. Recently Europe and North America have begun to jump into the mobile dating scene, and consumer response is promising.
Like FM Keitai, the 3G Dating Agency is another service that’s taking advantage of the flexibility and usability of the 3G platform. A Samsung UK-affiliated service, 3G Dating allows swains and swain-ettes looking for love to connect via SMS, MMS, and video messaging using their 3G handsets. 3G Dating cites the “everybody’s always on” nature of its cell phone-based service as a plus over traditional online dating services (great dating, no waiting). A pic or video and an email address are required to join, and registration plus unlimited access to the profile database is free. The costs come in when users send messages to each other – GBP 0.50 per text message and GBP 1.50 per MMS or video message sent through their service, plus the normal service charges levied by the user’s cell service company.
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