Online Dating in the EU, Recession-Proof

ONLINE DATING IN THE EU, RECESSION-PROOF

The global recession has not made one dent in the EU’s passion for online dating services. On the contrary, EU dating services have recently seen major increases in subscriptions.

Match.com International UK had a before taxes profit of £3.65 million this past year, with the year before showing a loss of £2.2 million. In the first quarter this year, Match International reported a 12 percent increase in paying members.

While the number in the US is expected to drop, for some unknown reason Europeans are more on the make.

WhiteLabelDating.com, a UK based online dating service saw its membership grow over the last year by 250 percent to over 1 million members. Nielsen Online also reported a 15% increase in unique visitors this year over last, so there is no slowing down for Parisians or hot-blooded Spaniards in their love of online dating.

Top Online Dating Service Websites

Single Parent Dating

Top Online Dating Service Websites

The top three online dating services of the year are most likely to be same top 3 as last year, as new polls are showing. Match.com, Yahoo! Personals and eHarmony are in the lead again for top honors as well as top revenue generation.

Here's another potential eHarmony date. Why do...
Here’s another potential eHarmony date. Why do you suppose he’s smiling? (Photo credit: David Reber’s Hammer Photography)

However, these top sites are now facing stiff competition from niche sites like JDate for Jewish singles, Christian Club for Christian singles, and Shaadi for Indian singles. Targeted sites like those are ever popular, and one can find a site that matches any discriminating love interest.

Even popular social networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace have organized themselves to cater to love seekers using single sub groups. But the biggest growth in the industry is coming from the most surprising spot in the world: India. India has two of the top 10 sites worldwide with Shaadi and Love From India garnering more then 15 million seekers per year.

 

 

Online Dating Growing Through the Ages

Christian Singles

 

Online Dating Growing Through the Ages

 

In the world of love, online dating services have become the apple in the Garden of Eden. Everyone is having a bite. Even those that thought just a few years back that they would never partake, now do. Only those that sell porn rival online dating sites.

 

Online Dating Workshop
Online Dating Workshop (Photo credit: jay mann)

 

Online dating services are usually defined as any online service that offers unmoderated matchmaking, although that definition is always changing. Take for example the relatively new offshoot of social networking for singles, with subgroups within Facebook and Second Life becoming de facto dating services.

 

But traditionally, sites like Match.com, Yahoo! Personals and eHarmony have led the charge, and continue to grow day by day. However, niche personal sites like JDate (for Jewish singles), Christian Mingle (for Christian singles) and Manhunt (for gay men) have become just as popular and offer a more select line of love interests for the discriminating and yearning heart.