Posts tagged Online Dating

I’ve been running dating websites since 2004 and consequently I’m often asked by those who’ve recently launched a new site how to go about promote an online dating site.  The answer is very much the same as any other site and the following steps are my suggestions for establishing your site in this competitive market place.

The online dating business is very competitive so don’t expect quick results unless you have the kind of budget that will pay for TV and magazine advertising.  Even then it’s possible to spend money in the hope that thousands of new members are going to register at your site only to find that none materialise.  After the advertising salesman has convinced you that this or that offer is never going to be repeated and that by handing over a large sum of money you are guaranteed to see returns within weeks, you sit back and wait for the crowds to arrive only to find that, in the end, you might just as well have set fire to that pile of cash for all the good that ‘special offer’ did for your business.

So start with things that cost nothing or very little.  They may take up some of your time and energy but that’s inevitable.  Success is often proportional to the amount of effort applied.

Choose the right domain name for your niche.  Before you even build the site, pick a domain name that is relevant to your target.  If you’re going to build a site about bikers, pick a domain name with the word ‘bikers’ in it.

Compose some unique copy and add it to the homepage.  Google and other search engines love orginal content above all other things so write something new and original and put it on your homepage.  Don’t mess around trying to spin someone else’s content, write your own.  It will help you to get to know your target market.

Swap links with relevant sites.  The important word here is ‘relevant’.  Choose sites that are in the same niche as your own.  Don’t blindly submit your site to any old directory, choose wisely.

Go easy on the advertising.  Don’t overload your site with Google Adsense or others adverts.  Are you trying to convince visitors to your site to register or drive them away to other sites?  If you want them to register then space on your page is better devoted to relevant content than advertising.

Make use of Googles free tools.  These are Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools.  Register your site and submit a sitemap using the Webmaster Tools, and keep an eye on your visitor stats and what brought them to your site by using Analytics.

Write some articles about your chosen niche. You can submit these to article repositories like EzineArticles.com and include a link to your site in the signature.  This will create a backlink to your site from a site with a high PR (Page Rank).

Use the right affiliate links.  Choose affiliate links that relate to your site and link with good keywords.

For more tips on dating site affiliate links visit: “Affiliate with these sites to earn cash commission”

For more tips and advice on SEO and marketing your website visit: “Search Engine Optimisation, Generating Website Traffic, Internet Marketing Strategies & Ideas”

Tools For Your SEO Toolkit:

iBusinessPromoter – a toolkit in one, IBP automates the submission process, checks page ranking, and manages your links and link swaps.

XML Sitemap Generator – generates XML sitemaps and can update them automatically. Best for standalone or self-hosted websites.