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Social Networking And Dating Sites
I provide incisive and actionable analysis and advisory services geared toward the needs of online dating and social networking websites and the technology providers, value-added services, financial resources and consumer brands participating in the marketplace. I specialize in evaluating business models and provide seasoned expertise and assistance with all aspects of dating and social networking services. I work with you to refine your business model, make introductions where appropriate and shave months off your development time and budget, freeing up your resources to focus on your success.
Site Evaluation Services
About to launch a new dating site, or planning on a refresh of your existing design? Order a comprehensive site evaluation and you will receive a detailed report about what’s working on your site, and what isn’t, along with an action plan to keep your visitors happy and your site performing well. I have performed site evaluation services for a wide variety of dating sites. Site analysis services start with a thorough evaluation of the site. Analysis is performed from a number of different perspectives including customer signup process and conversion, marketing message, navigation, feature review, visitors experience, member home page review, searching, site flow and layout, advertising integration and much more. Findings are summarized in a report which lays out a clearly defined strategic plan along with supporting action items.
I perform consulting and advisory services for dating sites as Digicraft Consulting. I’ve worked with many large and small dating sites to help them with the following:
- Feasibility studies
- Build vs. buy
- Hosted solution or built in-house?
- Drive more traffic
- Increase conversion rates
- Free or paid subscription
- Service differentiators
- Marketing strategy
- New features (VOIP, chat, mobile, games, anonymous calling)
- Comprehensive site evaluations
- Feasibility studies
- Customized customer-defined projects
Types of Engagements
Seeking insights into how to grow your membership, improve your conversion rates or improve the usability of your dating site or social networking service? Engagements range from a few weeks to a quarter or more.
Are We a Good Fit?
Much of my work in the online dating industry involves working with startups looking for a way to leapfrog their way into a market-leading position in a particular niche. Other times it’s developing new growth strategies for established sites that are looking to crack the top 10, or struggling to stay there.I’ve spoken with many startups consisting of a single person with an idea and the drive and ambition to see their vision realized. The one thing almost every one of these people lack is funding. It’s near impossible to raise VC for a startup dating site these days, the risk factor is off the charts. This leaves most people to hatch their idea and work on the site when they come home from work and on weekends. A select few are able raise angel financing from friends and family to work full time on their labor of love.A typical call from a dating site startup goes something like this:
I paid a developer a lot of money for a site and the developer has become unresponsive to my ongoing needs. I’m not sure how much to spend on marketing, or where to spend it. I don’t have a strategic plan for moving forward, and I feel overwhelmed thinking of everything I have to accomplish in order to launch, let alone achieve profitability.
They can’t launch with a 1/2-finished site, or worse, launch with a broken site that doesn’t meet the minimum requirements of today’s online daters. They have a To Do list as long as their arm and not enough time in the day to get things done. Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Or, as is often the case, the caller has a live site not getting the traction they expected after three, six or even nine months. The person has usually burned through what they consider a significant amount of capital and earned a lot of grey hairs for their efforts. This is especially frustrating, they have earned their startup battle scars and need a fresh strategy for getting out of the red.
Consulting services are structured to reflect the where the company is in it’s life-cycle; startup, crossing the chasm, mainstream adoption to exit strategies.
Typical startups have a different problem set than established players. The new consulting arrangement will cover issues common to all dating site startups. Generally things will start out broad in scope, further refinement of the focus of the engagement occurs naturally as familiarity and understanding grows between us.
Had enough? Contact me to discuss your particular needs.
