Digital dating has been around since the mid-1990s. But the developers behind the first commercial sites would have been astounded if they’d been able to see into the future. Online dating has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry, with thousands of web platforms, and millions of active users in every continent. As far as investment opportunities go, this is one marketplace that surely represents considerable potential.

Reason for investing in dating services

Dating sites cater to a diverse range of activities, covering every possible nuanced area of taste. Outlets are catering for mature dating, age-gap romance, interracial couples, polyamorous dating, and any other type of relationship you could think of. From the point of view of business people intending to invest in dating, this means the potential customer base driving web traffic to such a varied cross-section of dating sites is unlimited. 

One note of caution would be that the dating industry is global, so there are different international standards. But with new technology – such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality – enhancing customer experience, there would appear to be far more pros than cons when it comes to investing. 

Trending profitable dating niches

For anyone who is considering testing the waters where online dating is concerned, there are so many attractive options. They might be considering investing in existing titles, or even setting up outlets of their own. The beauty of web design in the modern world has long ceased to be a dark art, practiced by a small cabal of elite coders. Nowadays, bespoke web pages can be downloaded from any number of sites offering templates. Entrepreneurs can easily put together a decent-looking web service with minimal knowledge of back-end coding; all that is required is access to readily-customized master pages, and a modicum of creative flair. 

Other options favored by investors include looking out for the most profitable dating niches before setting up sites, or also ‘piggy backing’ onto them by setting themselves up as affiliates. They can use traffic analysis software to research the most potentially profitable niches, based on most-searched-for keywords (mature or senior dating are examples of amongst the most frequently searched-for dating topics.) If singles are interested in finding prospective partners within this niche, it stands to reason there is a lot of scope for investment. 

From an affiliate angle, an entrepreneur might choose to blog about topics with the mature market in mind; for instance, highlighting popular holiday resorts for older couples. After agreeing the terms of the affiliate agreement, the dating site could provide code relating to the services promoted by the affiliate which would be placed within the affiliate’s web platform; the articles containing these links could drive traffic. When an affiliate provides a service like this, they would then receive commission for every new referral.

Is it safe to invest in the online dating industry?

In the world of digital enterprise and e-commerce, commentators have estimated the dating industry is likely to approach an annual turnover of $4 billion by 2025. There will be investment opportunities, but for all that online dating is a lucrative area in terms of its ability to generate income, investors still need to ask how safe this particular outlet is? 

Dating websites have become phenomenally successful at attracting newcomers, but this rise in popularity has also attracted negative attention. Fraudsters have identified the potential for using these services to reach out to vulnerable individuals. After setting up fake accounts, cybercriminals can earn the trust of someone they are pretending to be romantically interested in, only to try and dupe them into revealing personal bank account logins, or luring them into more elaborate financial scams involving bogus investment opportunities.

But for the ‘genuine’ business community, the good news is that dating site administrators are extremely focused on rooting out people who are not using their websites for their intended function. Site users are also encouraged to report any activity they are suspicious of, ensuring these scammers or ‘catfish’ (creators of fake profiles) are blocked from accessing the website any longer. This means that the positives of online dating as a recommended platform for investment far outweigh the negatives.