Dating Bees Knees

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Quick Hits

Love is an epiphany. Maybe that’s the sweetest romantic dream of all. By the big bang theory of mate selection, our soul mate is out there somewhere, and they’re going to hit us like a ton of bricks one day…

Thompson, 24, tells the New York Post that she came up with idea after her personal struggles with online dating…

Maybe Blackbook365 just appeals to me because I’m as single as the shot of espresso in my soy latte, but I think this startup may be the most exciting new company I’ve seen in a long time.

Among the new rules the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission wants operators to implement is to check profile pictures and internet protocol addresses when members try to register.

Muslim Matchmaking Is Big Business, Non-Muslim Entrepreneurs Need Not Apply?

Online dating has become increasingly popular among Muslims and non-Muslims…

…There are also broader considerations on what these sites reflect. For example, we should ask who is behind the modern Muslim matchmaking industry? Online matchmaking proves to be a heavily male-dominated environment. For instance, Baba Ali founded halfourdeen.com; Shahzad Younas created muzmatch.com; Jamal Mohsin runs Millanus.com while also holding matchmaking events for Muslims in different locations; and Adeem Younis owns singlemuslim.com. 

The lack of women seems to be unimportant for some of these men. When I conducted interviews with Baba Ali and Shahzad Younas, both seemed unaware of the lack of female leadership in the online matchmaking industry. While Younas asserts that there are many women “involved ‘on the ground’” (performing in-person matchmaking services), Baba Ali explains that what is more worrying for him is the fact that a number of Muslim matchmaking sites are owned by non-Muslims.

Read more at Muslimah Media Watch: http://bit.ly/uSOiAj

Muslim matchmaking is big business and based on recent projections it’s poised to get much BIGGER. According to new population projections by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, “the world’s Muslim population is expected to increase by about 35% in the next 20 years, rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030.” This growth is roughly at twice the rate of the non-Muslim global population for the next two decades.    

That said, there was a quote in the article by the halfourdeen.com founder that struck a nerve: “Baba Ali explains that what is more worrying for him is the fact that a number of Muslim matchmaking sites are owned by non-Muslims.”  

Mmmm, what exactly is worrying about non-Muslim owned sites?

Read more

TangoWire Launches All Access Dating Site

SinglesPlace.com, part of the TangoWire online dating network, continues to innovate with one-account access to a 57 niche communities for singles.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/504268#ixzz1f96Z2Uzw

I like how access to their 57 communities from one entry point instantly creates a well seeded generalist site that they can now drive non niche traffic to. On the flip side, they are further watering down the niche experience on their specialized sites for those seeking a focused experience. Also, there’s some gaping holes in their search filters where Jewish/Christian are the only religions offered and Middle Eastern is missing from their ethnicity options. My assumption is that there are insufficient profiles across their network to offer the aforementioned filters. If things go well for them, I trust that this will be addressed over time.

Wishing the team over at TangoWire success!


MyAKA Makes Sharing Info With Strangers Safer

MyAKA (My Also Known As) is a startup out of Los Angeles that I would like to put on your radar. Founded by John Skorick, MyAKA provides a second mobile phone number that you can give to others when you wish to protect your real mobil phone number. While MyAKA is not the first company of its kind to offer such a service, it is rich with useful features, has its eyes on marketing its offering to singles and is keen on working with online dating operators.

I asked John for a breakdown of what MyAKA offers customers and potential B2B partners:

Customer Perspective:

  • A customers real number is never disclosed to their MyAKA contacts.
  • A customers name, address and any other personal information is not linked to their MyAKA number, protecting them from various Internet searches associated with phone numbers.
  • Customers are assigned MyAKA numbers in their local area code and these numbers look and function just as a regular number would.  This enables our customers to give out their MyAKA number without others knowing that they are using a privacy service.

  • MyAKA numbers may be placed into PAUSE mode which holds all incoming text messages and voice mails in a queue (call go straight to voice mail while in this mode).  This is a nice feature for many reasons but one example may be a customer who is using MyAKA for dating and is on a date and does not want others who they may be dating contacting them.  They can’t turn their phone off in the event of an emergency, but they can PAUSE their MyAKA number with a simple text message and will not be disturbed.  Once the date is over, all that is necessary is to text RESUME and any stored messages will be delivered.
  • Customers can easily block abusive or annoying contacts with a simple text message.

B2B Perspective:

  • All of the above.
  • No downloads are required to use MyAKA which means the potential demographic is everyone with a cell phone, not just those with a smart phone.  Approximately two thirds of active mobile phone users do NOT use smart phones, which makes this point extremely important from a potential customer standpoint.
  • This is a truly unique product with a natural appeal to helping those dating online maintain a safe experience.
  • While customers cancel memberships frequently, try other dating sites, etc…  there is a natural instinct to hold on to a phone number.  Once you have given out your number you do not want to lose it as those you’ve given it to would not be able to contact you; especially relevant in dating (online or otherwise).  This leads to greater retention and, as MyAKA partners are paid via revenue share, more revenue for all involved.
  • MyAKA is a non-competing, found revenue product.  Every dating site has a percentage consumers who would be interested in such a service and not presenting these consumers with the opportunity to purchase is leaving money on the table.
  • MyAKA is backed by over 14 years of billing and Internet marketing experience and technology experts with decades of experience in mission critical services and various telephony applications.

In a world where the walls of privacy are rapidly disappearing, I think that MyAKA will find a thirsty audience of people wishing to turn back the hands of time and regain some control over their personal information. Targeting singles, people who are highly likely to give out their phone number, is a no brainer.

If interested in working with MyAKA, please drop John a line here.