Online Dating: Love at the Reach of a Click

Melissa Correa

The target Market.
Online dating was once considered as strictly for people with very low social skills. Many persons would feel ashamed if someone discovered that they were dating online because they would be frequently seen as desperate. But this idea has totally changed with the popularity of the internet and the social media networks nowadays. In 2006, a study made by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (PIALP) found that 74% out of 10 million internet users in the United States have used the internet in one way or another to seek a romantic partner (p. 3). Also, one in ten internet users say they have personally gone to dating websites (p.8). Another PIALP survey showed that in 2005 over 10 million single people were using the internet to flirt with someone (40%) and to ask someone out on a date (28%) (as cited in PIALP 2006, p. 8). This obviously shows that online dating services have not only had a great impact in their users, but also have assigned a new meaning to the cultural notions of love and attraction.
Internet users who are actively looking for dates have found a variety of ways to pursue their interests online. There are over 500 dating sites in the U.S., hence the users can really have the opportunity to pick the site with which they feel more comfortable and explore the services offered. According to Quantcast (2009), people who date online are mostly middle aged (between 35 to 49 years old) or between the ages of 18 and 34. More than 50% of them are females, caucasian, and they generally hold a college degree. But why don’t they use the traditional method of dating to find their loved one? Amelia McDonell-Parry (2009), noted that there three main reasons why people prefer online dating. First, because there’s more fish in the pond. She says that the chances of meeting someone amazing online are greater simply because you are casting a wide net, so a whole world of romantic possibilities is just a click away. Second, because online dating allows your to size up your prospective mates before the date, so that you don’t get disappointed with wrong first impressions that make you feel like you are wasting your time. And finally, the benefit of online dating is that you can look for someone who fits your financial lifestyle, so that a great date doesn’t cost you and arm and leg.
Other people say that online dating is more appealing because it stimulates the imagination and is a form of escape from a routine, “online dating gives some people the sense of being accepted or loved even if they don't really see or touch the person they are talking to. Most of the time, kind and loving words is what most people are longing for in a relationship and that is exactly what they get when they go online” (Style 2008 paras. 3,4). For some persons dating online is a form of an escape from a stressful day at work. People can get to know themselves by exploring their inner thoughts and feelings. Additionally, some persons assure that they recur to online dating due to their extremely busy lives; for example, a woman who studies and manages her own business is not likely to have the time to go out frequently to meet new men. But with online dating she can find her match from home or even while she is working.

The Top Websites
In the U.S. the most visited dating services are Match.com and eHarmony. As Alexa (The Web Information Company) emphasizes (2009), Match.com gets roughly 0.2% of global internet users, while eHarmony gets 0.063%. Also, the statistics show that users spend about 707.3 minutes a day on eHarmony, and 796.7 minutes on Match.com. On the other hand, Quantcast estimates that eHarmony receives around 57,000 visitors a month, while 113 million visit Match.com.
As we see, Match.com has far a greater audience than eHarmony, and personally, I think it is due to the differences in their strategic target market, pricing, and the complexity of their websites. In both sites, it is free to post a profile, browse and search for matches, but on eHarmony you have to subscribe to be able to see your matches’ photos, and on Match.com you have to upload a photo so that other people can see your full profile, but still you cannot directly communicate with anyone. Basically, in order to communicate with your matches you need to become a paying subscriber of each site. Once this happens, you can freely email other members, and enjoy of other services the websites offer such as a Premium Personality Profile, which provides a detailed analysis with 15 pages about the member’s personality based on a questionary. The subscription rates in Match.com range from $34.99 for a one month subscription, $19.99 per month for three months, or $16.99 per month for six months. eHarmony is a bit more expensive, offering rates of $59.95 for a month, $119.85 for three months and $179.70 for a six month subscription. This is one of the reasons Match.com gets more subscribers than eHarmony, since it is more affordable.
Another reason for Match.com to be more appealing than eHarmony is the design of their website. I found it very easy to navigate throughout Match.com, it’s design is very modern yet simple, and it was much easier to find helpful, clear, and brief information than it was in eHarmony. For example, Match.com has several links to relationship tips and dating articles, and a section named “Careers,” in which you can look for an open position like PR Coordinator to work at Match. This last website sometimes takes way too many words to describe something, which doesn’t help the site to succeed because nowadays people are always looking for quick-straight-to-the-point information (specially younger people). Both sites require the users to fill out a questionary before becoming a member. The questionary asks you about your lifestyle, appearance, interest, and what you are looking for in a partner. Match.com’s questionary is much simpler and faster, and it frequently lets you describe things in your own words; eHarmony’s one, is more complex, extensive, and asks for more personal details.
Overall, I think eHarmony is designed for people who are looking for a more serious long-term relationship, that means, for people who are ready to settle down. And to me Match.com seems more appropriate for younger people who want to experiment, and who might find their true soul mate, but people that are not exactly looking for a spouse at the moment they subscribe. In a few words, I think Match.com is more effective within the younger target market (18-34 years old), and eHarmony works better among the middle aged group (35-49 years old).


References
Alexa, The Web Information Company. (December 2009) Traffic Stats. Retrieved from http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/match.com and http://www.alexa.com/ siteinfo/eHarmony.com.
eHarmony.com. (2009) Retrieved from http://www.eharmony.com/home
MacDonell-Parry, A. (February 25, 2009). “Four Reasons Why Online Dating is Recession Proof.” For CNN.com/living.
Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/02/25/ tf.online.dating.recession/index.html
Match.com. (2009) Retrieved from http://www.match.com/index.aspx?lid=2&ird=1
Pew Internet and American Life Project. (March 5, 2006). “Online Dating.” p. 3-8 Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2006/Online-Dating.aspx
Quantcast. (2009) Retrieved from http://www.quantcast.com/match.com and
http://www.quantcast.com/e-harmony.com#summary
Style, O. (2008). “Why do people date online? Psychology of online dating.” GoArticles.com. paras. 3,4. Retrieved from http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/
showa.cgi?C=848220

Blog 6: Find an effective use and an ineffective use of PR online.

Effective PR:
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/06/22iphone.html

The headline is less than 10 words and it’s very clear.
The subhead makes a link between the title and the body.
It has a byline. And the lead answers the who, when, and what questions. If you only read the lead, you get the idea of what the PR is talking about. The PR also provides two contact persons with telephones and e-mails.

Ineffective PR:
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/bcreg/20091112a.htm

The title is “Press Release,” which doesn’t tell the reader anything about the topic of the PR. The lead answers the who, when and what questions, but I think it should be rewritten so that it is more clear and gives straight to the point information. Another thing that makes this PR ineffective is that it doesn’t have a contact person anywhere.

Blog 5: Discuss how one brand or nonprofit uses online blogs and online advertising.

Sephora

Sephora is a chain of Cosmetics stores founded in France in 1969. The Sephora chain includes more than 750 stores in 21 countries. It carries over 250 brands of items that include makeup, skin care, fragrance, bath, hair products, hair tools, and beauty accessories, including Sephora's own private label.
There are many ways in which this company uses online advertisement, but the most notorious ones are through newsletters, a Twitter and Facebook profile, and a YouTube channel.
Regarding e-mail marketing, Sephora has created The Sephora Beauty Insider, which is a rewards program that offers customers coupons, discounts, and points for frequent buyers. Beauty Insider members receive frequent newsletters (about 3 a month on average) with discount coupons or special offers.
The program is available to all customers and is free for sign-up. Each dollar spent is equal to one point, every one hundred points offers a free "deluxe" sample-size product, and members receive sample-size gifts on their birthday.

With the Twitter and Facebook account, Sephora also lets its customers know about discounts and style kits, and they also give gifts to their followers. For example, Sephora created the “Sephora Claus” campaign in Twitter, which grants a beauty wish each day to one of their followers. This company has also posted videos on Youtube showing how to use their cosmetics.

Blog 4: Write about one famous person or event in Web history since 2001

Twitter
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets, which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters. The users can choose to follow other people and restrict the delivery of their tweets to those in their circle of friends or, allow open access.
Since its creation in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter has gained popularity worldwide, and it’s frequently described as the SMS of the Internet.
Twitter’s success lies in the fact that it allows users to tell what they care about in a fast way and in real time. Users share the information they think it’s important about what’s happening in the world. Also, Twitter is used to promote brands, products, musicians, and diverse company’s campaigns, and it has been even used by political candidates.

Blog#3: Compare two groups of internet users

Teen and Adults

The motivation and purpose for teens and adults to use the Internet is generally different.

The majority of teens, especially college students, spend most of their time in Internet using social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, to keep in touch with their friends. Instant messaging like Messenger, Skype, and iChat, are the preferred way to communicate with their friends and family. Also, the Internet represents the easiest and fastest way for teens to study, since it allows them to find information on infinite topics in just a few seconds. Moreover, some teens find it appealing to post public blogs where they give their opinion on diverse issues, or simply talk about their hobbies (like writing poetry); several studies show that half of American teens have created their own blog or web pages with shared content like videos and photos online. Additionally, a great number of teens use the Internet to download games or to play online, and to download music, videos, and movies. Therefore, it can be assumed that most teens use the Internet for fun or to express their thoughts.

On the other hand, adults tend to be more productive when using the Internet. For instance, professors use the Internet to prepare their lectures and to communicate with the students. They can use many resources online to find examples about the topics they will present to the class, like a video on YouTube explaining what a stem cell is. Adults also use E-mail, and they might use Facebook, Twitter or Blogs but to promote their businesses

Also, adults tend to blog about politics, technology, their jobs, or about relevant news, but less about their personal lives, as teen do.

Blog #2: Give an example of a copyright problem online

When I studied in Colombia, I noticed that a few of my classmates used to spend the free time between classes watching movies on their computers. One day I decided to join them and for simple curiosity asked them where did they get the movies from. They showed me a website and told me I could download for free not only movies, but also music and some other stuff.

The website is taringa.net (http://taringa.net/); it allows any person to download free music (even the hole album collection from an artist), entire movies, videos, TV shows, games, applications, images and stories; you only need to select a category, write whatever you are interested in on the search field, then a list with a bunch of links will appear and with just one click you will get what you want complete free of charge.

It is really amazing to see the never-ending-list of the items you can download.

For example, by looking up Michael Jackson, more than 20 pages show up, each one with approximately 50 download links.

The problem is that they freely share all this without the permission of any of the owners of such data! The law says that "the owner of a copyright is the one with the right to reproduce, distribute, and display a work. Without their consent, it is copyright infringement to place the work on the internet or to download/copy it."

Getting something for free can sound very nice, but this website absurdly violates the copyright law, and if I were an artist I wouldn't like to see all my effort and work being freely distributed, and even worse, without my consent.

Blog #1: How do you use the Internet? How does your Internet use compare to some other person in your family?

I think of the internet mainly as a studying tool. I use different resources to search and collect information on various topics; after that, I select what best suits for each situation and at the end I look up for concepts I don't understand. Additionally, I like to read the news to keep up to date with what's going on in the world.

Internet is also very important for me to communicate with my family and my friends back in my country and around the world. I do this by sending emails, using applications such as Skype, iChat and Messenger, and spending some time on Facebook and Twitter.

Finally, I use the internet just for fun; I watch videos on YouTube, purchase music and games, and watch movies online.

On the other hand, my brother uses the internet in a hole different way.

He is a music producer and owns a record label online, thus, the internet plays the most important role in keeping his business working. He contacts PR agents, musicians and other record label managers via email. His sales depend primarily on the songs he releases on Beatport.

He spends a lot of time on MySpace and some on Facebook and Twitter, but unlike me he uses those sites to promote his releases and shows.

He also uses the internet to pay bills and to purchase different items.