Niche Dating Sites Allow Special-interest Singles to Find Each Other

ARIZONA TRIBUNE -- Apr 5 -- The online personals industry is experiencing "The Big Squeeze." Mark Brooks, an online personals industry analyst and editor of Onlinepersonalswatch.com, says hundreds of small dating sites have emerged in the past five years. They are now competing for advertising dollars with the big guys like Match.com. But lower profits don’t mean the online dating bubble is about to burst, says Brooks. "It’s actually quite the opposite in some ways. Online (dating) is as solid as ever. It’s no longer cheesy and it’s no longer sneered at."  Brooks estimates there are about 900 Internet dating sites, and he claims that more people than ever are signing up.  Niches are the growing trend among these smaller start-ups. "There’s really something for everybody."  People who enjoy hiphop can find love on Hiphopsinglesconnection.com and (young) women looking for generous men to shower them with gifts may find success at Sugardaddyz.com. There are also companies that cater to "varying levels of singleness."  People looking for a spouse may have the best chance on eHarmony. The site is known to include members who are motivated and serious about ending their singlehood, says Brooks. On the other hand, Friendster.com helps individuals create a social network and don’t necessarily aim to make love connections. "They do a good job of modeling the real world."  FULL ARTICLE @ EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE

Mark Brooks: I recommend some of the niche sites such as ChristianCafe.com, DateMyPet and SeniorFriendFinder.  Never heard of Hiphopsinglesconnection and Sugardaddyz though.  They look like intriguing, but have no traffic (according to www.alexa.com) and probably just a handful of members.