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Mobile, Niche Marketing a Priority for Dating Sites in 2015

Professional matchmaking has been around for centuries, but in recent years, Internet dating has taken it to a whole new level. The online dating sector continues to evolve as technology evolves, and noteworthy adult dating trends to look out for in 2015 include increased use of mobile devices, continued niche dating, promotions in growth markets, and a marketplace with both major players and smaller specialized players.

The explosion of smartphones, tablets and other mobile/wireless devices has been having a profound effect on many areas of the adult entertainment industry, and adult online dating is no exception. Online dating is still taking place via desktops and laptops, but more and more, daters are using their mobile devices to access dating sites.

Many niche-oriented dating sites have become profitable by catering to daters with very specific interests, be it gay dating, BDSM, MILFs and cougars, BBWs, swinging, or interracial encounters.

Richard Buss, senior account manager for North America for DatingFactory.com and a former general manager for Playboy, stressed that in 2015, mobile optimization will become even more crucial for online dating websites.

“The biggest trend for dating is the continuing increase of mobile devices to access dating sites,” Buss asserted. “While this is true for any online company, it is having a bigger impact on the dating industry because now, we have to compete with dating apps. Most online companies do not make their own apps but instead, make their websites mobile-friendly, which doesn’t always work. We saw this trend at Dating Factory, and as of June of 2014, the majority of our traffic was now mobile. Dating Factory is reworking its entire product line to be completely mobile-compatible.”

Buss isn’t the only one in the dating sector who has been stressing the importance of companies creating their own mobile apps. Master Dominus, founder of the New York City-based, BDSM-oriented KinkyDatingOnline.com, has said more than once that anyone who is serious about operating a dating site “needs an app yesterday.”

And Gary Taylor, vice president of cougarNorth America for Global Personals’ WhiteLabelDating.com, has been cautioning that any dating company that fails to be mobile-optimized in 2015 risks being “left behind in this fast-evolving industry.”

Niche marketing is another important trend for the online dating sector in 2015. Many niche-oriented dating sites have become profitable by catering to daters with very specific interests, be it gay dating, BDSM, MILFs and cougars, BBWs, swinging, or interracial encounters. Niche dating sites do not pretend to be all things to all daters: daters go to cougar sites like CougarLife.com specifically to meet cougars, and a BDSM dating site like KinkyDatingOnline.com is not the place to go if one is only interested in vanilla sex. According to Buss, niche sites will remain a lucrative part of online dating in 2015.

“Casual dating has exploded over the past few years,” Buss noted. “Nearly everyone is looking for someone. Even the married folks are looking to cheat.”

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