ONLINE DATING TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR 2009
As we welcome in the New Year, Web
Personals Online wanted to take this opportunity to look ahead and make some
predictions about online dating trends for 2009 and beyond. We realize that
predictions are only a matter of opinion, but we see some exciting changes for
the major online dating sites over the upcoming year. Some of these changes are
just a continuation of what we've observed over the past year or two and some,
we feel, may be truly revolutionary. In either case, these changes are good for
you - our visitors - because they invariably mean more choices and better
service to anyone who decides to join an online dating site over the next twelve
months.
Seniors Lead the Way
A growing trend in 2008 has been the increasing number of seniors (those
fifty-five and older) who have taken the plunge and joined an online dating
site. We think this trend will continue in 2009 for a few
reasons. The first being that dating sites have become more mainstream and '
socially
acceptable' over the past year or two. Somebody probably knows somebody who
has had some success using internet personals and would like to meet someone for
themselves doing something that has already been proven to work. The second
reason for our online dating prediction regarding more seniors coming to online
dating sites is that
baby boomers are getting older. This means that there are
more widows and widowers in one of the largest segments of our population. As
the older generation's single population increases, there is a more likely
chance that these men and women will turn to the online personals for
companionship or to find a mate.
Increased Competition
There are only so many single men and women and the big online dating sites
will continue to seek members aggressively. As competition between the online
personals sites increases, there will be more offers and better opportunities
for anyone who is still undecided about joining an online dating site. These
offers will be more of the 'try before you buy' type where the dating sites will
let you join for free to try out their services before you join. This has
already begun in 2008. We have offers right on this page, including Match.com's
FREE 7-Day Trial and Match.com's
Join for 6 months and get 6 months FREE offer. In addition, Chemistry.com often
has their Chemistry.com
Free Communication Weekend, which is going on RIGHT
NOW (New Years Day Weekend - 2009)! WebPersonalsOnline.com believes that more
sites will follow the examples set by Match.com and eHarmony and offer more
opportunities to join for free for a limited period of time. These limited free
memberships will also offer all of the site features that are available to
paying members to give users a better feel for the site. Hey, maybe there will
even be a new major online dating site to further increase the competition
in the online dating space and really stir things up!
Advanced Features
WebPersonalsOnline.com predicts that one trend for 2009 and onward is that
dating sites will offer more advanced features. These features will be in two
forms: video features and customer service features. The first advanced
feature will be some type of video upload facility to allow members to upload
their personal video. This will revolutionize the online dating member profile
as we know it. Online dating video profiles will be the next big
thing. The second advanced feature will be something related to customer service,
such as immediate individual attention from live customer service agents who
will resolve issues and problems quickly and effectively.
Can
You Say Social Networking?
In 2009, we predict that there will be an even
further blurring of the lines between online dating and social networking
sites. Perhaps a major social networking site will merge with an
online dating site or maybe a site like MySpace or Friendster will enter the
online dating realm. Perhaps there will be a hybrid type of
dating-social-networking site.
Niche Dating
One growing online dating
trend over the past two or three years has been the evolution of niche
dating sites that are really just smaller, more specific versions of online
personals sites. These niche sites attempt to focus and match single men and women
who have something specific in common. For example, singles interested in an
interracial relationship or seniors interested in dating other seniors.
WebPersonalsOnline.com predicts that this trend of niche dating services will
continue with even more specific niche dating sites being created. We think that
the niches will be so specific as to even extend to singles who want to meet
singles from a certain occupational field (i.e. Date A Doctor)
or maybe even singles who fancy a particular type of pet and want to meet other
men and women who like the same type of pet or have a specific eye color they
find attractive.
Place Your Free Online
Dating Profile Now!
In Conclusion
It will be fun to revisit these predictions at
the end of 2009, as we look back one year from now and see how accurately
WebPersonalsOnline.com has predicted the upcoming trends and changes in online
dating. As we wrap up the first decade of the New Millennium, it will be
exciting to see how advances in technology, increased competition, and
population changes will revolutionize online dating. Happy New Year!
Interracial
Relationships can be difficult in our society. Find out when you can do to
create an open-mindedness among your family and friends to make them more
accepting of your partner. 
