If you are in the business of making money online you have probably considered the dating industry. Or maybe you have decided to stand clear entirely. If you are thinking about getting started. I hope that you can take some of the information here and use it to launch your new online dating website.

I want to share my personal experience with building dating websites using dating scripts and how I use them to generate monthly income. The first bit of information I'd like to share is a question you should ask yourself before you get started: Should my dating website be free or pay to join?

Free or Paid
This is a very important question and in many ways will determine your level of success. I've worked with both and each have list of pros and cons. You can ready more about that at Starting a Free Dating website Vs. Paid.

Once you figure out if your dating website will be free to join or pay to subscribe, choosing the right dating site script becomes the next order of business. There are a some really good 100% Free dating software scripts. All of these site will allow you to setup a Free or paid dating website.

1. OsDate
2. BoonEx
3. Wazzum
   

There are some paid dating website scripts if you want to purchase a dating script that will have more modern features like video and voice chat. I recommend

1. eMeeting
2. DateMill
   

The Money Is In The Niche!
So by now it's time to start thinking about who you are building your dating site for. With so many larger competitors like Match.com and eHarmony.com, it's almost impossible to compete. You will better off and see faster results by choosing a niche. Contrary to popular belief there are still TONS of dating niche markets that either haven't been served or are undeserved.

The Mighty Authority Rules! (Read The Report)
Your goal in choosing a niche market is to become the authority site. If you do your research you will find that not many niche dating sites have grown enough to really become a TRUE authority dating site. Authority meaning the go to site for all daters in that niche.

Brand Yourself!
OK, now this may seem obvious but really, I've seen so many dating sites that are just outright GENERIC. It is so important to establish a professional image. This includes your logo and your template choice. If you choose a niche like scifi lovers, it's also fun to use a theme like the solar system or stars. Just make sure it is SUPER PROFESSIONAL. Branding is going to set you apart from other dating sites that may provide the same niche as you. Branding is what will establish you as an authority site.

Get People To My Site
Now comes the fun part, watching your community grow. Depending on how you choose to build your dating website, you may start with 0 members. This is fine..really... for now. ALL of the dating sites that I've started, had no members on day 1. Here are some of the online marketing methods I've used to generate traffic:

1. SEO - Make sure your title tags are unique on every page, and you research your keywords thoroughly.
   
2. Link Directories - A quick way to generate some traffic, there are many online directories to list your new dating site in. Most are free
   
3. Craigslist - I like craigslist you can generate traffic this way, but you can also get flagged quick. Whatever works right!
   
4. Myspace - Myspace has a really simple and affordable advertising program called MyAds. try it. They are currently offering a $50 credit, which is free cash just to try it out. Use code HOLIDAY.
   
5. Local Ads - I am sure there are single people where you live. Why shouldn't they know about your website. I see bandit signs all over the place talking about "Find Georgia Singles". It's worth a shot, I'm sure it helps.
6. Recruit Affiliates - Affiliate programs work. If you have a pay to join dating website, you can pay affiliates/ recruiters a % of each sale for sending you new members.

Be creative with your marketing efforts. With every niche there a tons of unique ways to market your dating website. Think about who your website was created for, and then find out where those people hang out, on and offline.

How You Will Get Paid

1. Member Subscriptions - If your site is pay to join this is one of your income streams. It's always a good idea to make some of your features free for all, but charge a fee to initiate communication. So it's free to Browse, Pay to communicate.
   
2. Affiliate Offers - As your build your community and increase traffic. You may want to offer related resources to your members. If they make a purchase, you get paid.
   
3. Google Adsense - Yes, we cannot forget the mighty GOOGLE. If you website is Free to join, Google adsense can definitely compensate you for your operating cost. Just a note: be strategic with your placement. You want your ads to compliment your content. You can to get members to join to browse and use your ads when they are ready to leave your site.
4. The List - The money is in the list! Building your dating website will create a very large database. Use this information to cross marketing with your business partners or your own related products.

I could talk on and on about the online dating industry, and I will! There's plenty more I want to share. I hope this hub has provided some helpful resources for you as you get started. Please share your comments or questions as your journey begins or continue in the online dating business.