Looking to date the perfect vegetarian? What about a man with a great mustache? Thanks to a crop of niche dating websites, you can find your ideal mate based on very specific criteria. We talked to the men and women behind niche dating websites to find out what makes their crazy ideas so successful.
From simple revenue models to familiarity with their customers, niche dating site creators believe they have a handle on their specific market. We also asked online daters what drove them to join the super-tailored sites and whether they have found love in the digital world.
Ashley Madison , the website for people looking to have affairs, has the honor of being the largest niche dating site in the world, Biderman said. He got the idea for the site in after reading a news story that claimed about 30 percent of people on dating websites weren't actually single.
Since , the site has grown to Registration for the site is free and members purchase Ashley Madison credits that can then be used to contact other members. Members can also purchase virtual gifts like virtual champagne or virtual roses. The site might be thriving, but it isn't without its enemies. In the Archdiocese of Massachusetts decried the site's ads. But, his site is serving a purpose, Biderman said. It gives married people a way to get off sites like Match.
Biderman said he heard from one user who was caring for his wife with Alzheimer's, and when the disease progressed, the man said he felt uncomfortable being intimate with his wife because she didn't recognize him. The man joined Ashley Madison and found a lover whom he saw once a week. That arrangement allowed the man to preserve his life and continue caring for his wife, Biderman said.
