O NLINE D ATING Darcey Sweeney Elle Butler Genesa Rodriguez

O NLINE D ATING Online dating has become an easy applicable way to come intact with other people interested in finding a partner. Dating websites have given people the opportunity to communicate through the internet usually with the objective of starting a romantic or sexual relationship. Online dating is one if the biggest computer mediated forms of communication. It has grown globally with unlimited options and or choices of different sites to pick from.

A PPLYING FOR A M EMBERSHIP (M ATCH. COM ) At Match.com, we give singles the opportunity to express themselves through various free writing sections. Profiles may include up to 26 photos, as well as selected preferences regarding the person theyre searching for. With the click of a mouse, members can instantly see photos and read about potential matches in their area. Match.com also understands the importance of privacy and integrity. All communication between members on Match.com happens through an anonymous network. The names and contact information of all our members are kept confidential until the member personally decides to share the information with a potential match. And to help ensure the integrity of our community, every profile and photo is screened by our Customer Care team for appropriateness before its posted to the site. (Match.com) For example:

A PPLYING F OR A M EMBERSHIP ( E H ARMONY. COM ) 4 Easy Steps to Find the Right Match at eHarmony... Complete our Relationship Questionnaire and get your FREE Personality Profile. Review your selected, highly-compatible matches FREE! Pick the plan that best suits you when you're ready to communicate. Get to know your matches at your own pace, and start dating!

C OMPARISON BETWEEN THE LARGEST & MOST POPULAR DATING SITES Match.com eHarmony Yahoo!Personals Singlesnet.com PerfectMatch.com Chemistry.com Lavalife.com FriendFinder.com SitesAmount of Memberships

G ENERAL I NFORMATION (2009) Internet user population passes 1 billion In 2009 the dating industry is expected to top $1.049 billion and is likely to grow at a rate of 10 percent On average 10 percent of members pay for the dating service and stay for less than 3 months. It is predicted that Americans will spend $1.7 billion on dating services in According to Market data Enterprises, the online dating industry generates $1.8 billion in revenue annually and the dating coach/matchmaker industry generates $260 million. Singles who are more likely to use dating sites are ones who are more sociable and have high self- esteem. They also put more value in romantic relationships. Adult dating sites are blamed by some for causing the $1.2 billion sex industry to drop $74 million (-6%) in revenue this year.

P RICING P LANS The pricing plans for most dating sites is designed to entice you to purchase long term subscriptions by offering lower monthly costs for extended memberships. The catch is that when purchasing a long term subscription, you have to pay the entire fee up front. This poses quite a dilemma, since you must choose between a costly 1-month subscription with no commitment, or commit to a less expensive long-term subscription. We suggest that once you decide which dating site you want to try, you take full advantage of its Free Trial and learn the ins and outs of its user interface, read the FAQs, and explore whichever features are available during the limited free trial*. If you enjoy the experience and feel that having access to more of the site's features will be valuable, save some money and go ahead with a long term subscription. (customer-rankings.com)

C OMPARISON FOR PRICING PLANS Dating ServiceLimited* Free Trial Duration 1 Month Subscription 3 Month Subscription Premium Plan Features Match.com7-Day$39.99 $22.99/Month $68.97 Total Premium plan includes added features: Read Notifications, First Impressions and Highlighted Profile Chemistry.com14-Day$49.95 $22.99/Month $68.97 Total Premium plan includes added features: Read Notifications, First Impressions and Highlighted Profile Perfectmatch.com2 Months$59.95 $36.95/Month $ Total N/A eHarmonyUnlimitedBasic Plan: $59.95 Basic Plan: $39.95/Month $ Total Premium Plan: $44.95/Month $ Total Premium Profile includes an extended personality profile, verified profile and Secure Call access, allowing users to place anonymous voice calls to other users. Yahoo! Personals 7-Day$29.95 $19.99/Month $59.97 Total N/A LavalifeUnlimited$34.99 $19.99/Month $59.97 Total N/A