All About Niche Dating Sites

If you have a "type," niche dating sites are a dream come true. You know Apple's "There's an app for that" advertising campaign? Niche dating sites are kind of like that...whatever you're into, no matter how obscure, there's a dating site that caters to your needs, kinks, dealbreakers, and deepest desires.

As the popularity of online dating grows, so does the popularity of niche dating sites. Curious about what makes them so successful, Business Insider spoke to the guys and gals behind 15 of the top niche sites in the market. The most popular by far is AshleyMadison.com, the infamous dating site for those looking to hook up behind their partners' backs. Adultery, it turns out, is big business - the site raked in more than $50 million in 2011 and expects profits upwards of $80 million in 2012.

Then there's VeggieDate, a site that helps vegetarian singles connect. For many vegetarians, vegetarianism is more than just a diet plan - it's a lifestyle choice, and dating someone who doesn't understand that lifestyle is out of the question. There's also the Passion Network, which includes such gems as "Stache Passions" and "Pirate Passions" alongside more traditional offerings like "Jewish Passions" and "Christian Passions."

Fans of Ayn Rand can meet on The Atlasphere, and other book lovers can find each other on Alikewise. The Big & The Beautiful introduces plus-sized singles and geeks meet on Geek2Geek. BeautifulPeople.com votes in only people who are rated as highly attractive by other members. Sugar daddies and sugar babies connect on sites like Seeking Arrangement and SugarDaddie.com. There are sites for any kind of religious faith or political leaning you can imagine. There are even sites for farmers, tattoo enthusiasts, Apple fans, sailors...the list is endless....

It sounds perfect for those who have a very specific idea of what they're looking for, but niche dating sites aren't all happily ever afters. By focusing only on a small portion of potential suitors, you run the risk of missing out on a whole heap of potential partners that you could really click with. If the lion can fall in love with the lamb, a vegetarian could certainly fall in love with a meat-eater. Cats and dogs may fight like...well...cats and dogs...but that doesn't mean that cat people and dog people can't fall in love.

Love has no limits, and neither should you. Join a niche dating site if you have a clear picture of the perfect partner, but consider joining a general dating site as well to keep your options open.

For more information on some of the dating services mentioned here you can read our review of SeekingArrangement.com and our review of Sugardaddie.com.