Dating Services

In 2012 the Editor's Top Pick - United Kingdom Award goes to Cupid.com. This dating site has been around for a while now and ever since the parent company (Cupid plc) went public this dating site has experienced growth not only in the UK but the rest of Europe as well. They now have over 3 million members.

Not only do we like the site design but Cupid.com was also a winner in the same category this year at iDate, a leading online dating industry conference. You will notice this dating site is different right away when you sign up to this service. The profile creation is really easy to use with large graphics that you can select when answering questions about you for your profile. When you have finished creating your free profile you will then gain access to the site. From here the clean interface is easy to follow with everything labeled or with an appropriate icon. Searching is easy as all options are available to you on top of the results which makes it easy to refine your search as you go.

Cupid also has mobile apps for Android and iPhones that allow you to perform almost all of the same online dating activities that you would do on the main site. A web browser toolbar is also available that gives you instant access to your account while you are at your computer. You will know right away when someone views your profile or contacts you. Finally they also have a downloadable Desktop Chat program that provides you with ultra-fast messaging with many of the same features as MSN Messenger and Skype.

Read our review of Cupid.com for more information about this dating service or visit Cupid directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is: Match.com UK

The recipient of the Editor’s 2012 Top Pick - Wealthy Award is Seeking Arrangement. This dating site had a high profile year in the media and as a result the Seeking Arrangement service membership base grew to make it one of the largest website of its type.

Seeking Arrangement offered a number of new features in 2012 that their members were looking for. The site was originally available only to English speaking members but in 2012 Seeking Arrangement started to offer their service in 4 other languages including Chinese and Spanish. They also started to offer background verification to members. This is done by a third party discreetly and privately and takes about 3 business days to complete. The screening process not only does a criminal check in the United States but internationally as well. Once the members information has been verified, a verified icon will be displayed on their Seeking Arrangement profile.

This service is ideal for people seeking mutually beneficial arrangements like a relationship between a Sugar Daddy and a young woman. If you are looking for this type of a relationship or something similar then you should check out Seeking Arrangement. It is free to join and review profiles for both men and women.

Read our review of Seeking Arrangement for more information about this dating service or visit SeekingArrangement directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is: Millionaire Match

The Editor's Top Pick - Christian Award goes to Christian Mingle. Christian Mingle was a huge success this year. With over $30 million spent in television advertising Christian Mingle has become the most popular dating site for Christian singles. While their tagline “Find God’s Match for You” has been a bit controversial it hasn’t stopped this dating site from having over 7 million members join.

Christian Mingle is serious about their online community. In 2012 they launched an advisory board which includes church directors, pastors, psychologists and authors from around the United States. It is the responsibility of this board to provide direction and guidance on content, features and other initiatives to insure that the community feels connected and is routed in Christian values.

Christian Mingle has been around for 17 years now and is free to join and search for members. A small fee is required to communicate with other members beyond sending out smiles. If finding someone with Christian values are important to you, then this dating site is one you should take a look at.

Read our review of Christian Mingle for more information about this dating service or visit Christian Mingle directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is: Christian Cafe

The Editor’s Top Pick - Match System award has been dominated by one dating site over the last 5 years and this year is no different. The recipient of this award for 2012 goes to eHarmony. With their matching algorithm that has 29 dimensions of compatibility it has been designed to find and match single men and women to create meaningful long-term relationships. In fact on average 542 people every day in the United States get married because they met online at eHarmony. Every year this works out to about 5 percent of all marriages. Since eHarmony launched in 2000 they have had about 44 million people register which has resulted in over 1.2 million marriages.

eHarmony may be known for its matchmaking but it is also one of the most popular dating sites on the internet. Google stated that eHarmony was in the top 5 most searched dating sites on the internet in 2012. eHarmony is ideal for singles who are between 30 and 60 and who are looking for a long-term committed relationship. eHarmony allows members to create a profile and review their matches for free. If you want to try sending messages for free then just wait for a free communication weekend which happens about once a month.

Read our review of eHarmony for more information about this dating service or visit eHarmony directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is:Plenty of fish

Say what you want about Google (and believe me, I have), but I can think of no one better to gather the biggest stories of the past 12 months and determine exactly what defined the year 2012.

And they did. It's called Zeitgeist, and it's an annual tradition that analyzes over one trillion search queries in almost 150 languages to showcase what the world searched for. Using data from multiple sources, including Google Trends and other internal data tools, Google has turned the year's searches into a report that reflects 2012.

The report is divided into two sections: Trending and Most Searched. The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest amount of traffic over a sustained period in 2012 as compared to 2011. The "most searched" queries are the most popular terms for 2012, ranked in order of the queries with the largest volume of searches.

Here's what Zeitgeist has to say about the most searched dating services of 2012:

1. PlentyOfFish: POF - the site formerly known as PlentyOfFish - is one of the most popular free dating services on the Web. Since its launch in 2003, POF has appeared in music videos, launched mobile apps, and conducted a contest with Lady Gaga. For a review of this service see our Plenty of Fish page.
2. Match: Match.com may be the most famous dating site in the world. Match has helped millions of singles look for love in 24 countries and redefined the way modern singles meet. Most recently, the company announced Stir, local events by Match.com. For a review of this service see our Match.com page.
3. OkCupid: OkCupid is famous for its lighthearted and affordable approach to online dating. The site is free to use, and features fun quizzes and multiple-choice questions designed to bring out users' personalities and encourage community interaction. For a review of this service see our OkCupid page.
4. eHarmony: eHarmony is where it's at for singles looking for long-term relationships. Its famous matching questionnaire, developed by eHarmony Labs, takes a scientific approach to love that promises to find a deeper level of compatibility. For a review of this service see our eHarmony page.
5. DateHookup: Online daters really like free stuff. DateHookup is another no-cost service for singles that made it into the Zeitgeist top 10. This year it hit the big times after being bought by Match.com and OKCupid owner, IAC/InterActiveCorp. For a review of this service see our DateHookup.com page.
6. Zoosk: Zoosk distinguishes itself from traditional dating sites by putting the focus on its social networking capabilities. It's currently available in 25 languages and more than 70 countries, and shows no signs of stopping in 2013. For a review of this service see our Zoosk page.
7. ChristianMingle: "Find God's Match For You," says ChristianMingle, a faith-based site created to bring Christian singles together for friendship, dating, and marriage. With over 8 million members, the largest and fastest growing online Christian community. For a review of this service see our ChristianMingle.com page.
8. AdultFriendFinder: AdultFriendFinder is an online sex and swinger personals site that helps members meet new friends and sex partners. What started as a small niche site quickly grew in popularity - it even debuted the music video for Flo Rida's "Touch Me."
9. JDate: JDate is one of a number of demographically focused online match-making websites operated by Spark Networks. JDate offers both free and premium plans to Jewish singles looking to date within their faith. For a review of this service see our JDate page.
10. SinglesNet: SinglesNet offers singles a feature-rich environment with free online dating tools like online chat, personals, and dating forums. IAC added the site to its ever-expanding dating services roster back in 2010. For a review of this service see our Singlesnet.com page.

So what do you think...did the Zeitgeist report accurately capture the spirit of online dating in 2012?

Meetic announced on December 21st, 2012 that they had acquired Massive Media. Massive Media owns Twoo a popular social discovery service and the social network Netlog. Twoo.com was launched in April of 2011 and in under 2 years now receives 9.6 million unique visitors a month. Twoo's main competition in Europe according to information available is Badoo.

Meetic purchased Massive Media for $25 million USD (18.9 Euros) and interestingly enough is mostly owned themselves by IAC, which owns Match.com.

To find out more about this story you can read the press release.