Online Dating

Facebook dating sounds like an idea with a lot of potential, but so far no one has found the perfect way to capitalize on the social network's massive dating potential. Who wants their dating history plastered all over their Timeline? No one. A little privacy, please!

That's where theComplete.me comes in, a new dating service that promises "private Facebook dating" in which "nothing is shared with your friends and nothing is posted to your wall." Users have complete privacy control over who sees what and when, and can choose whether they prefer to lay all their cards on the table or remain anonymous. The mission of theComplete.me, says Founder and CEO Brian Bowman, is to "socialize online dating with real identities, comprehensive privacy controls and matching through shared interests and mutual friends."

Bowman has recruited key online dating industry executives to form a team that has caught the eyes of quite a few investors. theComplete.me recently announced a $1.2 million seed round which includes Intel Capital, PlentyOfFish, CrunchFund, and a string of prominent angel investors. The funding will be used to develop the service by supporting customer acquisition efforts, building key site features, launching a mobile version of the product, and expanding the startup's team.

Here's a glimpse at what's getting all those investors so excited...

• Users sign in using their Facebook identity.
• A profile is automatically created in 5-minutes from the data gathered from your social networks.
• Your profile data is organized as pinned frames - called "fraMEs" - that show categories such as "Liked" Facebook pages.
• fraMEs can be edited to go beyond pre-populated Facebook data.
• Potential matches are arranged as a row of thumbnails across the top of the screen.
• Matches are based on behavioral data like who you view, who people like you view, who you correspond with, and shared interests.
• After logging in, you can also connect you profile to LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Photobucket, Flickr, Foursquare, GoodReads, and Instagram for even more tailored matches.

And here's the real game-changer: users can provide the IDs to their profiles on other sites, like Match.com, eHarmony, and Zoosk. Clicking the "Dating Sites" link in the app will aggregate the results from all of the linked dating sites, giving you direct, free access to the users of those sites. Just message them through the app on Facebook, and you can avoid any fees charged by the original dating sites.

How's that for destroying the competition?

eHarmony in Canada is offering free communication this weekend. It starts today, Friday May 18th and runs straight until Monday May 21st, 2012. This weekend is also a long weekend for Canadians since Monday is the Victoria Day holiday. This is also the first holiday of the season which marks the beginning of summer for most Canadians.

As with other free communication weekends at eHarmony, all you need to do to participate is become a member. You can join for free and create a profile. Once this is complete you will receive your first matches and then be able to begin the communication process with your selections. No credit card is required. This promotion does not include viewing photos, Secure Call or Skip to Email.

For more about this popular North American dating service for singles looking to find a long-term relationship you can read our review of eHarmony.

Spark Networks just released their first quarter financial results for 2012. Their revenue of $14.6 million for the quarter is up 25 percent when compared to last year. Unfortunately they still had a net loss which was $1.7 million (due to marketing costs). Jewish Networks posted $6.6 million in revenue with for the first time the Christian Networks beating them by having almost $6.9 million in revenue.

The average paying subscriber as a whole was up 36 percent when compared to Q1 in 2010. Spark Networks in quarter 1, 2011 had 240,706 subscribers. Jewish Networks was down 6 percent with 86,433 subscribers and Christian Networks was up 163 percent with 124,158 subscribers. The Other Networks saw subscribers decline by 23 percent to 30,115.

For the full 2012 Q1 release visit the Spark Networks News Room.

Related Story: Spark Networks Fourth Quarter 2011 Financials

It appears that online dating has become very popular in Brazil. There are currently 62 million singles living in Brazil and according to ComScore, 5.6 million of these singles visit online dating sites every month.

Plenty of Fish launched their dating service in Brazil last September and in 9 months they have grown to have about 80,000 Brazilian members logging in each day. This is a huge accomplishment and probably makes them the most popular dating site in Brazil. Since January of 2012 visits from Brazil to POF.com have increased by 64 percent.

To find out more about this dating site you can read our PlentyOfFish review.

A new couple is on the scene, but is it a match made in heaven?

The couple in question is the dating site and the daily deals site, which have come together as a new dating service called Coffee Meets Bagel (launched April 17 in New York). Arum Kang, founder and Harvard Business School graduate (along with her 2 sisters Dawoon and Soo), was inspired by three goals:

• Make online dating easier, because meeting new people doesn't have to be awkward or complicated.
• Make online dating less random, because your friends are the best way to vet your dates.
• Make online dating more private, because your dating life isn't anyone's business but your own.

Out of those objectives, Coffee Meets Bagel was born. The service takes the static profiles, matching algorithms, rating systems, random searching, and copy/pasted messages out of online dating by blending traditional dating services with the daily deal business model. Rather than searching through a database of potential dates, Coffee Meets Bagel users receive one date per day, delivered directly to their inboxes at noon on the dot. Simplicity? Check.

Coffee Meets Bagel matches users with friends of friends by linking through Facebook authentication, eliminating the worries of meeting strangers and - hopefully - increasing the quality of the dates you're matched with. "Make online dating less random?" Check.

After receiving the daily email, users can review their match's photos and basic profile information (like age, employment, and astrological sign), then "Like" the match or "Pass" on it. If you "Pass," you're asked to leave feedback for the person you passed on and the process begins again the following day. If you "Like" the match, you'll be set up with a private phone line for 7 days, which can be used to set up an in-person meetup. Give users stronger safety measures and increased privacy? Check.

On top of those basic features, Coffee Meets Bagel also includes elements of online shopping and gamification in the service. Users can accumulate "coffee beans" by performing certain actions, like leaving feedback for vetoed dates and referring new members. Those coffee beans can then be redeemed for products, beverages, events, and more.

And it gets even better. If you decide to take the plunge and go on a date, Coffee Meets Bagel will hook you up with free gifts, like champagne, chocolate, and oysters, at some of the city's hottest date spots. So far the service is only available in NYC, but Coffee Meets Bagel plans to expand their reach as soon as they receive 1,000 emails from users in a city who are interested in the service.

Many people have tried online dating, but most are still resistant to try speed dating. Something about spending only five minutes trying get to know your date before moving on to the next makes some people anxious, and I can't blame them. That's so much pressure - how can you possibly get to know someone in that small amount of time?

Since I spent six years as a speed dating host, I saw a lot of great people get completely overwhelmed and frustrated by the experience. But the problem was not with speed dating itself, or with the people who attended. The problem was that people approached it the wrong way, with unrealistic expectations.

While it seems like an easy concept - meet 15-20 people in one night in a series of mini-dates, see if you click, and if so, go out on a real date - it's not that simple. In real life, there aren't many places we go where we see someone across the room and instantly connect. Many people come to speed dating expecting this type of love at first sight. And they leave disappointed because they met a roomful of decent men or women, but none that make them swoon.

Instead of looking at speed dating as a chemistry test, I advise you to keep an open mind. Just because there's no love at first sight doesn't mean you shouldn't date someone who piques your interest or who you had a fun time talking with. Quite the opposite. Go out and give it a chance. Then you can make a more informed decision about whether or not you want to spend more time together. If you don't click romantically, then you've added a new friend to your network. I met several friends this way and was invited to a lot of parties, where I did eventually meet men that I dated. Speed dating is a great way to expand your social network.

For some people, speed dating means forced conversation, which isn't the best way to flirt and attract someone to you. Some of my clients would list off their attributes like they were in a job interview and had three minutes to sell themselves. This is not an effective way to engage. Women like to feel connected, so ask questions and engage her in conversation rather than just talking to her and you'll have more success.

It's also good to recognize that the same old questions get boring when asked over and over again. Many speed daters approach each other like they are at a cocktail party where they don't know anyone, asking the polite questions of "where are you from" or "what do you do?"

Instead of taking the traditional route, start to think outside the box. If you want to keep from falling asleep or crying from boredom after a couple of dates with the same stale questions, you have to think differently and mix things up. Ask one date about his most embarrassing experience. Ask another about what he likes to do on the weekend. And ask another what his favorite subject was in school. These are just examples - feel free to be creative.

Bottom line: keep an open mind, have fun, be creative, and don't take yourself or the speed dating process too seriously. It's a way to meet people outside of your immediate network, so try to enjoy yourself.

For more information on a two different speed dating services, you can read our Hurry Date review and our Speed Date review.