Post date: Feb 12, 2014 1:26:20 AM
The Internet and technology are helping people find love in unique ways.
INTERNET (FEBRUARY 10, 2014) (REUTERS) - With Valentine's day approaching love is in the air and people are logging on to the web to grab it.
While traditional dating sites still continue to attract the masses there has been a recent boom in specific taste dating.
If you're taller than average sign-up for tallfriends.com, or if you want someone to love your pet as much as they'll love you, try datemypet.com."There are so many niche sites out there now. Back in the day J-date was one of the biggest niche sites, and it still is today. But it was really an anomaly. And now there so many sites specific to different demographics like woman behind bars for women who are in prison. Or Alikewise for people who are really into books and literature," said Laurie Davis, the author of "Love @ First Click."
Alikewise was co-founded by Matt Sherman as a free dating site and now the New York-based company has tens of thousands of users.
"We assumed that we would be matching people up based on very specific books. That, 'I've read this book, you've read this book, so let's talk about it.' But what it turns out is that it's more interesting to people that they are simple readers in the first place. So what we found is that our community of singles on the site are really much more interested in just meeting other sort of intellectual curious people. People with passions for certain things," said Sherman.
Davis, who also helps people successfully online date through her company Eflirt, said there are two types of niche dating sites.
"There are niche sites that lead with interest and religion and all this stuff that we're talking about. But there's a new niche that's emerging also. They're leading with technology, they're leading with a different user experience whether it's Facebook connecting and allowing you to see your friends or friends. Or whether it's connecting you to Spotify and allowing you to pull in your music into your profile," explained Davis.
Findyourfacemate.com is a site that uses dater's facial features to find a partner.
After you upload a photo the system measures 67 points about your face and then compares them to everyone in the database using algorithm in order to find the best match.
"If you think about it. We do this on every dating website that we go to. We look at the pictures first and you scroll through the pictures and you try to see where do you feel some chemistry. Where are you attracted. And that is really fundamental what we do. We find those people to whom we think you're going to be most attractive based on facial characteristics," said Chip Sleeper, the companies president and COO.
Michelle Maffia found her last boyfriend on Findyourfacemate.com after not having much luck on traditional websites.
Maffia said when she met her match in person the spark was instant.
"He has a really nice smile and I thought he was really handsome. And I thought well let me just meet him before I make that decision for sure, because you never know with a picture. But when I met him I was immediately attracted to him," said Maffia, who is currently back on the site after breaking up with her match.
If maintaining a specific diet is important Gultenfreesingles.com and Veggiedate.com are two places available to daters.
Marta Tereshchenko met her boyfriend Larry 6 years ago on Veggiedate.com.
For the couple the site gave them the ability to connect on a deeper level.
"Health defines many, many aspects of our life. Long term goals. Many things fall apart if you're not natural healthy," said Tereshchenko.
Davis does caution that the small size of the sites makes finding quality people tougher, and recommends people do a free trial before before paying.
"Sometime opposites attract, but I think that the great thing about niche sites is that it allows you to see people who are like-minded too. But that's why it's really important to big on a big site also so you can see a little outside of your own small community. Because while it's great that you might be on Cupidtino and want to connect with someone over the fact that you both are fanatics about Apple products, your fan boys and fan girls. It can be great to connect with someone like that. But also there might be something to those PC girls. You just never know," said Davis with a smile.
Despite their different approaches the aim of all dating websites is the same - getting compatible people together, offline.