Sometimes I think the whole world is possessed with smartphones, mobile browsing, and building thousands upon thousands of applications to make it easier to stay connected to just about anything via your mobile phone. It should come as no surprise, then, that online dating has “gone mobile” enthusiastically and deliberately. Mobile applications are the hottest ticket around and online dating sites are not about to be left behind.

Any online dating site that wants to compete in the marketplace absolutely must have a mobile “app” available for its users, and just about every major online dating service does indeed have one. SpeedDate, Skout, Radaroo, DateCheck, and Zoosk are a few examples of these rapidly growing and expanding types of services. Even the more mainstream dating sites like Match.com are getting in on the act, putting out apps designed to enhance the experience of their members.

But don’t for a moment think that these companies are doing all of this just to be nice; no, there is a huge amount of money to be made from mobile online dating. In 2007 the mobile dating market was valued at about $330 million, while in 2008 that number jumped to a whopping $550 million; the projection for 2013 is for the value to increase to approximately $1.3 billion. It’s no wonder, then, that online dating services are jumping headfirst into the mobile marketplace.

What does this mean for you? In general, the explosive growth of mobile online dating options works in your favor because it allows you even greater choice and access when it comes to dating. Where you need to be careful, though, is in the added costs. Some sites offer their mobile services for free, while others charge a fee; additionally, depending on your service plan you may get hit with big overage charges for the extra data usage you’ll rack up using these kinds of apps.

The best approach is to read the fine print on the service you’re interested in, check with your mobile phone company regarding your data usage plan, and then start taking advantage of the flexibility and fun of using online mobile dating apps!

News & Views Cell Phone, Dating Applications, iPhone, Match.com, Mobile Phone, Zoosk

Just about everything else on the internet is now accessible via your mobile phone, so why not online dating as well? It makes a lot of sense, really, because so many people now connect to the internet as much (or even more) using their mobile phone than using their laptop or desktop computer.

The latest online dating service to “go mobile” is Zoosk, which claims to be the “world’s largest social dating community”. They actually are offering two different applications, one that’s strictly for mobile phones and one that’s designed to bring the online dating experience directly onto your computer desktop. It’s easier than ever to always have Zoosk at your fingertips, right? Right!

But is this kind of approach really a good thing?

It’s already frustrating enough dealing with poor mobile phone etiquette, how much more annoying is it going to be to have lots more people focused on their online dating activities this way as well? Imagine sitting in a meeting where the person next to you is receiving updates, winks, virtual gifts, and the like, throughout; and you thought simple texting was bothersome!

And what happens when you’re out with one person on a date but you receive messages from another person at the same time? Imagine the raft of new excuses you’re going to need… “That was my mother calling”… “It was a wrong number”… “I’ll just call them back later”… these old tired excuses just might not cut it anymore?

This is all a bit ‘tongue in cheek’ of course, but the underlying issue is something to think about. If you want the latest in convenience and accessibility for online dating then by all means look for a service like Zoosk that offers a mobile application. If, however, you’re not quite ready to be THAT accessible, think carefully before allowing this kind of application to invade your mobile phone!

News & Views Access, Cell Phone, Internet, Mobile Phone

Webdate.com is a free online dating site that offers much in the way of high tech features. One can browse for free and then sign up for free! The site offers not only video chat but mobile phone access as well. Upon signing up, members can get a free trial of the service that regularly updates via their mobile phone, meaning there’s no missing out on who’s online, who has joined and who’s trying to make contact. Members can search for compatible matches using the country, city or zip code locator.

Once a compatible match is found, members can send an email or an electronic Flirt that lets others know they’re interested. Webdate.com is an easily navigable site that offers its members the opportunity to get in quick contact with each other via email, instant messaging or chat rooms. It’s a very good option for those with video capability.

Do you have any comments, complaints or something to say about Webdate.com? Did you meet someone special on this site? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Your opinion matters!

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Reviews Cell Phone, Compatibility, Free, Mobile Phone, Profile, SMS, WebDate.com, Young