Online dating has come a long way in the last 10 years. Just a decade ago, there were only a few dating websites, and they were all pretty standard. Today, however, some of the most successful dating websites are niche sites; meaning they cater to daters with specific preferences.

Some are pretty benign. For example, there are now lots of dating websites for single parents. It makes perfect sense that single parents would want to take a lot of the guesswork out of finding a match. They don’t have a lot of free time, and they need to find someone who’s cool with kids.

There are also dating websites designed for people who are of a particular faith, ethnicity, or sexual preference. There are even dating websites for people who prefer their mates to be large, tall or even short. And, there are sites designed for people who are already in a committed relationship, but looking for love “on the side”.

And, of course, there are plenty of dating websites that are designed to help people find a match that will be sexually compatible, such as sites that appeal to people with a particular sexual fetish.

And, then there are the ones that are not exactly what you’d call “mainstream” niche dating site. I’m talking about those sites that are designed to help people meet someone in prison for dating and those that are designed for people with sexually transmitted diseases to meet each other.

Niche dating websites are no different than any other niche product on the market. They fill the desires of a very specific type of dater. Just further proving the theory that “there’s somebody for everybody”.

Reviews Dating Websites, Niche Dating

Ever since the fiasco involving “gate crashers” at a state dinner at the White House earlier this year, the subject of gate crashers has been more and more in the news lately. While the Secret Service is all focused on preventing this sort of thing from happening again at the White House, in the world of online dating the subject of gate crashers has come to the forefront.

What are online dating gate crashers? They are, quite simply, people who join and participate on niche dating sites without actually falling into that niche group. So for instance, on a specialty online dating site focusing on Jewish singles there are lots of members who really aren’t Jewish at all. They don’t necessarily lie about their religious affiliation because the site lets them select from a number of options (including “not active in the Jewish faith”) but they knowingly go onto the site looking for other singles when they have no history of being Jewish and no intention of converting.

The result? Frustration, for the most part. Imagine yourself as someone for whom religious faith is important, going out on a date with someone you met on the site. Now imagine what happens when you find out that apparently terrific person isn’t really part of your preferred faith after all. Another popular target for the “date crashing” crowd is the niche sites focusing on matchmaking wealthy clients. But that’s the subject of my next post.

The lesson here is to make sure you confirm details such as this during the “get to know you” phase of online interaction. This is especially important if you are looking for someone via a specialty or niche dating site. If that niche quality is really important to you then it’s in your best interest to verify the other person feels it is just as important as well.

Dating Essentials Gate Crashers, Lies, Money, Niche Dating, Religion