Saturday, June 26, 2010

Are dating Web sites past their prime?

The Washington Post reports:
How many marriages a day do Internet dating sites generate? Last year, the Wall Street Journal tried to cut through the hype and found that the claims put forth by major players such as eHarmony, Match.com and Plenty of Fish were dubious at best. And yet eHarmony's latest news release can't help but crow about a three-year-old Harris Interactive poll that said, "On average, 236 people are married in the United States every day as a result of being matched by eHarmony." Really? By the latest national marriage figures, that would mean it's driving nearly 4 percent a day. If that's true, might I suggest the site look into hooking up its customers with caterers and ministers? Because it stands to reason that it's losing a golden opportunity to grow the business.