Toronto-based Lavalife
has announced a redesign of their dating website. From the press release the redesign offers:
New and improved easy and simple navigation.
A new, expanded photo-gallery – Members will now be able to post up to 30 pictures for free and assign them to any or all of the website's three communities: dating, relationship and intimate encounters. This will allow members to build a complete photo gallery showcasing who they are, along with their interests, friends, hobbies and more!
Video Uploading – Say goodbye to those blurry webcam videos. Now members can upload up to 6 videos directly from their computers, providing new possibilities for members to show who they are.
Enhanced Instant Messaging that allows members to easily see who they are chatting with online.
A facelift – a brand new look and feel that makes it easier for singles to connect with other like-minded singles.
Additionally Lavalife has launched a new, free website for dating tips, etc. Again from the press release:
Complementing the new and improved website is Click, Lavalife's free online magazine and the web's one-stop destination for dating advice, love horoscopes, saucy sex tips and much more. Singles can check out new features and articles at http://www.click.lavalife.com.
Taken at face value, you might wonder why I'm talking about something so seemingly trivial as an online dating site launching a redesign and a website to help guys make a better dinner for the women they are wooing. That would be taking it at face value.
Beyond this announcement you have to ask why, beyond increasing subscription revenue, would Lavalife connect with Playboy, redesign their website, launch a section for baby boomers getting in the dating scene again, and launch a site for the younger crowd already deeply into dating? Because dating is hot and online dating is growing. Recently I came across this NYT article-Single Parents Like Online Dating – New York Times-which told me something I already knew, from personal experience.
See with busy careers, kids, and that strange urge to sleep now and then, it's hard for single parents to get out and date. You have to consider your schedule, your kids' schedule, babysitters, time with kids and when the ex has the kids. Very complicated. Hence, online dating. You browse, e-mail, chat, and meet people. From home. At your own pace. In the safety of your home (do not underestimate this point for single moms). Sure everyone likes to get out. Get some friends, hire the sitter and go out, but as we get older and with a family at home, that is something much harder to do. This is why, beyond the face value, Lavalife is investing in their online properties. Because people need them to help them meet others. Simple as that.
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