Q: It’s been just over a year since you launched SpeedDate - and your site is already very popular. Most dating sites don’t grow that fast. Is there a “Speed Growth secret” you could share with our readers?

A: SpeedDate.com’s philosophy and the way we work is simple – we believe in instant chemistry, and that people know very quickly if they feel a connection to each other. The major dating sites require lengthy profiles and have a lot of steps before you can actually talk to someone you are interested in! We felt this was a pretty backwards approach to dating and wanted to create a site that was completely different and really catered to what singles wanted and enjoy. Because we allow people to meet each other in a faster and more fun way than many other sites, SpeedDate has mostly grown through members inviting their friends. Since we launched in 2007, we continue to grow quickly and currently host 160,000 dates per day! The growth that we have experienced shows that people are really looking for a new type of online dating experience focused on live interaction.

Q: You started as a free site; do you plan on adding premium/paid features and how it may affect site popularity and traffic?

A: While it is completely free to meet new people for live chats, SpeedDate also introduced a premium service, which is relatively new to the site. We are still in the process of introducing our users to the added features and functionality available with this membership level. The difference between a free membership and premium is that premium offers users the ability to be first in the dating line, choose specific individuals to date, see who has viewed them and much more. So far, the premium membership has been very popular and we have seen rapid growth since it was launched.

Q: Could you tell us more about your patented technology behind SpeedDate: what’s the major novelty of your invention?

A: SpeedDate.com leverages technology to create a fast and fun way to meet new people. One of the major innovations of SpeedDate.com is its method for introducing singles to each other via live interaction from the comfort of home or wherever they have an internet connection. Instead of filling out long profiles and questionnaires, SpeedDate users meet each other in three minute speed dates using instant messaging, and in-browser audio and video. SpeedDate has also developed a proprietary real-time matching algorithm that finds relevant dates within our online membership base in a near instantaneous fashion. SpeedDate.com leverages the rapidly expanding infrastructure for instant messaging and peer-to-peer video and audio chatting, which includes increasing penetration of broadband, webcams, as well as browser-based real-time video functionality.

Q: There are a lot of talks about scammers activity on dating sites. Do scammers bother you and how do you manage to keep them away?

A: It is extremely important for us to create an online speed dating environment where our users feel completely comfortable. We do not tolerate scammers or any other forms of misbehavior on SpeedDate. We have developed a combination of technological innovation and intelligent processes to make it as likely as possible that users can interact with each other in real time without worrying about scammers. The vast majority of our users use SpeedDate for its intended purpose – finding other singles in a fast and fun way.

Q: You recently released SpeedDate for iPhone: is it a tribute to the iPhone crowd, or a bare necessity?

A: We decided to create an application for the iPhone because it just made sense for our users and our brand. We were the first site to simplify the online dating process and allow singles to find instant chemistry – not lengthy, complicated profiles – to help our members connect with each another. Developing an iPhone application, which is immediate and portable, was the ideal next step. The SpeedDate.com iPhone application simplifies one of the biggest hassles of dating, finding the time to connect with new singles. We expect that the number of dates on our web site will increase as we provide new and existing SpeedDate.com users with the opportunity to make mobile love connections.

Q: What trends in online dating do you see emerging during the next 2 years?

A: Online dating is here to stay and will continue to grow over the next several years. The instant messaging and live video capabilities that we have on SpeedDate.com will definitely be an emerging trend. SpeedDate is at the forefront of the industry in terms of using live interactive technology to making it easier for people to meet each other. People nowadays don’t have time to email back and forth numerous times to see if there is a connection. Live interaction is the best and most immediate way to determine if you are a match with someone. Another area that will continue to grow will be development of dating applications on social and mobile platforms. Many dating companies spend millions on advertising to bring people to their sites. SpeedDate does the reverse. In addition to offering our destination site, www.speeddate.com, we bring our product directly to where people are already spending time: on social networks like Facebook and mobile devices like the iPhone. I believe these trends are good for singles because they’ll be more likely to find each other quickly and have fun while they’re at it.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 5:01 pm and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.