E-Harmony Dating Sites' Strategy to Counter Competition (Essay Sample)

E-Harmony
Name
Institution
Background
Online dating has gained popularity among most Americans and around the world. Many individuals are using the internet to contact and communicate with people around the world. The main aim of online dating is to develop a personal and romantic relationship with another individual over the internet. The demand for these services has grown rapidly prompting more people to set up more dating sites. The sites offer services such as matchmaking to help individuals meet their match easier and faster. People have different requirements for the people they would like to date and the sites help them acquire the most efficient match. In the United States of America, for example, a high percentage of relationships began online as it is very common among people in the country. The changes in the dating technique in this era can be associated with the digital technology and smartphones. A study shows that 15% of the adults in the U.S have used online and mobile dating applications as compared to the low numbers in 2005 (Smith & Anderson, 2016). The attitude towards online dating has also changed among many individuals as it is gaining more popularity. Some people, however, still have reservations about using online dating sites and advocate for normal dating techniques. Online dating is used by all individuals from the 18 year olds to the 60 year old people in the society. The young people, however, more conversant and use it more. Sites such as the eHarmony has been set up to try and provide matchmaking services to the growing number of customers around the world.
eHarmony is a dating site that was founded by Dr. Neil Clark Warren, who is an author and a clinical psychologist. His books are based on marriage, love, and emotional health. His experience in counseling helped him identify characteristics that led to the success of a relationship. He carried out extensive research among various couples and found out that the characteristics can be predictable and can be an indication of how successful or not a relationship may turn out. Using this information, it was easy to match singles based on the similarities of these characteristics. Based on his research, Dr. Neil started eHarmony to provide a match for the single people in the country. The site has gained popularity among various people in the country and is said to be responsible for almost 4% of marriages in the U.S (eHarmony, 2012). The private company has its headquarters in Pasadena, California. The concept of eHarmony was initiated in 1998 and has grown ever since. For Dr. Neil, finding the perfect soul mate was important as it represented a milestone in the life of an individual. It was more than a business for him as it helped bring fulfillment and happiness among the members. Some of the personality dimensions included in the website include family values, character, emotional makeup, and traits. The questionnaire was long and some individuals found it tiresome to fill it, but it helped provide more in-depth information about an individual (eHarmony.com Inc, 2004). In the past, eHarmony had reservations about the members joining the site. This led to them losing many clients as they did not meet the qualifications.
In 2000, the official website, eHarmony.com, was launched and joined the many dating sites on the web. After a period of 3 months, the website and registered more than 20,000 people and its popularity was growing. Its presence was felt in the dating industry as it was a new and very competitive site. One of the sites that was a competitor at the time was InterActive Corporation’s Match.com that offered matchmaking services at very low costs. The website is dedicated in forming long-lasting relationships for its members using principles that have been scientifically proven. The website was listed as the fastest growing online dating website by the Internet News with more people signing in.
Strategic alliances and aggressive marketing strategies have led to the success of the company. In 2004 and 2003, the company used a lot of its resources in advertising campaigns for the site. Advertisements are important as they help market the company and intrigue more people to join. Through the campaigns, eHarmony has reached millions of clients around the world. Mass media and social media are some of the platforms the website uses to increase its popularity among more people in the world. The company has also signed more partnerships with different esteemed companies and corporations. Some of the partners include newspapers and companies in social networks. Collaboration with Third Age Inc. in 2005 enabled eHarmony to tap into the older single people in the community, above 40 years (eHarmony.com Inc, 2004).
Since it was established, the site has over 20 million registered online users and the numbers are bound to increase. The compatibility level is important in online dating. It helps point out the individuals that one can date based on their different individual characteristics. It is hard to find someone who is fully compatible to you online as some of the platforms used to identify compatibility are conventional and do not determine the compatibility level. eHarmony uses the 29 dimensions to help the members find partners that are compatible to them. The dimensions are used as predictors of a long-term relationship among the members. Some of the challenges facing harmony are critics of the society for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Members who were seeking to find people from the same sex were not allowed to sign up for their services. Same sex marriage is an issue that, for the past few years, has been accepted in some of the countries and states around the world. This led to the company facing a lawsuit in 2007 for discrimination based on sexual orientation. The company, however, settled the lawsuit, but never admitted to any wrong doings. The company launched a same-sex matching service, following the lawsuit, to ensure that all individuals are welcomed to join the website (Rao, 2009).
Summary
The perception people have towards online dating is different with some not interested and some are interested. Issues of security and privacy are most common among those that are not interested in online dating. Reservations about online dating is also based on traditions and culture. Some individuals still prefer going through the traditional methods of dating rather that using online dating. Some people use the dating sites to stalk people and they sign in using a fake name. Such issues may lead to the results of having more than half the people questioned stated that they are not interested in online dating. Despite the fact that online dating is gaining more publicity in this era, most people are still not interested. People are aware of online dating and know most of the sites, but they tend not to gain interest in engaging in them. According to the results from the questionnaire, most of the respondents do not feel safe to meet up with strangers and do not mind having escorts. This may be one of the reasons why most of the individuals questioned said they are not interested in online dating as most of these sites to not assure their safety when they go on dates. The escort services can help increase the number of members signing up as they are assured of security on their first date. eHarmony can use such...