How To Choose A White Label Dating Service

COURTLAND BROOKS - Feb 21 - Here's the top ten showstopper considerations we think you should consider when choosing a white label dating provider:

1. Critical Mass – The main benefit of using a white label dating provider is that they have a critical mass of users, so you will convert and make money as soon as you start driving traffic. Does the white labeler have a decent critical mass of users for your chosen demographic and niche focus?  i.e. if you're starting a dating site for golfers, do they have a few thousand active golfing singles?  Test user activity for your niche by asking the white label provider for the name of an example partner site. Sign up as a user.  Try it out.

2. True Niches – Does the service provider offer true, cordoned niches of their database.  i.e. if you choose to start a Christian dating site, will your members be sent matches who are not Christian. Most white label dating providers don't offer true cordons, true niches.

3. Billing and Payouts In Multiple Currencies + Alternative Billing – Make sure the white labeler you're considering offers multiple billing currencies, and can pay you out in your preferred currency.  It's worth asking, so there's no surprises! Also, if you're running a non-geographically focused niche, sometimes you'll get members from abroad.  Your white labeler should be able to take their money as well?!  i.e. they should accept and pay you on sales in US dollars, UK pounds, Aussie dollars, Canadian dollars, Euro.  It all adds up. Also, ideally they should offer a mobile billing option and present it to users when their cards are over-limit and fail.  It happens a lot. Mobile and alternative billing helps find money.

4. Twice Monthly Payouts, At Least – You want to get paid on a more frequent basis than you're settling for your ad spends, ideally.  This will allow you to leverage cash flow and make a lot more money.

5. Robust Billing – Make sure they have a robust billing system in place.  The golden words are 'Are you PCI DSS compliant.'  Email them that question, so you have it in writing.  PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and is a worldwide standard used by Visa, Mastercard, etc.  It helps your white label dating provider prevent fraud and minimize chargebacks.  If they're not PCI DSS compliant, they're amateurs, don't consider them further.

6. Robust Campaign Tracking & Reporting – Sub-id tracking should be built in.  Let me explain further. You should be able to track specific campaigns down to the keyword using the white labelers built-in tracking system.  You should be able to run reporting, trending and graphing of your key metrics from within the white labeling system.  Anything less shows a severe lack of foresight on the part of the white labeler.  This is basic stuff.

7. Active Email Marketing – At least 25% of your dating site sales (and commissions) will come from emails encouraging your dating site registrants to become paying members.  Once a user signs up, they should receive emails from your white label dating provider with potential matches, and direct communications from other users from within your chosen niche.  Quiz your potential provider.  What experience and credentials does their head of CRM have.  What kinds of emails do they typically send each day/week. Again, sign up, try the service out as a user.  If you don't get any emails at all, something is wrong.

8. Customer Service & Retention – Sign up as a user and see what happens when you load a bad photo, and when you call-in to try canceling.  Do your poor quality photos get rejected, or are they allowed? Test how long it takes to get an email answered, and how long it takes for your potential white labeling partner to pick up the phone.  Your white labeler's customer service agents should be able to reference key activity metrics for you, as a specific user.  They should use that info to comment on your activity levels and make a compelling offer to keep you around when you call in to cancel.  i.e. They might say, 'I see you've only sent 3 messages since joining, is that correct?...  If I give you a week free would you promise to send 10 messages to people you're interested in this week.'   The customer service team should also be able to refer you, as an end user, into more of your communities.  i.e. They might say, 'Ok, I understand you're really only interested in dating catholics, and would like to cancel your christian dating site membership.  Would you like to join this <your site> dating site for catholics instead?'   This is really worth testing.

9. No Fakesters – Beware white labelers who resort to sending fake emails to registrants, from fake profiles.  Yes, it may be good for your short term gains, but it will kill your long term gains and brand equity.  (It's also TERRIBLE for the dating industry as a whole). Once again, test thw white label provider that you're considering. Just sign up one one of their sites as a 300lb 4'2” pygmy and see what happens.

10. No Scammers – Make sure your white label dating provider is properly 'armed' against scammer attacks.  Scammer activity and attacks can also have positive short term returns because they drive activity and initial conversions, but once again, this kind of abuse kills your long term gains and brand equity.

There are more considerations, but these are the top ten showstoppers.  If the white label dating provider your considering doesn't offer any individual one of these core features, you should seriously reconsider using them.
 
I'd like to improve this article and would greatly appreciate your feedback.  Please email me at [email protected] with your feedback on this post, and on your experience with your white label provider. 

Comments

[Online Date]

No doubt #4 definitely caught my attention. Few things motivate more than getting paid two plus times a month. That and an active email list.

[essay writing service]

Scammer activity and attacks can also have positive short term returns because they drive activity and initial conversions.

[Fee Chat Lines]

One of the most important factors is ethics. If you service provider is lacking, you will see it everywhere from poor customer service, to inaccurate reporting.

[American Singles]

I ran into a dating site network. I checked on few different sites on the network, and I found out all of them have the same members. This is probably a sign not to join this service.

[Credit Card Payment Processing]

I think scammers hold a unique position in marketing. They can simultaneously bring traffic and drive away consumers, it's almost like guerilla marketing. Anyways, great post and thanks for the suggestions.

[Christian Dating]

Nice post! I agree with every point you've made especially number 9. Fakesters are definitely a bad component when trying to run a legitimate dating site.

[White dating]

Some of these have a worldwide reach, whereas others are more geared to hooking up guys and girls in the same general areas. This author can only speak personally about Australia, and there are some amazing dating sites here. Just do a Google search to find the largest around.