Internet users looking for love this holiday season will have another option when it comes to online dating. America Online is rolling out a new personals site that leverages its AOL Instant Messenger service.
AOL's new love.com site will allow Net users to create a personal profile, search for a mate, and contact them via e-mail or instant message over the company's IM software. A preview of the site, which was up Wednesday, said that AOL would be offering a free trial of the service but it was not clear how much it will cost after the trial period expires.
AOL's further foray into the online dating world--which it already participates in through a partnership with Match.com, offering a dating service for AOL members--gives it a way to derive money from its free IM service.
Making a Match
Online dating is a crowded field, however, with players like Yahoo, Match, and others jostling for online lovers.
The incentive seems clear, as online dating has become one of the most popular paid activities on the Web, with over 16.3 million people visiting online dating sites in 2002, according to Jupiter Research. What's more, online dating service providers raked in an estimated $313 million in revenue in 2002, according to the researcher, and are expected to net $642 million by 2007.
While AOL has been looking to bump up its revenue with the expansion of paid membership services, love.com will also give it an opportunity to reap revenue from non-AOL members.
AOL representatives in Europe would not immediately comment Wednesday on the new site, which appears to be targeted at U.S. users.
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