DatingClub.com Reaches One Million Members

You Can Search for Other Seniors On This Site

http://datingclub.com/communities/club_golden.asp

July 2000  -- As it prepares to celebrate its third anniversary in August, DatingClub.com, one of the five largest dating matchmaking websites on the internet and the largest international matchmaking website, has recently reached the one million mark in membership. According to officials at TargetMatch.com, which created and operates the website, membership is growing at a rate of 12% a month and it expects to have a membership of one and one-half million by the end of this year.

Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, TargetMatch.com is an international internet high technology company that produces international matching websites. Introduced in 1997, DatingClub.com has the distinction of being the first dating matchmaking website to be owned and operated by a company that became public after the website was created. TargetMatch.com launched its first IPO last month in Tel Aviv and has plans for another offering later this year in Europe.

Available in Nine Languages

As 70 percent of its membership is in North America, DatingClub.com is one of the five largest dating websites serving the United States. On an international level, it is the largest. Translated into nine languages, the remaining membership spans the globe from Europe to South America to Southeast Asia. One unique aspect of the website is that people can join in one language while the whole site is readable in any language chosen.

TargetMatch.com officials report that the website has not only helped to bring many people together but has resulted in numerous engagements and marriages. Within the next week TargetMatch.com anticipates announcing the first recorded baby that was born to a couple that met and married through the DatingClub.com website.

"Other aspects which differentiate the website from all other dating or matchmaking websites" reports Yuval Kemp, Vice President of Marketing for TargetMatch.com, is the diversity and scope of information offered to provide insight and guidance on the 'total romantic experience' and the ability to seek out others who share the same lifestyles, interests and geographic locations."

Like other dating websites, Kemp points out, DatingClub.com offers its members access to its complete database of members if they so choose. Unlike any other website of its type however, he stresses, members can also enter into a specific "community" where it is limited to people who are categorized by lifestyles, interests and geographical location. He commented:

"If someone only wanted to be matched with a person who was in college, loved pets or lived in Los Angeles, they could enter the community dedicated to each. Not only would they receive pertinent information about that particular lifestyle, interest area or location - but their search and the entire use of this feature would be limited to people who are of the same mind rather than our full database of all members."

Kemp pointed out that each of the categories provides a myriad of useful information and access through links to related websites which can provide people with additional input, insight and guidance. "The goal here is to offer our members and visitors an "information clearinghouse" and total resource by which they can find everything they need whether directly from our website or from others we can link them up with," he noted.

Lifestyles

The "Lifestyle" section, Kemp reported, offers people the opportunity to select from seven types of life experiences relating to age, religion, race, education, work or sexual preferences - adding "we have tried to cover the whole gamut of life choices here." Among the lifestyle choices offered and the information and resources available in this category, he said, were:

• Careers - Oriented to those people who are career-motivated and want information and advice on how to succeed and news of workplace trends.
• Christian & Jewish - Two categories that reach out to those who want to equate the religious experience with dating and matchmaking while having access through links to religious media, organizations, etc. Direct source to find people of their own religion.
• College - Provides information, insight and advice on dating and the "romantic experience" for those who are maturing about to go out into the world.
• Seniors - In their golden years, people may find another mate directly through this community or a Pen pal or invaluable information and resources through links on meeting their needs.
• African-American - This enables people to find potential mates from a database of those of similar race and also, because of the website's international reach, to have access to people of the same race in other countries.
• Gay & Lesbian - These communities were tailored to meet the specific needs and privacy requirements of people who share these sexual preferences.

Communities

Knowing that people are very passionate about specific areas of entertainment and recreational preferences in their lives, Kemp said that a base of communities focused on these "interests" was a priority when setting up the DatingClub.com website. Included in this category of communities, are those devoted to:

*Astrology
*Fashion
*Food
*Movies
*Pets
*Sports
*Popular Music
*Travel
*Television

Each of the "interest" communities, Kemp noted, contains a diverse array of information offering insight, information and advice on subjects, issues and matters relating to that interest area. These include feature articles, reviews, "most popular" lists, advice columns, "ratings" information and other pertinent information plus links to other websites with related subject matter.

The newest category in the communities section of DatingClub.com, Kemp reported, is one that is targeted to the needs of people interested in specific geographical locations. To begin this category, 10 cities in the United States are featured, including:

*Atlanta
*Miami
*Boston
*New York
*Chicago
*San Francisco
*Houston
*Seattle
*Los Angeles
*Washington, D.C.

This category is being added to on almost a daily basis, Kemp added, and eventually will expanded to include major cities in other countries. Each city community contains features on the city, information indigenous to that city, guides to entertainment and recreational activities, reviews, lists of recreation and links to websites for the media as well as sports, entertainment and recreational attractions. "Our goal is for people in those cities to have complete access to all information that can aid them in dating or planning for that true romantic experience," he emphasized.

Kemp emphasized that the DatingClub.com website is evolving almost on a daily basis as more content and features are being added. The website also includes a monthly singles magazine, a romance advice column, monthly opinion polls, a chat room and a forum for posting information.