A Business Of Love

A recent report by Topeka Capital Markets finds that the combination of tough economic times, a rise in the number of singles, social media and mobile technology is causing a resurgence in the "fast food dating" business of online personals.

Since 2014, online dating sites are generating more revenue than online pornography, being the third most popular sites that fill the Internet after digital music and video games.

In 2007, dating sites earned about $1.03 billion in revenue, with that figure expected to grow to $2.5 billion in 2017. These projections are based on the continued integration of the digital world into everyday life.

Match.com is one of the industry's trend leaders. This site charges members £30 for a one-month membership while boasting its 30 million members. 

eHarmony charges members £40 fee per month and it has 24 million members. 

These companies recognize that they're sitting on gold mines, which is why their advertising budgets are so high. In 2014, about £300 million was spent on marketing for online dating service websites. The result of spending is seen on the company's bottom line. It's estimated that some 30 million internet users will visit an online dating site at least once a month.