Valentine’s Day hitting new highs… and lows

Valentine’s Day has been and gone once again and it’s time to make some conclusions…

Now, we fully understand if you don’t think the big day has very little to do with actual online dating – after all, it’s supposed to be about people who are already in a romantic relationship, not those trying to find one, right?

We’re not judging, but as it stands at the moment, a lot of people around the world don’t agree with you. I guess Valentine’s Day is like Christmas – no one wants to be alone on that day. But with Christmas there’s family that comes to the rescue… with Valentine’s it’s online dating. Apparently.

Many online dating sites have confirmed in recent years that there’s a huge increase in user activity just before Valentine’s Day. For example, OKCupid reports that the Valentine’s Day week sees a five percent gain in the visitor numbers which is quite a significant rise in such a short period. Match.com has reported that their peak season lasts from December 26 to February 14 when there’s a jump of 38 percent!

And even Tinder – the least romantic dating app if you ask us – is on the rise just before the Valentine’s Day. February 11 this year saw the biggest daily usage ever for Tinder – up 6.4% from last month! More statistics on how US-based dating sites are doing just before Valentine’s Day can be found here.

But it’s not just US-based sites that are blooming. Small independent UK sites like MySingleFriend are also cashing in, as Sarah Beeny tells in a recent interview. Ms Beeny co-founded the dating site in 2004 and has seen the popularity of online dating soar in those ten years. She says there’s a definite spike in popularity in February. For example, last year the busiest day for MySingleFriend was February 9 when a whopping 51% increase in sign-ups took place.

Of course, it might have something to do with the fact that MSF recently introduced their very own dating app as well as a new seven-day subscription plan but that just shows that dating sites put much of their stock into the build up to Valentine’s Day. Even the BBC gives hints on how to find a date online on Valentine’s Day!

So… what if you missed it? Are you doomed now that you know you DIDN’T sign up on this vital day, that is apparently getting so popular that it’s defeating the previous most-popular-day-of-online-dating-on-January-5? Well, maybe not. With Valentine’s Day hitting high on online dating sites, it’s also pretty high up on every scammer’s calendar. In fact, the police are even sending out special warnings, like this. Why? Because as they say, “in the blissful wake of Valentine’s Day, people may become more susceptible to romance scams, letting their heart rule their head when online dating”.

About the Author

Aet Suvari has been reviewing and writing about the world of online dating since 2008 and the launch of Online Dating Help. A stickler for promoting ethical practices within the UK dating industry she champions the sites that get it right while highlighting those holding it back. You can follow her on Google+