Prior to the creation of FriendFinder, Conru launched WebPersonals.com in 1983, which he then sold after the concept of cyber dating took off. Conru said that the original site’s success was the impetus behind the development of the vast FriendFinder network.
The online personals offerings on FriendFinder span the gamut from those interested in sexual encounters to a romantic date to a lifetime partner. The company developed numerous spinoffs to accommodate its growing and diverse membership base, including Passion.com for romantic trysts. AdultFriendFinder.com, its most popular site, caters to people who crave intimate relationships, but not necessarily romance.
Other FriendFinder personals sites were created to cater to groups with special interests. The company developed niche-oriented sites that target different age groups, religions and ethnicities.
“On some of our sites, more than 40 percent of all those who have registered remain on our active file,” said Conru, CEO of Various Inc., parent company FriendFinder. “Members stay active because they have built strong relationship with fellow members and because they enjoy the community and social networking features offered by the sites, such as blogs, interest groups, chatrooms, advice lines and the like.”
As different media technologies emerged, FriendFinder kept pace. Blogs and theme-driven chatrooms provide members additional avenues to find a mate.
“The future for FriendFinder and its network of sites has never been brighter,” Conru said. “We are rapidly moving into the mobile phone arena, upgrading payment systems to make it easier for people to purchase our premium products directly through their mobile phone carriers, and we are launching more sites that meet the needs of specific groups. We live in an era where people are very comfortable using advanced technology to become familiar with a potential partner before their first meeting, and it sure beats most blind dates or bar room hook-ups.”
