I need help with my game plan...

That really all depends on the community your building. Making money on a community could be as simple as creating a free community that runs affiliated marketing campaigns for the community to click on.? Maybe privacy warrants cost? Maybe features warrant cost as to could community content limits? How much money do U think you should make?

Most of the successful BIG dating sites started out by buying out existing sites and then advertising like CRAZY. I'll tell you right now no one is going to pay to join a site that just started and has very few (or no) members.

The easiest way to make money is to have a free site, get TONS of members and then sell advertising to companies.

I got to agree with mscott. You are not going to have anything to offer to warrant a fee if there isn't something in demand inside the site you wish to charge for.

The internet is totally free so what do you got in there that will attract others? If you have no members how are you going to entice them to pay for nothing?

Only time I've seen this 1/2 work from the bat, and that was questionable is with an adult site, where a fee was involved for some premo video's and content.

A gal offering her picts/vids/cams for access pay x dollars. I might see others signing up for. I am not into the adult thing but this is all I can think of. It would definately be marketable if you played you cards right.

Otherwise for a plain old site with no members, no content no nothing...why would I go to your site, and pay... when I can go to myspace...facebook or other for free

I understand what you guys are saying I was prepared and expecting that. And ghost of course I want to make LOADS AND BUCKETS FULL of money! Don't we all?

I was thinking maybe I could inform members that the site may not always be free and to get in now! That way if I choose to charge in the future they'd be prepared. And maybe I won't give up all the sites features for free.

Mscott, you answered my main question, basically I was wondering how the big charge per member dating sites got started.

So I have a game plan now, I'll just focus on getting TONS of Members, (restrict some future features) hopefully make good money with advertising and then maybe a BIG GUY will buy me out someday. (or I'll get capital and saturate the market myself!)

Thanks again to all. Feel free to add any other ideas you may have. (I'm all ears or eyes in this case)

Hosting is very cheap now. Unless you are on a dedicated box or something. Most of the shared hosts are $5-$10 per month. You really can't beat that for at least trying some thoughts and ideas.

You aren't going to get rich over night, and despite what many think adding them goodle adsense ads on your pages aren't going to make you rich either.

It's a combination of trying your thoughts and ideas. What works for one, doesn't work for another. If one thing don't work then try another. Brainstorm, check out other sites.

Try to get some good google listings, and do some reading.

Don't give up, I don't know about everyone else but I am just saying it's not an easy game. You won't get super rich. But you might make a few dollars, and have fun doing it.

gameutopia