Name of your website?
Canada Gay Dating
Your name?
Kenny Bittner
Your Location (city, etc)
Toronto
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Canada Gay Dating and an online dating community for men living in Canada and the U.S. I am also expanding our coverage area to include Europe and Australia. I am also building a resource directory to serve the needs of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered communities.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I got frustrated with many of the sites that are supposed to be "serving" the gay community. It seems most webmasters think throwing up some naked pictures is all we are interested in. I believe it is important to provide resources for subjects such as health, gay marriage, community services and outreach programs as well as local night spots to help people find places to socialize.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
My first website, Aussie Dating (http://aussiedating.tripod.com), was launched back in 1998. It is still online and enjoys a modest amount of visitors.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I chose Canada Gay Dating because I felt it would be a good name to try and reach gay men in Canada, and because I thought it would do well in search engines.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
For one thing, it is not a porn site, nor does it try to be. Yes, it is promoting a dating service, but it also provides information that benefits the gay community, both the dating and non-dating sectors.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I plan on keeping this site and expanding the directory. I would really like it to eventually be the site gay men go to when they are looking for a service or outreach program.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
LOL, well at best I'm making pennies an hour for now! If I was doing this for money, I would have quit along time ago. I grew up in a very rural area and had no idea where to turn for help and information. I think that's why it is really important for me to make this website chock full of information and resources.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
The first thing I would do is hire a programmer! I'm sort of learning as I go. I would also like to be able to promote it more, but I think the more resources that I add, the more visitors I will get.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes, I think I would. I really enjoy working on it and the positive emails I receive from my visitors.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Advertising costs were more than I anticipated. Any money that I make will be put back into the website for advertising, sponsorships and adding more interactive features.
What has been your biggest challenge?
I think getting the word out that the site exists is the biggest challenge.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
I have found exchanging links with other webmasters has been the most affective way to promote the site. It's a win win situation for both parties.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Aside from the advertising costs, I think things are going pretty much as I expected. The positive emails I receive from visitors has been a pleasant surprise.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I started it during the summer of 2008. I had been toying with the idea of doing it for some time, and finally got it going. I will probably keep this site online for as long as I'm alive! Like I said before, it is a passion of mine, and I'm not the kind of person that gives up.
Why do you think there is still a lot of prejudice against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities?
I know I'm not the first to say it, but I believe that people tend to fear or be uncomfortable about individuals they perceive to be "different" in some way. Through education we can change this. People are much lest likely to strike out against people when they know more about them.
What is your website address?
Canada Gay Dating
