The popularity of dating sites in the US has led to the rapid growth of a related niche market - estimated to be worth $400 million (€ 311 million) - of ancillary web services for online date-seekers.
Need your all-important item, the dating site personal profile, polished up? Profile Doctor (www.profiledoctor.com) puts a team of writers at your service so that you don't foolishly turn yourself into yet another guy who likes sports, cinema and the occasional romantic dinner.
Only have an unflattering old holiday snap on your profile? LookBetterOnline.com will send you a professional photographer and date stamp your new portrait to reassure potential partners that this wasn't you in 1994, when you still had hair.
Wondering about the bona fides of the divorced guy with large income? Verified Person (www.verifiedperson.com) and Entersect (www.entersect.net) investigate identities to let you know he's actually a married felon with a huge unpaid tax bill.
And if the 844 dating sites in the US alone make your head whirl, Banjodating.com and Date Seeker (www.dateseeker.net) allow you to compare and contrast the various services and read user reviews before handing over your cash.
