Ashley Madison (named for two top girls' names when the site was being created) earns well over $60 million a year, suggests online dating industry analyst Mark Brooks.Biderman says that estimate is "on target," but he's expecting greater revenue this year. "I think I'm seeing $100 million a year right in front of us," he says. The company has 120 employees in Toronto and one each in Milan, Madrid, Berlin, Dublin, Sao Paolo and Mexico City.Biderman is not worried about other startups #150; which he calls "impostors" #150; encroaching on his market; his "true competitors" are Facebook and the workplace, he says.He got the idea for his site as a sports attorney, helping former NBA athletes find other countries in which to extend their careers. "It felt to me 99% of my clients were unfaithful. I spent half my time dealing with domestic issues."An article he read about dating websites made him realize "there was a whole other marketplace" waiting to be tapped: "People in relationships who want something on the side.""Maybe I had to be a sports agent living in the world of unfaithfulness" to make the connection, he adds.Amanda Biderman, who used to work in marketing and does some consulting, says their research found that single women looking for love were often victims of married men using singles dating sites to cheat on their wives."It was a market gap and an issue that needed to be addressed. That's how I see it," she says. "I try to focus more on that it's a business. ... giving people what they need."In a way, the business has only helped me in learning how to be a happy couple. It's easy to say you don't feel like having sex or you're tired or whatever. I make a real effort. If Noel wants be intimate, I can change my mindset instead of just saying 'tomorrow.' "The experts don't agree
Brooks, of Sliema, on the island of Malta, is quick to disclose that he has been a paid consultant for many online dating services, including those he calls "philanderer sites.""The philandering sites are specific to people who are wanting to be discreet," he says."As much as I abhor these sites, they do actually do something good for the industry. People can be who they are on the philanderer sites," he says, rather than have married people claiming to be single, which happens on singles dating sites, he says.Other adult dating sites may suggest they're "discreet," but Brooks says he draws the line between the cheating sites like Ashley Madison and others by the photos. Adult dating sites such as Lonely Cheating Wives, Affairs Club, Married and Lonely People, Married Date Link and Discreet Adventures, among others, are "risqué photographs, anything goes, sexual preferences disclosed."Biderman says it took five years to get the first 1 million anonymous members, but the total who have ever registered and created a free profile is 12.6 million. Currently, just over 2.3 million are registered and considered active by logging in or taking an action within the past 30 days (97% who log in take an action, he says). Members pay to communicate, $49 for 100 credits. Credits are used to send an e-mail, to chat in real time, or to send a virtual "gift," such as a rose, necklace or Champagne bottle. Biderman says.About 70% of registered members are men, but Biderman says that in certain cities, the percentage of women is higher, such as Rio de Janeiro (44%) and Houston (37%).Biderman says all communication on his site is encrypted, but he can't protect people who are sloppy with their devices.Divorce attorney Kathryn Dickerson of Tysons Corner, Va., says websites can erase and delete all they want, but "they have no control over the cheating spouse's computer.""It's gotten so much harder to keep things secret," Dickerson says, noting people who suspect a spouse of cheating can install devices that capture keystrokes, do screen grabs and keep a record without the user knowing.Data from the online market research firm ComScore show that AshleyMadison.com had 557,000 unique visitors in December 2011, up from 487,000 in December 2010. But for most of 2011, ComScore shows its monthly unique visitors at 700,000 to 800,000. Biderman says those numbers are "greatly underreported" and his unique visitor count captured by Google Analytics for December was 8.6 million. He also says December traffic is lower because of family holiday obligations.Brooks says he's surprised that in 10 years, Biderman's site hasn't had a lot of direct competition. Part of it, he says, is that "people don't like to start that kind of business."
But Gleeden is ready to take that on.Ashley Madison's image is "too sexy," Truchot says in a thick French accent."We are European, and we're trying to be more classy."