Knowing the Digital Consumer is a Differentiating Element for Wedeterna.in

In a candid conversation with Mr. Saneesh Sukumaram, Founder and CEO of wedeterna.in SMEStreet found some interesting trends and opportunities of online matchmaking or matrimonial segment.

Edited excerpts:

1. How is wedetern.in different from the other existing players in the market? How wedeterna.in is changing the concept of arrange marriages?

Most matrimonial sites, however still cater to the older generation, the parents to whom statistics, height, weight, caste, etc and such are important. Majority of the profiles created in the leading matrimonial sites are also by Parents or Siblings. Hence the user profile will always be just statics and there is little or no communication between potential partners. The minority of self-created profiles on these traditional platforms is considered as cheap, especially if its a female profile it attracts the wrong kind of crowds. That’s where Wedeterna changes the game quite radically. with a new age platform for self-created profiles. Wedeterna is a new-age, personalised and fresh approach to arranged marriages.  A platform for ONLY Self Created profiles. Unlike other matrimonial sites that cater to parents of prospective brides and grooms, Wedeterna is meant for those who want to give traditional arranged marriages a shot without leaving it entirely to family and relatives. We’ve created innovative profile features that bring out personality and character traits. Not just vital statistics. These profiles are self-created, which means you get to speak your mind and share your thoughts on everything from life to movies and scan through profiles of other likeminded singles. Making it easier for people to interact, share and connect. Also unlike traditional matrimonial sites, once you become paid member you get access to other users phone number or address details, this doesn't happen in Wedeterna. The information sharing is fully under your control and we have certain fields hidden to the public to discourage stalking.

2. Why you came up with a matrimony platform instead of a dating platform?What made you come up with the idea of DIY philosophy?

The use case of a matrimony platform is very different from a dating one. Dating audience consist of casual audiences, most likely not with an immediate goal of getting married. When it comes to matrimony platform the users focuses on finding their better half. Wedeterna is looking to change the way the potential bride or the grooms are discovered or found online, hence the matrimonial platform. DIY approach is taking things into one's own hands, you know yourself better so better chances of finding a better match.

5. In the next 3 years where you see your company?

Apart from matchmaking Wedeterna with its unique user base is looking to be a one-stop solution for wedding needs, to almost 360 degrees. Aiming to be the market leader in its niche market, from anything to gifting, designer clothing.

7. How does your website work?
   • Steps to follow:-
   • Step I - Register for Free
   • Step II - Fill in the details
   • Step III - Search for potential partners
   • Step IV - Connect
   • A user first registers on the website, fill in your details like bio, your expectations of the partner etc. There is extended bio and a list of serious question which is an option to answers, these files are hidden from public view, only users who interact with this user gets to view whats in the field, this way we can keep the stalkers away. The same goes for photos, users gets to see two photos, to see more they have to interact with this user. Now If I upgrade the membership to premium, I can request other users contact details, I can send my contact details to other users, I can send messages to other users. When someone received a contact request, he or she can decide if to share the info, he or she can decide to share her info or her parent's info, all the information control in your hands.

8. What is your target audience? Is it just for the youths or this platform is also for people above 40 years?

At the moment we are focusing on 21 to 35 age group for TA but we are open to older age groups. In fact, we are already seeing older age group registering on our site. We plan to have a segmentation of users in future so its easier for users to search and discover.

9. How many people you have on your team and where is your office located?

Total team size is 6, out of which 4 members are based out of Kochi, Kerala and 2 members are working remotely.

10. Do you also have a helpline team to assist the users who are logged in to your profile?

As we are a fully online company, we support the users using our email and social media channels. We also occasionally make a call to users when it is required.

11. Who would you say is one of the biggest contributors to making in?

I would say there is not one person but the initial teams in general, the people we worked with for getting the MVP out, the users we spoke to, the focus groups we had etc. This whole processes gave way to get the product into a good shape.

12. What decides the amount of investment you raised?

We raised funds to upgrade our technology and for user acquisition. We also have a roadmap ahead to roll out few new products.

13. Do you have any plans for external funding?

We plan to go for fund raising next year.

14. Please highlight the next one year's expansion plan.

We plan to open eStore with wedding-related contemporary products. Next, we are having an online gifting shop. We also plan to have iPhone and Android app next quarter.