Mark Brooks, a social media and Internet dating consultant, has seen companies recently introduce new features like virtual goods or mobile dating services. As the online dating space becomes more saturated, finding extra revenue is more important.

``It's more difficult to get started, it's more difficult to make money in this market,'' Brooks said. ``Virtual gifts are definely in right now.''

One website Brooks works with is PlentyofFish.com, a free dating service headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It introduced virtual gifts in January.

PRICE TEST

Last year the site ran a test to see if users would pay $10 for one gift. At that price, the users weren't biting. So the cost was lowered, but the staff discovered that as a gift's adorability factor increased, so could the price.

``The cuter they are, the more receptive they are,'' Kate Bilenki, ``director of love'' at PlentyofFish.com. ``Teddy bears, hearts, bunnies, cute things like that.''

Avid Life Media, based in Toronto, got the virtual gift ball rolling in the dating scene back in 2002 by selling virtual flowers on HotorNot.com, with flowers now costing between $2 and $10 apiece.

At one of its niche sites like AshleyMadison.com -- for married folks looking to have an affair -- users can send a virtual bottle of champagne or hotel room key.

``The growth rate is phenomenal,'' said Noel Biderman, president of Avid Life Media. ``If it has the right impact, people will pay to replace words.''

AshleyMadison.com, which has 5.2 million members after launching eight years ago, has seen spending on virtual gifts jump from 2.4 percent to 4.1 percent of total user revenue in the past year, Biderman said.

This kind of success is persuading other sites to give it a spin. Headquartered in Davie, First Beat Media oversees more than 100 online dating sites -- many targeting specific niche interests, like BikerPlanet.com, GothScene.com, LatinaRomance.com and TattooLovers.com. It's testing virtual gifts with a small group of its members.

But seeing a ton of icons of roses and chocolates from other suitors on your page might turn people away from contacting you -- doing more harm than good, said Stephen Ventura, director of operations.

``Our particular take on it is that we're approaching it very cautiously,'' Ventura said. ``We feel it might detour some folk from the relationship-finding process.''