Hey girl hey!
This is a story about a lady who was wanting to dip her toe into the online dating pool….and over the years, jumped right in. That lady is me. Over the years, I’ve tried some of the major online dating service providers at least once. For those who are like me – curious about the service and what the experience was like – I created a little chart below with my honest thoughts on each. For quick reference, I tried to liken each site to a local restaurant.
All of this is just one person’s opinion. With that in mind, keep or trash.
| Site | Comments |
| eHarmony | I enjoy eHarmony bc of its filter system and the quality of the site. I really appreciate the work the programmers and UX designers have put in to making it robust – from the questionnaire, to the personality questions, to the way they try to hold your hand throughout the dating experience. Which is funny and kinda annoying at the same time. Honestly, think they’re a premier provider of online dating service. Knowing that it was founded by a Xian person does pique my interest in it and I can see how much they prioritize similar faith backgrounds and denominations. They also are conservative and make an effort to serve you with their suggestions of how you can advance a new friend or match to the next stage of communication; but in general, they did a thorough job of helping you find people that align with what you want and who you are. With that said, I’ve met a few cool guys, Con – it seems hard to cross the fence and just start a conversation; it’s the middle man syndrome that’s crippling. Restaurant equivalent – Capital Grille Restaurant |
| Match | Pretty great appeal. What I like is, Match gives you the feeling that you’re a part of cool social club of singles who are just like you. The way they do this, I think, is in the appearance of their site, the addition of mixer events, recreation events (wine tasting, cooking) and then actual vacation events. To me, they stand out in catering to the traditional online dating desire, but also the need to just get out and socialize in real time which is beautiful. Their personality assessment is not as extensive as eHarmony, but their profile requirements and their filter system make it easier to see matches closer to what you want. Much easier to communicate once you pay than eharmony because they’re not trying to hold your hand. If someone is interested, they’ll email you etc etc. Restaurant: Local Steakhouse or Chillis |
| Christian Mingle | Lacking in appearance but they have redesigned. Great profile guidance. their algorithm and matches were off lots of times. [will have to try again to test out] I do recall going on a really good date with a guy from there. The fish bite on here. Restaurant: Chick Fil-A or some Xian inspirational event |
| Christian Café | Lacking in appearance but they have redesigned. Great profile guidance especially if you’re serious about your faith. After paying, very easy to communicate. No app though. Quality guys on here. Just not in my area. Restaurant: That Megachurches Restaurant or Coffee shop that no one knows about |
| Ok Cupid | Good appearance. Great profile guidance and filter system. Funny thought – I’ve thought several times some of their questions are just too much, too revealing. And of course, you don’t have to answer the guided questions nor see others’ answers. But nonetheless, I appreciate their matching algorithm — particularly that there’s a %age that lets you know how closely you match as a quick reference. You of course determine how high or low you’re willing to entertain. Also, the fish are biting in these waters. Restaurant: Restaurant w Lounge, Live Music and Themed events |
| Zoosk | OK appearance. I don’t recall their profile guidance being great or filter system. They have a sort of gamified system for their site where the more you like the more “coins” you accrue and then you use those coins to allow you to talk to your matches. In general, I didn’t enjoy their app. Restaurant: Local sportsbar |
| Shalle we | Nifty appeal. Never really engaged. (I think the free version was super restrictive and didn’t incentivize becoming a member enough for me.) |
| Tinder | Basic appearance. Don’t need any profile words, I believe. Just a pic, location, and I think your age, which it’s all importing from your Facebook account. With that said, it’s swipe right or left. No algorithm. Just – you interested or not. And then they’ll match you if the other person “liked” your profile. Pretty easy to chat it up, which actually makes it somewhat refreshing, bc Tinder fades in the background once you reach a connection. The forewarning though is Tinder is known to be a hook up app. That wasn’t the case for me but that’s the word on the street. Restaurant: Lounge |
| Bumble | Nifty appearance. Much like Tinder – swiping right or left – but the twist is the app places all the burden of expressed interest on the females. So, background story, bc many women have complained about overkill from guys, the app requires ladies who match with a guy (mutual likes of each others profiles) to have to contact him within 24 hours and if not, you lose the match. Super easy to use, not much setup time. Restaurant: Grille 401 or YOLO’s |
| CMB | Nifty appearance. Has profile requirements. Contrasting Tinder and BB, every day you get recommended a guy (or a match) and you have 24 hours to decide if you like him or not. If he likes you, you’ll hear back. Once connected, then you’re encouraged to connect etc. Pretty cool app. Restaurant: Starbucks |
| Hinge | Swipe right and left. Matches are completely based on your Facebook profile information. What’s cool about this app is the idea is you’re probably compatible with someone in your circle or networks but just don’t know it. Hinge serves up potential matches and lets you know the degrees of separation i.e. the mutual friends etc. BTW Tinder identifies mutual friends as well. |
At this point, there’s a large selection of online dating sites or apps for anyone to try out. Badoo. Bae. Black People Meet. Crosspaths. Elite Singles. Just google top online dating sites or apps and see what’s been released lately,
Part of the reality is you gotta remember that dating effectively requires mental, emotional, and physical energy. If you approach online dating like a video game or some kind of pie-in-the-sky wishful venture, you’ll probably dislike the fact that you have to put yourself out there to meet people. Take luck and good care.
What has your online dating experience been like? Comment below and let us in on what sites or apps you enjoyed or prefer. 🙂
March 7, 2017
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