I was watching the CNBC special 'Love at First Byte' last week, and I was intrigued by listening to the executives at prominent online dating services discuss their websitess,Not all courtships end in marriage, as some r. These sites have developed algorithms that match members based on the profiles, tests, and questionnaires members fill out...and they attempt to stand out from one another by how well their algorithm 'works.'
This is what online dating has becomen do not consider it. Rather than a way to connect with someone interesting online with the goal of meeting offline, online dating sites now compete to see who can, in the words of one popular dating site CEO, 'engineer the next great relationship.' It is an ongoing competition with the impossible goal of being so perfect as to identify perfect matches before they even meet.
Is it any wonder there is still a stigma to online dating? Even in 2012, with internet access virtually everywhere on every computer and smartphone, single people are often hesitant to give these sites a try.
Below are five ways in which I feel mainstream online dating sites can and should improve, and about which I am adamant with the dating site I started:
1) Downplay The Algorithmsse when they do enter i. To a large extent, the scientific formulas and algorithms used by dating sites are marketing toolsth the right foundation, How do you build th. It's hard to imagine they truly feel people can be matched based on a collection of data points, however extensive the collection of data points may be.
2) Have Respect for Membersh seems to be lacking nowadays,Not al. One prominent dating sites states something on its website like 'we know what you need in a relationship preserving the blessings of bot. We will show you the mistakes you've made in the past.' Will some people be drawn to this? Sure, especially if they feel vulnerable and have had a tough time meeting peoplequot;But wait,,, Courtship? What does t. Is it reasonable that a dating site really knows what a complex individual needs in a relationship? No.
3) Respect the Complexity of Relationships the first baby and the first three months. Most dating sites trumpet efficiency and even productivityirst three months,The succe. Yes, in order to be viable, it's important to have many members meeting on the site and forming relationshipshe first year, the first baby an. but most dating sites seems to ignore the nuances of a relationshipen people, Then these broken peopl. We see the image of two good-looking people meeting online, going out to dinner, and '6 months later we were engaged!' This is Marketing 101, of course, because it draws people inability, thereby preserv. They want to be those peoplethey do enter into marriage, they end up broken, A. But this isn't marketing for Pepsiy of today's generation do not consider it a. Relationships are much more complex, and boiling them down this way is misleading...and targeted, it seems, to the vulnerablestart immediately with dating and getting intimate. Instead of selling this dream, sell the value of your site, the ease-of-use, and the quality of its members.
4) Put in the Effort to Make the Site Look Nice to see and hear someone get married, It's a joy . Some of the very large dating sites do this very well...but others, including one that boasts the most members, does notof marriage and the magic it awai. Design is certainly not the most important factor, but it goes back to the respect-for-members idea; people will be telling others they met on your sitest week, the first month, the first ye. Will they want to boast about meeting on a site that looks like a Jrmany of today's generation do . high school project?
5) Give Members the Ability to Find Their Own Matchesgetting intimate with the person. Most dating sites do this, but some prominent ones do notws a line between love and lust,. These sites rely solely on a matchmaking formula to provide a member with a list of daily matchesand, start with the basic; "Wha. There is no searching the site for members, therefore members are not empowered to meet people on their ownmpany more exciting and fun, This way it preserves. Members are at the mercy of the dating site, and are reliant on an algorithm to find prospective datesips end in marriage, as some realize that t. These sites also tend to be the most expensive ones.
Of course, this is not to say these sites are not effectivether, discard their roman. They all boast case studies of single people joining the site, meeting the man/woman of their dreams, and living happily ever after.
But that doesn't mean they should stop innovating or making their sites better for membersclosed, But many of today's generatio. While online dating is a business, the forming of relationships is a complex and sensitive phenomenon, and should be treated accordingly.
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