CONNECT is a checklist of features to look for when determining if an online dating site is right for you. CONNECT stands for Compatibility, Options, Numbers, Navigation, Expense, Community and Technology. Some sites rate higher in some categories than others, but knowing what features are important to you, and how sites rate go a long way to help you make an informed choice.
COMPATIBILITY
The heart of the dating site is the information that it collects. A site's database collects information from you, and from that creates a profile which tells other daters about whoyou are. This is how members determine compatibility of a potential match. Even the most simple site will include location, age, marital status, physical description and sometimes type of work and educational background. Like its predecessor, the personals ad, many sites ask its members to write an ad or profile describing themselves. This allows daters to provide a glimpse into their personality.
You will need to determine how much information you wish to see about another person, and conversely how much information you want to disclose about yourself. These recommendations are name brands, having been in the business since the late 90's.
For the Casual Dater
The Y Generation has taken to online dating as a natural extension of the use for internet. Exploring their independence, they want to meet as many people as they can. Many dating sites don't require a lot of information in order to generate a profile, which makes it a great option for this type of dater. If you are in the market to just meet people, you are likely only interested in the same criteria that exists in the bar scene. An advantage over the bar scene is that if you spot a hottie, you have his/her number (profile name).
The following sites sport the basics for casual daters, and their search engines and large memberships provide lots of variety and inter-action for the casual dater. If you are looking for a relationship you can still frequent these types of sites, but the onus is on you to collect more information through email contact.
Lavalife is a Canadian success story which scores high in many of our CONNECT categories. It collects the bare minimum data about daters including and is the only site which segments members into distinct sections: dating, relationships and intimate. Its strength is the volume of daters and a good Instant Messenging (IM) feature. Most members on this site will IM each other before email.
American SinglesA well established company, MatchNet segments sites by geographic location, with MatchNet sites in Europe, American Singles in the US, Date.ca in Canada.
For Experienced Daters
Older, more experienced daters are more selective about who they meet, and if the goal is a committed relationship or marriage, more information up front helps in the selection process.
To serve this audience some sites have invested the time and technology to understand what singles are looking for in desirable mates, beyond physical attributes and economic standing. While answering dozens of questions when you register for some sites can seem tedious, it does provide help build a better representation of who you are, and in return you get a much better idea of who potential matches are.
eHarmony--The most extensive questionnaire belongs to eHarmony, a site which claims to have developed a scientifically proven way to improve compatibility matches. Dr. Neil Clark Warren, eHarmony's founder developed 29 dimensions that create compatibility and play a key role in the most successful relationships. Falling in love with a more compatible mate results in longer happier marriages. This site has been featured on Oprah and Joe Average, Adam Returns.
Match.com--Match has layers of matching for its members. Like other site, it collects general information from the user and a profile is segmented into separate pages: Basic, Appearance, Interests, Lifestyle, Background/Values, About my Date. The site offers one way matching for the casual dater, and their Total Attraction Dating allows more serious daters to take additional Ph.D designed tests on personality and physical attraction. This information is then becomes part of the search criteria, seeking out compatible mates for its members.
A Word About Niches
Compatility also means that you are meeting others like you. Critical mass on the internet now means that other sites have attracted large numbers of members in more categories
Community Connect has 15 million members worldwide, offering a great online community for three ethnic groups:
Black Planet
MiGente
Asian Avenue
MatchNet, in addition to its geographic based sites, also offers
Silver Singles for the older dater
CollegeLuv specifically for the collegiate crowd
JCate.com for jewish singles
Glimpse for the gay and lesbian community.
The more discerning you are in your dating, the more attention you will need to pay to what an online site offers you in this category.
LINKS TO OTHER MENTIONED SITES:
American Singles
Date.ca
eHarmony
Match.com
Lavalife
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