Types of Dating Service
The definitions are a little blurry,
but overall online dating services fall into three main types:
matchmaking sites, events sites and personals sites. Inevitably,
there is SOME overlap between these types, and many hybrid
sites also exist. Which one should you choose? Well, that depends
on what you want from your service.
Matchmaking Sites
Matchmakers rely on getting a very detailed profile from you,
then comparing it to the other profiles in their database and
reporting back to you with the results. At most matchmaking
sites, you will never get to see the profiles of anyone who
does not match your specified criteria - there is no general
search function. However, most of them will allow you to modify
your profile at any time - which will change the number and
quality of the search results you get. The biggest advantage
of matchmaking sites is the time saved. Because you only see
your matches, you don't have to spend hours looking for the
right few profiles.
Events Sites
While events sites often have personals browsing as well, their
distinguishing feature is that they emphasize various events
- mixers, dinners, movie nights, holidays, sporting events
- which they organize and encourage people who are members
of their service to attend. The idea is that you go along,
meet someone there, and then look up their profile if you're
interested in them. Events sites tend to be free to register
with, and charge only for attending the events - and sometimes
not even then. They are the least common type of dating site,
although some other sites are starting to expand into this
area.
Personals Sites
Personals sites will often have less detailed profiles than
matchmakers. This is because a personals site relies on you
browsing through the profiles and doing the work of searching
for your match yourself. On a personals site, the profile searching
tools are usually quite versatile, allowing you to search in
great detail for the person
you want
to find. The biggest advantage of Personals sites is that they
allow you to have lot more say in who you look for, and make
it much easier for you to change your mind about what you're
looking for in a date.
Types
of Dating Service
