There are about 14,000 mushroom species. That’s a lot. And you know the saying “it’s growing like mushrooms after a rain”? Well, the same goes for dating sites. New dating platforms sprout every day. Literally.
Which is good; having a choice is great. Right? Well, yes. And no. The same as mushrooms. You probably don’t want to eat a mushroom without researching. It might kill you.
So why would you join a dating platform you know nothing about? And if you register for a random site, it might not be aligned with your dating goals.
And that’s something you don’t want. To keep the mushroom allegory alive. That would be like trying to pick mushrooms in a desert. Now, no more mushrooms. Only the list of things to consider before registering on any dating platform.
Define Your Dating Goals
It’s vital to look for the thing you want at the place where it might be. And to know where to find what you want, you must know what you want. Is it flirting, long-distance dating, or just hooking up?
Nowadays, online dating sites offer you a great variety of options. Knowing your dating goals will spare you time-wasting conversations or encounters and improve your online experience significantly. You want to be among those who share your values, interests, and desires.
And to do that, you need to…
Consider Your Demographics
Age, location, gender, and sexual orientation are vital in determining the best platform for your needs.
Men who’re into cougars can meet them on the site created specifically for hooking up with an older woman. Both men and women on the site know that, so there’s no pretending. Women there don’t play games. They want to meet younger men who can make them feel decades younger. And such men want to meet older women who can share decades of tips and tricks with them.
And when those two groups meet on the same platform, fun is guaranteed even though their demographics clash. Their desires are still aligned.
Site Interface and Features
Decades ago, people were happy when a dating platform allowed them to exchange messages. Camera phones didn’t exist back then. Phones were chained to walls like guardian dogs.
And nowadays, live video chat is a standard feature on every better dating site. If you stumble upon an outdated dating platform, avoid it.
And you probably want to be on a high-end dating platform with an intuitive interface and modern features. We can’t share tips on recognizing intuitive interfaces. You’ll know them when you see them. If you have to spend 30 seconds looking around the site to find something, you can expect the entire dating experience to be like that.
Also, don’t settle for outdated features. Insist on a site that lets you have live chat with other members.
And you’ll notice that all good dating sites have some matchmaking games. Those make the experience for users more exciting. And the algorithm gets more data on someone’s preferences, leading to more accurate suggestions.
User Base and Safety
Safety should always come first online. That’s why you should pick platforms with solid user verification processes. You can’t find any suspicious or fake profiles on good dating platforms because of their verification processes and moderators working on solving all reports.
Even dating platform owners know that creating a site with no verification process would be worthy of a spot on the list of the worst business ideas ever.
But safety is not everything.
If you join a site with 30 members, you’ll probably be the only one online every time you log in. All your messages would stay unread forever because no one returns to dating sites that feel like graveyards of old profiles.
So watch for safety features, but consider the user base size combined with demographics and dating preferences.
That’s almost the full recipe for a great online dating experience. There’s only one ingredient missing.
Free and Paid Options
The last ingredient is determining if you want to join a free or paid platform. Both have advantages, but if you choose free sites, you might understand why people say that “everything good is worth paying for.”
While free platforms may be handy for checking out the area, they might lack some features.
Paid options keep their communities clean and healthy by putting a price tag on membership. That means people who join have serious intentions. The perceived value of the site is higher compared to free platforms. That usually means that members are more active compared to free platforms.
All that shapes how someone feels during their online dating journey and how long it takes them to get the results. That’s why it pays off to be honest with yourself before joining any dating app or site.