I've seen many Elite Singles advertisements. This is another site I've never used. Time to check it out!
Who uses Elite Singles? According to their site:
"...the majority of our members are educated, relatively affluent, and between the ages of 30 and 55. That said, Canadian singles of all ages can (and do!) find love on our site as, above anything, we are designed for singles seeking lasting commitment."
After reading this, I think they are making too many assumptions. I think it's more than likely inaccurate that the majority of their members are affluent and educated. Besides, how do they define educated? This could mean very different things depending on who you ask; completed high school, bachelors degree, tradesperson, masters degree? At the very least, I have a hard time believing it. Makes you wonder what members choose within the various categories and what they are seeking in a perfect match.
Also, for those not looking for a lasting commitment, maybe this site is not for you! Personally I would eventually like to have an exclusive and long lasting relationship, hopefully my forever and last relationship. For now, I'll set-up a profile and check out the site.
It's easy enough to start. The site guides you step-by-step. Once your basic information is entered, the questions start appearing. This is their in-depth personality test which helps them to determine what you're looking for in a partner. There are a lot of questions, tons of questions. The format on this site is very different. When answering the questions it's more like a rating scale in terms of how important the particular category, quality or element is to you. The range starts at "Not at all Important" and there are 3 other options before arriving at the last rating of "Very Important." I like that they touch on all aspects like languages, distance, education level, income....many of these can be used when doing advanced searches on other sites, but here you can rate the importance of each so they can find you appropriate matches. Other questions can be answered with yes, no or maybe like for example whether you want to have children with your partner.
Overall, the questions seemed very thorough and I like being able to identify the importance of each category and what I expect from a partner.
As you are responding to the questions, matches, visitors to your profile and messages begin to appear across the top of the screen. You are able to see your matches with their pictures blurred, but of course if you want to read any messages or interact with other members, you have to subscribe. There are 3 levels of membership. Light, comfort and classic. Rates start at $29.95 per month and go as high as $99.95 for a one month membership.
The site is user friendly and easy to navigate. I really like how detailed the profiles are in terms of what's most important to you, but perhaps there's a bit too much information. Some profiles seem endless with lists of a member's strengths. Haven't they heard of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?" Gives the appearance that you're rambling on about how awesome you are. I think 3 adjectives is usually sufficient, keep it simple and humble. Personally a bit of mystery and intrigue is important. Besides, you need to have something to talk about when you meet and some of the qualities may be less important than you think when you get to know someone. It's too easy to rate things and after what seems like hundreds of questions, are we really being truly honest or simply trying to get to the end of the questionnaire by choosing somewhat important for all questions?
At the end of the day, I refuse to pay to find love. I have yet to find a site that convinces me that becoming a paid member will guarantee or at the very least increase my chances of finding the one.
Update: I left this profile up for a bit and I was shocked at how many emails I received. My inbox was full in no time. Way, way too many emails. Some were to let me know someone was requesting a picture, my profile had been viewed, another member has uploaded a picture, proposals, subscribe now and save, etc. the list goes on and on. I'm ok with getting a weekly email with matches, but this constant barrage of emails was overwhelming. I deleted the profile, this site is most definitely not for me. It's the equivalent of a high pressure sales experience only it's via email! Anything to try to convince you to sign up. Makes me wonder how many matches I'd actually get if I was a paid member as it seemed too artificial and staged.
Good luck!
Dateless in Ottawa
No comments:
Post a Comment