The taxi pulls alongside the sidewalk outside the meeting place. You hand the driver a note and part ways with a minimal exchange of words. Your palms are sweaty, your heartbeat fast; your fingers fumble with the door. Inside, the wait is arduous; minutes wade through a fog of anticipation.
What was their name? What color eyes do they have? Is this the right place? For us girls, dating can be daunting. It’s a rare step outside your comfort zone without assurance of success afterward, which can prevent some women from venturing onto the dating scene.
Alas, some imaginative young romantics, unsettled by the avoidable experience of trying to find ‘the one’ in the traditional way, have come up with some ingenious dating sites that can make dating fun. In this article, I wanted to show you the best dating sites for women.
How Can A Dating Site Improve Your Experience Of Dating?
Contents
I remember the feeling of an awkward date and the date that never turned up, and the sinking feeling I had. This was before dating sites were a thing and arranging meet-ups nothing more than a series of tentative texts and crossed fingers. Dating sites make the whole process of finding someone much simpler.
Most importantly there’s safety. Most dating sites prioritize this and encourage profile photos, and personal information about the individual. If you cannot relate to the person from their online information, then you do not have to waste any time with them.
Furthermore, some dating sites go a step further by incorporating interactive games or tests to match you to particular people. These are some of the many reasons I think you should give dating sites a go.
What Should You Look For In A Dating Site?
From my personal experience, a good dating site possesses three important qualities; safety, aesthetics, and interaction.
- Safety should never be overlooked; never agree to meet someone without finding out more about them! The biggest faux pas is taking a risk with people you’ve not seen or heard much about.
- Aesthetics of a dating site is crucial. It should look good and/or offer opportunity to make your profile stand out.
- Interaction is the predominant factor of a successful dating site. The best experiences for me have been on sites where I have been able to send messages, talk and interact with people that interest me, prior to meeting them face to face.
Now that I’ve narrowed down the characteristics of a good dating site, let’s take a look at five of the best dating sites for women.
Best Dating Sites For Women
Based on evidence of their success, safety regulations and reputation, I have chosen the following five sites to review;
- Plenty of Fish
- eHarmony
- Lulu
- OkCupid
- Zoosk
Plenty of Fish
Designed by Markus Frind, and founded in 2003, Plenty of Fish is a global dating site. It has a suggested 90 million users worldwide and it implies approximately 1 million relationships are made per annum. Maybe one of the 1 million relationships this year will be yours!
Things We Liked
- Modern: it was designed on the cusp of the digital age and has succeeded in remaining up to date, mobile friendly, and has a slick, finished feel about it.
- Creative Profiles: the site actively encourages creativity and opening up. I know, it might not be the nicest feeling in the world having to talk about yourself but trust me, the more information you share, the more likely that special someone will find you.
- Filtered Searches: you are able to find the type you’re in to at the click of a button. And with so many people registered on it, there’s quite literally, plenty of fish in the sea!
- Moderated: it is very clear if you click on the Plenty of Fish FAQs that the site is constantly checked by qualified moderators. Any suspicious activity, harassing behaviors or reported incidents are swiftly dealt with.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Too much choice: I know. For some people, having lots of potential soul mates floating around on a site is a benefit, but for me, as a choosy and particular lady, it’s confusing and a little overwhelming.
eHarmony
Headed by Grant Langston and based in Pasadena, California, signing up to search for your special someone is guaranteed to find you a match close to home. But how does it stand up to my scrutiny?
Things We Liked
- User Friendly: it is very easy to navigate, signup and start searching. There is no lengthy registering process and within minutes you can start browsing other singles.
- Simple: the way in which you search for likely matches is quick and really easy to grasp. It operates off a tick box scheme which saves time.
- American-made: (a little bit of flag-waving here!) As the maestro of the dating world, America knows how to date. Undoubtedly, the splash of good ol’ USA helps with searching for potential dates close to home.
- Unbiased: whatever your sexual preference, eHarmony proudly upholds equal rights for all. Whatever you’re in to, eHarmony makes it possible in a friendly and safe environment.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Color Scheme: it is not as bright or inviting as other sites and I do not feel drawn to it through aesthetic appeal.
Lulu
It calls itself the dating site for women and promises easy searching, push notifications, hassle-free dating, but can Lulu make a dent in the side of the big players?
Things We Liked
- Mobile-Friendly: Lulu went out of its way to be one of the first fully mobile friendly dating sites available almost exclusively for women. Yes, men can (and do) join too, but it operates in a particular way to make it easier for women to avoid the awkwardness of traditional dating, or avoid incompatible partners.
- Notifications: you can send/receive invites to dates. You can offer to host or ask for a date. And, at the click of a button you can accept, reject or postpone plausible dates. No fuss! No awkwardness. Just fluid, unhindered choice.
- Free to Join: unlike some dating sites who demand a monthly subscription payment, you do not have to fear your desire for love eating into your wallet with Lulu; it is 100% free to join and use.
- Worldwide: Lulu gives you the option to find potential partners close to home or further afield. Whether you’re a homebody or a care-free traveller, you can find potential matches wherever you are.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Monotonous: it was designed as a mobile app initially. The site feels like an afterthought; it’s clunky and awkward. It possesses the ‘swipe right/swipe left’ monotony of a platform that fails to connect people in meaningful ways.
OkCupid
Cherub was once the cause for falling in love, but now this site, armed with cutting edge mathematical genius and simplicity, threatens to put our old winged friend out of a job.
Things We Liked
- Safety First: it’s nice to have complete control of your information, right? With OkCupid, information won’t be shared or pushed unless you want it to be.
- Simplified: by perfecting easy-to-follow steps when registering and searching for your potential soul mate, OkCupid makes a swift pass for being quicker and more effective at matching than other, much larger platforms out there.
- Algorithm: once registering, the site will ask you to answer some basic questions that analyze your personality, preferences, interests and so on and filter through potential matches, narrowing it down to a select group that are best suited.
- The ‘Real’ You: we can all admit to enjoying the wonderment of a fabricated online existence. Whether we want to appear different than what we are, OkCupid celebrates you for you, and makes being honest less frightening.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Boring: it is bland and lacks color or attitude. Dating should be fun, exciting, vibrant. The site does not portray the element of anticipation.
Zoosk
With 40 million users and 3 million messages sent daily, can this new kid on the block make it to Number 1?
Things We Liked
- Personal Dating Advice: the site provides you with inclusive, well researched information how to date sensibly and safely, whilst not detracting from having fun.
- Downloadable: gone are the days of being glued to the computer. You can download the app onto your phone or tablet and search for matches wherever you go.
- Simplified Profile: Zoosk prioritizes important information such as height, eye color, preference, likes and dislikes. No more scrolling through an essay!
- Modern: this site got the modern aesthetic bang on. It’s not overly fussy, just simple, clean and bright.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Cost: you have to pay a monthly subscription. Love does not have to be expensive!
Conclusion
While lacking a little in the artistic department, eHarmony crosses the finish line in first place. Despite the minor issue of being a tad too simple in both color scheme and design, as a site, it is functional and very safe; being well regulated and maintained by properly trained staff.
Furthermore, I think it is undoubtedly a plus that the site operates from its US headquarters; run by people that know the area(s), know what works and what doesn’t.
But for me, what stuck out the most and made eHarmony sing to me (pun not intended), was just how simple it is to use. It literally takes 5 minutes to sign up, and a few more to have a fully functioning profile. Before you know it, you have hopefuls lining up for a chance to take you out! There it has made dating fun, easy and enjoyable.
With that in mind, get your favorite dress on, don your heels and get dating! eHarmony is the best dating site for women and promises many successful (and not awkward) dates.
Source link: hernorm.com