Comments on: Incestuous Search With Spark’s Facelink http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/ Online Dating Industry Consulting & Commentary Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:05:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: SPark_killa http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-235883 SPark_killa Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:45:53 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-235883 facelink is a complete FAILURE, when it comes to user experience, why not have the user go to a page that gives a special facelink offer or something instead of going right to the jdate reg page, its confusing, and deceptive, why not give the user the option to email that person ONCE or send them a prewritten note, there is NOTHING that compels me to sign up with ANY of these sites, no urgency, no compelling offer, nothing, after all of these years being in the online dating biz they come up with this? SPARK is a perfect example of when you let programmers, promoting people with no experience in marketing, project management, product management, and all around hacks dictate what you can accomplish, all of the innovators in that company who had great ideas for them have moved on to BIG things, and this is PROOF that without JDate (the two founders left years ago) SPARK would fail,, what makes things worse is i know they are convinced they are being innovative, they still have not touched mobile, sms or anything of that nature in any signifigance. its like they are stuck in 1998 just with flatter monitor screens. this company has its own head up its arse about how things are done, they actually think that Jdate (their first site) will carry them forever, they are LOSING members to countless free dating sites and pay sites that do things WAY better, THIS is the reason their beloved stocks are in the shite can, a refusal to be better, just recycling of what has not worked (ie lycos) as a marketer im insulted, as a user of online dating sites im revolted Wow EPIC FAILURE. facelink is a complete FAILURE, when it comes to user experience, why not have the user go to a page that gives a special facelink offer or something instead of going right to the jdate reg page, its confusing, and deceptive, why not give the user the option to email that person ONCE or send them a prewritten note, there is NOTHING that compels me to sign up with ANY of these sites, no urgency, no compelling offer, nothing, after all of these years being in the online dating biz they come up with this?

SPARK is a perfect example of when you let programmers, promoting people with no experience in marketing, project management, product management, and all around hacks dictate what you can accomplish, all of the innovators in that company who had great ideas for them have moved on to BIG things, and this is PROOF that without JDate (the two founders left years ago) SPARK would fail,,

what makes things worse is i know they are convinced they are being innovative, they still have not touched mobile, sms or anything of that nature in any signifigance.

its like they are stuck in 1998 just with flatter monitor screens. this company has its own head up its arse about how things are done, they actually think that Jdate (their first site) will carry them forever, they are LOSING members to countless free dating sites and pay sites that do things WAY better, THIS is the reason their beloved stocks are in the shite can, a refusal to be better, just recycling of what has not worked (ie lycos)

as a marketer im insulted, as a user of online dating sites im revolted

Wow EPIC FAILURE.

]]> By: Grab Her Attention Online http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-234646 Grab Her Attention Online Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:45:45 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-234646 [...] Incestuous Search With Spark’s Facelink | Online Dating Insider - Spark Networks has launched Facelink, a meta-search engine which returns online dating profile results from across all Spark properties. Facelink reminds me of. [...] [...] Incestuous Search With Spark’s Facelink | Online Dating Insider – Spark Networks has launched Facelink, a meta-search engine which returns online dating profile results from across all Spark properties. Facelink reminds me of. [...]

]]> By: Edward http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-226698 Edward Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:01:12 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-226698 When I ditched OtherSingles, I had over 112k active members. How does AS survive on 34k? AS was the second site I joined back in the late 90's. I joined flirt previous to AS in the mid 90's. As of this writing, flirt boasts 20 members online. How the mighty have fallen. When I ditched OtherSingles, I had over 112k active members. How does AS survive on 34k?

AS was the second site I joined back in the late 90’s. I joined flirt previous to AS in the mid 90’s. As of this writing, flirt boasts 20 members online. How the mighty have fallen.

]]> By: Ross Felix http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-225722 Ross Felix Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:48:09 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-225722 David: We were going to make a change to it... but right now the main reason for that page is to try and capture demographics to get an idea of who our members might be so we can run our site with their needs in mind. That's very odd that you didn't get a confirmation email. Thanks for letting me know, I just sent off an email to the developers. I look forward to you reviewing the site after it launches. David:

We were going to make a change to it… but right now the main reason for that page is to try and capture demographics to get an idea of who our members might be so we can run our site with their needs in mind.

That’s very odd that you didn’t get a confirmation email. Thanks for letting me know, I just sent off an email to the developers. I look forward to you reviewing the site after it launches.

]]> By: David Evans http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-225644 David Evans Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:59:17 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-225644 Let's talk here, that's what comments are for. Spark has brand awareness and a large marketing budget, that's why people continue to join. I just signed up for your site. It's weird to ask for so much information and have nothing happen. Didn't even receive a confirmation email. Just what are you up to? Let’s talk here, that’s what comments are for. Spark has brand awareness and a large marketing budget, that’s why people continue to join.

I just signed up for your site. It’s weird to ask for so much information and have nothing happen. Didn’t even receive a confirmation email.

Just what are you up to?

]]> By: Ross Felix http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-225626 Ross Felix Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:24:18 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-225626 In my humble opinion, it's not that surprising at all. Spark Networks hasn't done much to improve their template in the past years, has raised prices and (at least for me) always provided poor customer service and technical support. Their click feature is the only innovation I can remember them adding to the industry in the past 5+ years. Why would someone pay $40/month* for a non-niche site built on an aging platform to reach 111k members, when they can pay $35/month* for 1.35mm members on Match.com. (* based on a month to month membership with no discounts) Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like to continue the discussion. In my humble opinion, it’s not that surprising at all. Spark Networks hasn’t done much to improve their template in the past years, has raised prices and (at least for me) always provided poor customer service and technical support. Their click feature is the only innovation I can remember them adding to the industry in the past 5+ years.

Why would someone pay $40/month* for a non-niche site built on an aging platform to reach 111k members, when they can pay $35/month* for 1.35mm members on Match.com. (* based on a month to month membership with no discounts)

Feel free to contact me directly if you’d like to continue the discussion.

]]> By: David Evans http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-225197 David Evans Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:57:57 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-225197 Ross, nice looking site and thanks for the email. Amazing to see the decline of AS. Ross, nice looking site and thanks for the email. Amazing to see the decline of AS.

]]> By: Ross Felix http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/comment-page-1/#comment-225192 Ross Felix Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:54:28 +0000 http://onlinedatingpost.com/archives/2008/10/incestuous-search-with-sparks-facelink/#comment-225192 David: Did you happen to notice what the stock price did yesterday immediately following the announcement? I agree with what you've said above. Considering how they've been bleeding members for the past year, American Singles for one had 111k members at the end of 2005 and only 34k in the 2008 2Q 10-Q filed with the SEC. I think this was a last ditch effort to somehow get members of one of their sites to join the other ones. Of course, just like you said (and as per my email) between a Jewish and a Christian site. I'm looking forward to the December 1 launch of www.thedatingrevolution.com more and more seeing how desperate Spark appears to be becoming. Ross Felix Founder / CEO Dating Revolution www.thedatingrevolution.com David:

Did you happen to notice what the stock price did yesterday immediately following the announcement?

I agree with what you’ve said above. Considering how they’ve been bleeding members for the past year, American Singles for one had 111k members at the end of 2005 and only 34k in the 2008 2Q 10-Q filed with the SEC.

I think this was a last ditch effort to somehow get members of one of their sites to join the other ones. Of course, just like you said (and as per my email) between a Jewish and a Christian site.

I’m looking forward to the December 1 launch of http://www.thedatingrevolution.com more and more seeing how desperate Spark appears to be becoming.

Ross Felix
Founder / CEO Dating Revolution
http://www.thedatingrevolution.com

]]>