Checking out the beta of Gelato, an online dating app that uses your Facebook profile, your tweets, Flickr photos, Netflix queue and more to quickly and easily build an online dating profile. Follow them at @gelato_dating.
Online dating, meet the social network, meet real-time search.
Gelato is part of Demo’s AlphaPitch program (happening today), in which presenters get 90 seconds to make their case.
The revenue model will be freemium. For $9.99 a month, premium members will get:
– analytics,
– real-time alerts (eg. “if a female, 30-40, non-smoker, near Boston, mentions Boston Red Sox” then alert me.)
– customization of their profile
– more details shown about people’s SCOOP score
I really like how Gelato pulls in your Facebook information. This is by far the best implementation of Facebook Connect I’ve seen on a dating site. Other services are pulled in as well, like last.fm and Twitter.
Site needs some design and user interface work, this is what happens when developers design dating sites. Its actually too plain (I can’t believe I just said that). I’m not sure I like the stream on the home page either. I understand the value of real-time streams but does it need to be on the home page? Perhaps a bit less intrusive.
The problem with Gelato, as with all dating sites, is that you have to do all the work. The service does little to help you find people except for rudimentary search. Once you get over the wow factor of the Facebook information import, you realize the site needs to find a niche, fast.
Now that they have the services integrated and the tech sorted out for the most part, Gelato needs to figure out what the site is going to look like, the brand and make it easier to understand how the site works.
Hopefully someone at DEMO recognizes the value of Gelato and understands they need a hook like Thread has (Engage-style friends-connecting-friends) in order to be relevant.
Then Gelato needs a big marketing push, otherwise it’s going to be another dating site with a cool feature and not enough users to be relevant.
