Yahoo! Personals just introduced several updates to the searching and matching features.
Yahoo! Personals daters performing an average of 3.6 searches per day in their quest for that connection. In addition to a visual refresh that features new profile cards that more clearly convey information, additional enhancements include:
– New matching capabilities that improve search relevance by taking into account profile and searcher preferences.- One-click “We Matchâ€? displays people who strongly match what an individual is looking for and the individual strongly matches what those people are looking for.
– One-click “I Matchâ€? allows users to find people who are looking for someone with their qualities, based on information in their profiles and potential matches’ profiles; and also allows users to see who’s looking for someone like them.
– Search filters and markers at the top of the results page that allow daters to easily modify the results based on recently-added (i.e. “newâ€?) profiles, online now status, and active in the past 24 hours—and that carry that information through your search experience.
– Redesigned Search Results display that increases the number of visible profiles and improves scannability. The two-column profile display allows users to manage and organize profiles, and send email and icebreakers—all from the Search Results page.
I like how Yahoo! Personals now shows exactly how many people match your search criteria, and the filters seem to work as advertised.
The Tell Me About conversation starters are new as well. Everyone needs help breaking the ice.
The ads on the bottom of the search results page were geo-targeted allright, but the quality of the ads was pretty low-brow.
Y! Personals should start reaping the benefits of the new infrastructure, now it’s time to turn up the marketing machine. More partnerships in the works? I think so.
One question I have for all everyone, how many people use the “Share this profile” feature? I’ve sent a profile to a friend probably three times, ever.
Speaking of infrequently-used features, what about the “Hide this profile” feature? I’ve used Match as the de facto site to aspire to for ages, perhaps it’s time to add Yahoo! Personals to the mix.
