Dating Website Review – Lovestruck

Carrying on with the 30 Dates series of reviews of the top Dating Sites on the internet, I look at the pros and cons of the site Lovestruck.

I’ve always loved the Lovestruck adverts on the Tube.  Simple, and to the point, they include real-life Lovestruck couples, reenacting the moment ‘love struck’ for them in London.

Far less offensive than the rival ads suggesting as a singleton I want everyone else in my Tube carriage to be single! (Have the makers of those ads ever actually looked around a Tube carriage?!)

Number of Options – 9/10

For an online dating site, Lovestruck has a large amount of options.  I’m clearly not the only one impressed by Lovestruck’s Tube ads, as the site does have a large number of members, who seem to regularly use the site.   Comparative to Tinder there seem to be less ‘hotties’, but to be honest I think the same applies to all paid dating sites.  One thing I did notice, was that the majority of men who contacted me during my two months trialling the site were Asian.  I don’t know whether that’s coincidence, or demographic of the majority of males users, but it was certainly noticeable as compared to all the other dating sites I’ve used in the London area.

(Having thought about this a bit more – Lovestruck operates geographically – very specific to the area of London you’re in.  I set my area to Angel (where I’ll be moving to soon), so perhaps the reason so many Asian men contacted me, was because there are some predominantly Asian areas of North London, and so I showed up in their local searches?  Just an idea, but definitely something that I noticed every time I logged into Lovestruck.)

Serious Contenders – 8/10

Whilst you can join Lovestruck for free, the free services are very limited, which means most of the people regularly using the site have paid to do so.  With this in mind, the daters tend to be more serious.  This comes with a negative aspect though (as it does on all paid sites) – of the few men I engaged in conversation with, they seemed extremely quick to make judgments of my profile, and of the small talk we had.  This is something I’ve found frustrating on all the paid sites I’ve tried – because people are paying for the service, they almost seem more apprehensive to meet up and simply test the water.  Instead, daters who have paid to get online seem far more determined to establish if you’re the woman of their dreams before they meet you – in my opinion, one of the worst ways to online date, as you can never truly identify chemistry until you meet.

Free Services – 4/10

Whilst Lovestruck does offer free services, they are extremely limited.  The free ‘membership’ allows you to set up a profile, look at their profile photos and wink at other people, but the very nature of the app means that winks are so common, you don’t tend to check them, and instead only focus on messages, which you have to pay to send and receive.

Ease of Set-Up – 8/10

The profile was very simple and easy to set up.  It wasn’t as fun to create as OKCupid (which asks you loads of cool questions), but it was simple enough, and asked enough questions that you feel like your profile can showcase your personality sufficiently.  The only way set-up could be made easier would be by linking up to social media, however sometimes this can be more of a hindrance than a help.

Site Layout – 8/10

The website isn’t particularly beautiful or unique, but is very easy to use.  Rather like Facebook, there is a constantly-updated news feed which shows you what other members are up to – whether they’re adding photos, have just joined, or have changed sections of their profiles.   The website allows you to view new matches, find out who is currently online, and it separates out anyone you’ve viewed, or identified as a Favourite.  As a paid member, you can add up to eight different photos, which allows you to get a reasonable idea of what someone looks like.  I liked the way date suggestions and upcoming events appear on the home screen.

I have to say, I’m really not a fan of the bright red on the website – it’s the thing I liked least about the site and app.  I think the colour is a bit tacky and too bright for a dating website, but that’s just personal taste.

App – 9/10

I tended to mostly use Lovestruck on my phone and found the app really user friendly.  The app opens up on the newsfeed screen, and like the website offers Date Ideas, and upcoming Events (something which I think Lovestruck does very well).  Last year Miss 32 and I went to Lovestruck’s red straw party – a really simple, easy idea for a dating event.

The app lets you know if anyone’s viewed your profile, or sent you any message, and allows you to archive conversations with a simple swipe.

Again, I really didn’t like the bright red colours, which I found a bit cheap and tacky but that’s just personal preference.

Information about your Date – 9/10

Whilst Lovestruck doesn’t include the degree of detailed information that OKCupid can provide, with all it’s questions, the basics of the profile include more than enough information.  London is sectioned off into areas, and matches are suggested according to geographic location.  Questions include hight, body type, dress style (which I think is an interesting and rather novel question), star-sign, religion and nationality.  There are options to share favourite books, films and tv shows, and tell other daters about your favourite hobbies, sports and types of music.  Definitely enough information to work out if you’d like to chat to someone or not.

As Lovestruck is marketed as a site for young professionals, the site focusses on where daters live and work, and there is a clear focus on work.  It is one of very few sites I’ve come across which makes your income public.  (Something which I find a bit unnecessary)

User Verification – 8/10

Users don’t have to verify themselves, however there is the option to.

The User Verification option links up to either your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, and a member of the Lovestruck team will manually check the social media, and cross reference your profile.

Obviously anyone can create a social media profile that matches a dating profile, and Lovestruck won’t ‘befriend you’, so there’s only a limited amount they can see from your social media profile, however this extra level of verification at least adds an extra layer of complexity to any form of catfishing.

Value for Money (Paid Services) – 8/10

With member events, date ideas, and a pretty decent dating blog attached, I think Lovestruck’s paid services are pretty substantial.  Unlike the majority of other paid website blogs, the accompanying online magazine isn’t simply an advert for Lovestruck.

Lovestruck is often referred to as one of the more expensive mainstream sites (prices start around £37 per month and decrease according to the length of commitment), however the app and website both worked well, and there were clearly a lot more users than other paid sites I’ve used.

Overall Summary

Hmm … so I’ve still, after a year of trialling sites, not gone on a date from a paid dating website!  And not for want of trying!

I did come pretty close on Lovestruck – organising a date with a guy who pulled out at the last minute.  Which puts it ahead of all the other paid sites I’ve trialled so far!

As far as paid dating websites go, I would say service-wise that Lovestruck is one of the best, however as a ‘normal’, sociable, relatively attractive girl, looking for a ‘normal’, sociable, relatively attractive guy, I think there’s still always the same issue – hot single guys don’t pay to online date!  Tinder has definitely helped alleviate the stigma of online dating in recent months, but all the hot single guys I know ‘play it’ for a laugh, and would never part with cash to find women.  They’d just head to a bar!

I’m not saying that paid online dating sites are a write-off, I just think they attract a certain type of man.  More so than they do a certain type of woman – I think most single women are open to paying to online date, as they see it as a way to broaden their net of options, whereas the majority of ‘cool’ hot single men, would never ever consider online dating.  And unfortunately this is reflected in the very different demographic of men available on paid dating website and free ones.

Yes, I appreciate that’s a very superficial view, and that thousands of couples meet online every year.  But I do think, if you’re a single girl considering paying to date online, that it’s worth thinking about the guys in your life most like the men you’re attracted to, and working out what sites, if any, they would use.

Rule 101 of Online Dating – don’t ask yourself which dating site YOU want to use, ask yourself which site your IDEAL MAN would use.

Miss Twenty-Nine xxx