500+ Dating Service Reviews
Dating Advice Your Parents Don't Know |
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500+ Dating Service Reviews
Dating Advice Your Parents Don't Know |
|
aLoveLinksPlus Interview with Paul Gayeski of JustSayHi, September 13 1999
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Paul Gayeski of JustSayHi |
Rob |
To Visit JustSayHi - CLICK HERE
Rob >> JustSayHi has been active in bringing together singles since the
beginning of this year, has the growth of Just Say Hi been lower or higher
than your expectations?
PAUL: Our work in building the site has focused on providing a quality feature
rich service and not on intense promotions at this time. For assorted reasons, many
deliberate ones, our growth is slow but steady. We're not marketing experts and don't
have that skill down yet for one thing. However, JustSayHi is in it for the long term
opportunities and social benefit to society. We're still learning about the net and about
web services and techniques. Our software expertise goes back over 20
years and one thing that consistently disfunctions software products and
services is being marketing driven. I have never seen a software company
provide a quality product when the marketing influence dominates the decision making.
In the long run I firmly believe a quality product and service cannot fail. The better it
gets the easier it will be to market it when the time and opportunity is right. More than
one member has written us and said "We love your site and just wish there where more
members for us to match." When two products have sufficiently matured more active
promotion will be the next big step.
>> What challenges have you faced in starting a new business?
PAUL: Generally we place fairly well with a lot of the search engines a fair
amount of the time. However, we don't place as well with some of the dating directories
because of their requirements for reciprocal front page real-estate on our
site. That's limiting exposure of our services. Regrettably we've also seen
some very deliberate and direct sabotage by competitors with contacts or
involvements in major search indexes on the net. Aside from that our major
challenges have been just learning curves on the particular software
technologies and the web in general. So far, however, I'd have to say it's
been a very good and positive experience and as a company we really hope
it's been beneficial to others.
>> The free trial at your service, could you explain the details for me?
PAUL: It's actually evolved to be more than a free trial. We offer free signups,
searches, and full email for members to contact each other or anyone at no
charge. Joining and paying for the service is becoming an option not a
requirement (donations accepted!). We've experimented with a variety of
models over the last 8 months and feel that basically giving away the
service is the most ethical and honest way to operate. It's also the most
inclusive. The main reasons to purchase a full service membership
($10.95 for 1 year!) is to avoid advertisements, add chat, see more photos and
homepages, write to PO box, and basically have more upfront access to other
members.
>> Your dating service also includes many features that just aren't
available on any other service, such as Hints and Searches by Cities, are
these features used a lot?
PAUL: We have lots of unique features and a few that
will evolve in the new year. I'm sure we've taught the bigger services a thing
or two this year alone! Hints seem to be used successfully by some members
and blocking unwanted contacts. Now that email correspondence is free (which
incorporates blocking too) I think Hints will have a more positive meaning to all
members. Some members were a bit confused by Hints at first but seem more
comfortable with the idea now that it's explained better. Some people are just a bit too
shy to engage others with a formal introduction. Viewed in the right spirit it's a
bit like the old stories of a lady dropping her handkerchief for the right guy to pick up.
Searches of all kinds are used pretty extensively and we cover almost all
the important possibilities. It's an area that might see refinements in the
new year as well but we already allowing members to build the search they
want and then save it as their default (QuickSearch) . The search process will only gain
some instant local search capabilities.
>> JustSayHi has 7 active chat rooms, what are the best time to login to
them and how busy do they get?
PAUL: Chat is part of the paying side of the service and less popular at this
time. It's great for people who are in international correspondence or learning about
each other from across the country.
>> Your membership fees are much lower than most other dating services that
are online. How is this possible?
PAUL: A strong belief in fair profit and not greed and excess profit which seems
to drive society now days. Free basic services and $10.95 for a year is really a great
deal. Low cost somewhat limits our advertising exposure.
>> What special features do members get that free trial members do not?
PAUL: Free members get stuck with advertising banners of one form or another but
that's a small price to pay for free access and interaction with other
members. Full service (Paying) members don't see advertising banners in their face.
Have chat, can directly view other members homepages, private photos, and
have options to post events, a public personal opinion and retrieve their
mail from an outside mail box. They have accesses to PO box info if posted by
another member. Basically they have more up front information and contact options
with other members.
>> Are you planning a newsletter for your dating service?
PAUL: Newsletters are a popular sales and marketing tool on the net these
days. They can be worthwhile but in the land of capitalism they're often
just a come on tactic to sell you something. We haven't introduced a
newsletter and won't until we can orchestrate truly worthwhile usable
content. We'd list new members perhaps interviews with members and content
from our new Dating Advice site deardating.com. But we don't expect a
newsletter until at least summer of 2000.
>> Where do you see JustSayHi growing in the coming months?
PAUL: All our products have a pretty solid foundation and our plans for the coming
months are to refine the products in preparation for stronger marketing in
the 1st or 2nd quarter of the new year.
>>Can you briefly itemize the sites you have and what they offer?
PAUL: 1. http://singledating.justsayhi.com/ - Our singles dating site offers all
the important features a dating site needs and more ! It's free with options for donating
or buy extra features and avoiding advertisements.
2. http://datinginfo.justsayhi.com/ - We have a dating directory that lists
100's of other sites of the competitors at not charge and doesn't obligate any of the
sites to link back to us. i.e. We're comprehensive or try to be.
3. http://mailorderbride.justsayhi.com - Our new address sales service offers
men contact with ladies from Russian and Latin America.
4. http://www.deardating.com/ - Our newest member is a dating advice service
offering a good healthy reality check on dating and relationships. We're very proud of
our association with Bryan Redfield who offers excellent and wholesome guidance
from a pretty solid foundation of practical experience.
>>There's a lot of competition out there in the dating services market. How do
you see yourself positioned in the future.
PAUL: We've been thinking in the background and planning for the future.
Because we have a solid software foundation competition is not really a long
term concern. After a round of refinements by the end of Q1 in 2000 we should be pretty
much ready to rock-and-roll! Anyone who has built a quality web product will have a
market for it in the future. The net is still in it's infancy.
>>Any closing remarks?
PAUL: We'd just like to thank you for the opportunity to contribute to your
newsletter. We've been admirers of your products and services and been
watching your site's growth also. We wish you a lot of success in the coming
years.
To Visit JustSayHi - CLICK HERE
>> Thanks for the time to be a part of this interview, Paul. I hope that JustSayHi
becomes the keyword of choice in the new year. RL.
This interview is ©1999, 2000 by aLoveLinksPlus.com and cheerful attitude web design and Robert Lee. No portion of the contents of interview may be copied without prior consent. For information send an e-mail to: alovelinksplus.com . I will prosecute to the full extent of the law, when necessary any copyright infringements. ALL trademarks and images used here at aLoveLinksPlus remain the property of their respective owners and are used with permission where required.
