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Review summary

Full review

Zoosk.com started life as a Facebook App back in 2007, and has since grown into a fully fledged dating site with over 50 million users. It incorporates elements of social media to make for a more modern site, and we take a look below to see how it faired.

Sign Up

Sign up is a simple process on Zoosk, with a few basic questions (height, ethnicity, location etc.) followed by a validation email to get started. You have the option of linking to your Facebook site if you choose, which makes the process simpler as it uses your information stored on there. A photo is optional, but the majority of users here do have profile pictures as you are unable to flirt with other members.

Search

Although there is one automated (anonymous) match per day, based on your initial sign up information, the majority of searching on Zoosk is manual, which is fairly easy to use and with such a huge number of members, the simple searches will always bring up profiles to browse. However, there isn’t the parameters that some dating sites offer (such as body type, appearance etc.) so there can be a fair amount of clicking through profiles until you find suitable matches.

There is also a Carousel feature, which basically brings up different matches based on the info you have provided, and you select Yes, No or Maybe as to whether you want to meet that member. It is a fun way of looking through profiles and as it provides mutual matches based on your answers, is a good way to break the ice.

Communication

Zoosk offers a number of ways to get in contact with other users, although the best of this is reserved for subscribed members. For unsubscribed users, it is possible to email, Instant Message and wink to other users, but this is very limited unless you choose to subscribe. There is the option to download the Zoosk Messenger, where you can chat to multiple members at once, and also to video chat.

For subscribed members, Zoosk really excels in this department as it can be used just as you would use your social networks, so you can update your news feed with posts or images, plus easily communicate with other subscribed members. This element makes the site very appealing, particularly to younger users as it will be second nature and a way of communicating that is familiar to most.

Safety

Despite the huge number of members on Zoosk, the majority seemed to be real profiles and we didn’t see any inappropriate content whilst browsing profiles. There is a good section on safe online dating, but best of all contacts are provided for Police and Legal enquiries in the form of contact forms.

Ease of use

The interface on Zoosk is bang up to date, and should be easy to navigate for anyone that has used social networks such as Facebook or Myspace. However, it may seem a bit cluttered to inexperienced users, due to wealth of options and features, but once you have used it for a short amount of time it is easy to use, as searches, uploads and communication are all simple to carry out. There is also a mobile version of the site that is simpler still to use.

Help & support

There is a good FAQ and Help section on Zoosk, and a contact number is provided to get in touch for support and billing enquiries. There is also a list of useful contacts, for example Police Enquiries, Legal enquiries and even a section on careers at Zoosk.

Overall

Zoosk does an excellent job of modernising the dating experience by including aspects of Social Networking and communication that will appeal to people of all ages. Its great-looking interface and fun features make it easy to see why this is one of the fastest growing dating sites, although the lack of communication for unsubscribed members does let it down slightly.

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