Photo adsâ€¦.A study of Statistics and a close call.

5 Feb 2005

We're a normal couple seeking couple.
Didn't keep track - but maybe responded (personally) to about 20-30 ads, and heard back from perhaps 5. Spoke to a couple of couples here and almost met up with one. One couple we've met and hope to meet shortly!
But the hit-rate is awful.
We have enough "friends" here now to fill our diaries, but are conisdering pay sites as this may get rid of the dreamers. Lets hope.
Our ad is quite detailed and has photos - perhaps thats the issue! Also - we say we're soft play - but guess that puts people off too - but all the ads we replied to says the same.....
Who knows..... sad

5 Feb 2005

From the slightly opposite tack, I reckon that 33% of ads in the Couples seeking males and Women seeking males section are fake or turn out to be redirects to other sites.
(reported when known)
This is only my feeling and may be vastly out.
As a single male, only about 8% return a reply to a response to an ad. Less than 1% willing to go further.
So, to get the possibility of one meet, you need to respond to 150 ads.
Maybe it's the wrong time of year confused

5 Feb 2005

Judy,
It is why I joined the forum, if as a single female I put an ad on the photo ads either for a single male or couple, I would loads of replies most of which were unsuitable.
That left the odd few, who on further responses from me normally fell by the way side, except for 2 of them, who now are friends owing to changes in their lives.
Personally I find the forum far more fun lol

5 Feb 2005

Quote by JudyTV
One arranged meet out of 59 replies. Thatâ€™s a hit rate of only 1.7%. That is not good and what happened to the other nine from the ten positives? you tell me. They got to the finishing tape and fell over.

Not surprised in the least sad

.
I use one pay site quite a bit which I find to be worthwhile, a couple of other very cheap ones (to which I will not subscribe again), & SH.
I am interested in meeting women or couples, so I spend time periodically browsing the ads for possible meets, & probably send 5-15 replies a week. To get my interest, the advertiser has to be within the 30-50+ age range, preferably non-smoking, ideally no bigger than say... dress size 24, within 50 miles of Tyneside, & preferably not covered in piercings & tattoos. I'm 45 & happy to meet any age, but I'm highly unlikely to get replies from people under 30, so I don't bother messaging people in that age group. I don't think I'm being too fussy.
When I send a message, it is fairly detailed & similar to my ads. Mostly I customise it so that it addresses any of the points raised in the advert, & I'm careful to include face pic, full body pic as requested, & my mobile number. If the advert does not specify any criteria, I'll do a "cut & paste" based on the info that I use in my adverts. I can't see the point in doing individual messages, when I don't know what people are looking for.
So how many responses do I get? Well perhaps I'm busier than Judy at the moment rolleyes

, so I haven't kept detailed records, but she has had a lot more success than me!!! Probably less than 1 : 20 actually email me back, & none of those have resulted in a meet since last summer. :shock: mad

:roll:
In a way, its reassuring to know that people such as Judy (undoubtedly far more attractive than me in many ways :roll: ) is not doing much better either.

5 Feb 2005

Quote by OnlyUs
We have enough "friends" here now to fill our diaries, but are conisdering pay sites as this may get rid of the dreamers. Lets hope.

I don't know about that - paysites are comparatively cheap and well within the budget of most "dreamers". I'm not saying don't try it; just don't get your hopes up.
Analysing "hit rates" is a very mercenery thing to do, but if you find yourself mutually compatible with 1.7% of the people who happen to find you attractive, I'm not sure that's exactly a bad result? After all, surely we're all strangers to people we don't know, and in general most other people are quite horrific and not the type of folk we'd want to say hi to, let alone anything else.

5 Feb 2005

Oh my Judy, you must be having a quiet day wink

Interesting reading though smile

G x

5 Feb 2005

Hiya Judy

Hope you are feeling bit better :) Well I had about 130 replies before I took my ad down. I think 75% were quite genuine and replied to nearly all even if to say no thanks or do you always copy and paste :shock: :shock: . I am seeing one guy from that list and we shall see............................................ I think meeting people at munches however gives you a far better chance of each of you initially assessing whether you have at least instant attraction. I am one of these people who often doesnt go by first appearances. However, people at munches can be putting on an act to appear more confident when they are not. Well many of us are like that arent we rolleyes

I think meeting people a couple of times at a social gives you the real opportunity to assess - is this someone I want to get to know better?
That works on friendship as well. I met fem Bernie back in March 2004 and we are what I call real mates now and love getting on phone or meeting her for a drink (apart from the fact she never never stops talking and I just have to sit and listen :roll: :roll: ). Oh and Ian and Dawn - what can I say swollen balls comes to mind wink

). Fact is I am really pleased that there are more and more socials not even munches being organised so people can just meet up for bowling, a drink, meal etc.
Interesting experience putting ad up though......................................

5 Feb 2005

Quote by HungryP
I am interested in meeting women or couples, so I spend time periodically browsing the ads for possible meets, & probably send 5-15 replies a week. To get my interest, the advertiser has to be within the 30-50+ age range, preferably non-smoking, ideally no bigger than say... dress size 24, within 50 miles of Tyneside, & preferably not covered in piercings & tattoos. I'm 45 & happy to meet any age, but I'm highly unlikely to get replies from people under 30, so I don't bother messaging people in that age group. I don't think I'm being too fussy.

I'm a single guy so what do I know, but I do wonder if there's such a thing as not being fussy enough. Do people prefer to feel they're a specific person (or have specific qualities) that you find attractive, rather than just the lack of any qualities you don't find attractive?
Nothing personal against HungryP; just a talking point...

5 Feb 2005

Quote by JudyTV
I can see why you are considering a pay site as people who have to pay a fee of some-kind are more likely NOT to be dreamers. But I have been here a total of a year and a half and have made a lot of friends and I just love the social side of SH.

I too appreciate the social side of SH.............. but taking part in the forum & having links to my ads on my sig line has certainly not resulted in the expected flood of replies from single fems & couples who now allegedly know & trust me rolleyes

. I have however been to a couple of munches, & that did get me some fun after the last one biggrin

:D :D :D .
Using a pay site is pretty much just as frustrating. The pay site that I continue to be a member of has been successful in the past (maybe I need to find more time to browse their ads) & has a very good search engine which, in my view, is the key factor with any dating-type site. One site that I know has a facility to allow single fems & couples to specify that they don't want to be contacted by single males, so that would undoubtedly cut down on the amount of crap in your inbox. :shock:

5 Feb 2005

Bummer! I love statistics, why didn't think of analysing my replies rolleyes

I don't have any ads on the system at the mo cos I find the forum and my group much more productive. Satin and I had a couples seeking men ad and a couples seeking couples ad on the system for a long time. Both we updated regularly, maybe once a week (ish). Whenever we updated we got an influx of replies from guys - not masses as I used to get when I advertised as a single fem (that's another story that I've talked about in other threads), but I'd say probably about 20 or so for the first 2 or 3 days, then up to 5 per day after that. I would reply to any that didn't just send one line and which sounded roughly suitable. As we mainly meet groups, it was made very clear that they would be expected to meet with other guys too. This seemed to totally bi-pass some of them and they would quickly fall by the way-side. Others would want instant meets, which we just don't do. All in all, I would say that we have meet a handful - between 5 and 10 of all the guys who have ever replied to us.. A very small percentage in other words. Once I set up my group, I would encourage repliers to join it... One reason I set that up was to advertise our group meets to people who wanted the same - easy to send one block email to all! :wink: I think a good proportion of the 600 and odd members on there are guys from the photo ads... yet for whatever reason, we've met only a few of them...... Maybe the timing of our meets are wrong for a lot of people - who knows - but I certainly do think that a good proportion of them are dreamers who like the idea of meets, but they just don't do it.... Don't even get me started about those who agree to meet but who don't ever turn up evil

The couples seeking couple ad got, I'd say about 5 replies all in all, none ever came to anything and the correspondence quickly dried up. All of the couples and fems we have met from SH have been people whom we've become friendly with on the forum and have met either at munches or our parties. I certainly think that it is the social element of SH that is by far the most successful part of the site - that is getting to know people through the forum and/or the chat room. The bulk of those who use the photo ads never venture on to the forum or the room and they have no idea what they are missing :roll:
:P :P :P

5 Feb 2005

I joined a pay site first, then found SH afterwards
On the pay site I have responded to over 350 adds to date (since nov 04), results gained Zilch
replies to my add, 3
meets so far
ZERO
on SH I have replied to around 30 adds, had 2 meets (with the same lady) and have been happier with SH than the pay site, here I not only can see the adds, but read the forums, grt to know people thru them, and also get out and meet them at munch's
For my mind SH is superior in every way to the pay site that I joined, even tho it claims to bo be the largest of its type. Most the adds on it tho are non uk so I suppose that doesnt help me much

5 Feb 2005

Quote by roger743
I'm a single guy so what do I know, but I do wonder if there's such a thing as not being fussy enough. Do people prefer to feel they're a specific person (or have specific qualities) that you find attractive, rather than just the lack of any qualities you don't find attractive?

For your benefit Roger I wrote...

When I send a message, it is fairly detailed & similar to my ads. Mostly I customise it so that it addresses any of the points raised in the advert, & I'm careful to include face pic, full body pic as requested, & my mobile number...

which I think makes it clear that I treat people as individuals, & have had compliments that my replies to ads are very clear & honest (from some of the few that I have actually met)!
Please also re-read....

If the advert does not specify any criteria, I'll do a "cut & paste" based on the info that I use in my adverts. I can't see the point in doing individual messages, when I don't know what people are looking for

Quote by HungryP
Nothing personal against HungryP; just a talking point...

I wasn't aware I was under attack :shock: wink

6 Feb 2005

i joined the site a cple of mnths ago and as a single man i didnt expect the hit rate to be exactly high
i did have 2 adverts up although they are no longer there as i did recieve one or two nasty mails regarding my pics,so i now just tend to pop in the forums and reply to posts or on occasions check out the photo ads section
i never cut n paste a reply am always polite and try to answers all requests in someones add
i guess if i was to pespond to say 20 ads a week id prob get 2 replies back and it seems to end there
i dont know if its just a lack of swingers in the south or is it just me ? lol getting paranoid now sad

but alas i wont be joning a paysite as i do like the banter of SH but i must admit it can be a little intimadating for a newbie on here seeing the way all the regs get on so well
one last question i have tho.... when i reply to an advert i never give a contact number out sating i will if they respond or are interested etc is this a wise call or should i be giving a contact nuber out in my 1st reply??
xxxxxx

6 Feb 2005

Quote by penfolds06
when i reply to an advert i never give a contact number out sating i will if they respond or are interested etc is this a wise call or should i be giving a contact number out in my 1st reply??
xxxxxx

I also never give a phone number out on a first (sometimes second) reply. An Email address is easier to filter than a phone number should someone decide to hassle you or sell your details.
Some will give out phone numbers willy-nilly and I am always dubious of ads that ask for phone numbers.
Hit rate, about right. Resultant meets, also about right wink

6 Feb 2005

lol bald eagle i must be going wrong some where then maybe you can point me in the right direction lolol
no seriously i also use aol chat rooms and i must say i have a much higher hit rate in there (well seeing as ive met no one from here its aint hard)
but i do think its just a case of being patient posting a view threads etc and getting to know people that way 1st kinda building up trust if you like
reading some threads it appears ppl expect to just join and meet ppl in a matter of days as if because we all swing we dont have morals or standars etc
so ill just perserve
xxx

6 Feb 2005

Quote by penfolds06
so ill just persevere
xxx

:thumbup:
Just had this reply from someone
just looked at your ad, but it's a no thanx. Don't fuck balding men, no
offence
You've gotta smile lol

6 Feb 2005

Quote by HungryP
which I think makes it clear that I treat people as individuals, & have had compliments that my replies to ads are very clear & honest (from some of the few that I have actually met)!

Sorry, I was just thinking aloud; I really wasn't thinking about you, even if it did read that way. sad