From what I've seen, if you have limited time in the evenings the answer is usually to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to rather than keep your expectations low for the first fortnight. The bit that caught me out was that the verification step matters slightly more than the boost system, though it depends heavily on where you live. Granted the older established sites look similar, the boost system differs massively, which most people notice within a week.
Write a profile that gives someone something to reply to, because otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day, so results vary more than you'd think.
- On reflection, I'd keep your expectations low for the first fortnight rather than say what you actually want up front, since otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day
- What changed my mind was that the forum-style sites have moved the useful bits behind a subscription in the time I've been posting here
- When you are in a smaller town, the ones people keep recommending tend to feel noticeably worse than they are, which is worth knowing before you sign up
- Though people disagree here, the step that matters most is to keep the first message short and specific: it costs nothing to try
Honestly, if you live somewhere dense the answer is usually to use a recent photo with your face clear rather than skip anything asking for a card number to read messages. The bit that caught me out was that the block list matters massively more than the boost system, which is worth knowing before you sign up.
Depending on what you are after, rendate puts less friction in front of people who hate paywalls, at least in my case.