I would like your feedback about the new Russian-Western personal's software... - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

	The Russian Meeting Place: A place to meet people and talk about all things Russian... International Discussions about Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Travel, Music, Russian News, Ukrainian culture, Belarusian Dating, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kiev and other intelligent topics about life in the former Soviet Union.

Pages: 1

I would like your feedback about the new Russian-Western personal's software...
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: Khashyar

Hello Everyone...

I wanted to ask your opinion about the new Russian personals site that I have been working on.

It is just about ready, but... there were some questions that I wanted to ask you about it...

First of all, let me give you the web address for this site, adn you can take a look at it (Please note that there are a lot of changes that I would still make to the software, and some of what you see is what came standard with the software): www.russianmeetingplace/personals

The major advantage of this new software is that you can browse by photo as well as search by a number of profile criteria... (This new software is specifically geared towards photo personals, unlike our forum software)

My major quesiton for you is this (thanks for your feedback):

1) At the moment, these are the 2 options that I have for members to contact other members with this new dating software:

1.A) by me including a person's contact email address in their visible profile, but this would allow everyone, even non-registered users, to be able to browse the profiles and to be able to receive the contact information. There might be some privacy concerns here if I did this.

1.B) The other way to do this currently is by having members register, then inputing their credit card information (without being charged anything) to receive a free trial (we can make this free trial as long as we want, from 30 days to 999 days

And then the person can write a message to a member and then the message will be forwarded to the intended person's email address......

Unfortunely, the only way that a person is able to send a message to another person is to register with the program's billing system, and input their credit card information (even though they will not be charged for the free trial)....

I am wondering if people will be hesitant and shy about providing their credit card information even if it is for free use of the system?? What are your opinions about this??

Another thought that I had, and I wanted to ask your feedback about this, is whether we should charge some kind of $1 per month personals maintainance fee? If a registered user paid their $1 per month, then they would receive unlimited access to the profiles, and could fulfill the the requirements of the software and contact anyone they wanted...

What do you all think about this????

1) Would people be shy about entering their credit card information, even if they would not be charged???

2) Do you think that people would mind paying $1 per month to be able to have unimited access to the profiles??? (If a person was charged $1 per month, that would fulfill the program's need of having a user's billing info entered before they could contact a user.

At the moment, we have about 30 personals to add to the program, but.... we are receiving about 3 personals per day on average....

Thanks for your feedback (and again, please feel free to look at the new singles software and tell me what you think...)

Khashyar

(again, the web address for the new software is: www.russianmeetingplace.com/personals)

Posted by: Castlestormer

Being single, I am very interested in this subject. The "rub" for me lies in the fact that I don't have a "credit card". I have a Visa card which is a check card, and debits all funds directly from my checking account. Anyone who travels extensively can not exist without a Visa card. From airline tickets, hotels, and rental cars; having one is a must. But I think credit cards are the bane of American existence, and a prison for the unwise. My philosophy is that if I can't pay cash for it, I don't need it.

So where does my paranoia rest? It is in the fact that when I give out that number, one has access directly to my checking account, which usually has plenty of money in it. I am very blessed to be self employed and liquid; and fully understand the talent and abilities of those with not so honorable intentions. Please don't misconstrue what I am saying Khashyar: I don't lump you in with that group. I just want you to know where I am coming from concerning giving out a credit card number. And if I did it, I would have to know that your connection is VERY secure, and your database hack proof.

I think you are an honorable man; and feel very grateful to have been allowed to be a part of this terrific board. You have dealt wisely in the past about how this board should grow. And there is no doubt in my mind that you will do the right thing about the personals section.

I appreciate you Khashyar!

Steve

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Steve...

I can understand what you are saying about credit card security...

I am pretty sure that there is a "PayPal" plug in for this matching making software program, which I have heard is an industry standard and is very safe and secure.... All of the processing and credit card info is done through PayPal, and the information is stored there....

If any transactions were done through PayPay, and Visa debit cards were accepted, would that ease any discomfort about using a visa check card or credit card???

I think that there will be an upgrade to this software soon where I can add "Contact stamps" manually, and perhaps even change the membership dates manually through an administration panel. In that case, I would just add free memberships manually (without the need for credit card information).

But, if we did decide to charge some kind of small fee (let's say from $1 to $5 per month for unlimited access to the photo personals), would you feel that were fair??? would that be a good thing???? (or an acceptable thing??)

I was thinking that a small fee could help us cover the basic maintainance expenses for the personals sites (to manage users, add profiles, pay for the software, etc....)

(Perhaps for those who don't want to deal with credit cards, we could perhaps accept checks or money orders by mail if we began charging a monthly maintainance fee for the photo personals?????)

I would love your and other's opinions about this...

Khashyar

Posted by: Jim_FL

As traffic increases, so will costs for bandwidth/maintenence. From what I have seen, there are 2 basic business models for FSU personal sites one is the flat monthly fee and the "industry standard" is WELL above what you propose to charge. The other is the open site where contact information is sold on a "per person" or "5 for $XX.XX" format (Jutman has illustrated the downside to this model when woman finds out her address was "bought")

Although I have never used an agency, I understand how they work. When trying to turn a profit, it is not the addresses that make money, it is inflated "extra services".

I think the most fair way to set it up, is to charge small fee to cover costs. Allow users to "browse" but to get detailed info, they must pay this maint. fee which gives them access to e-mail and street adresses of all. Give them Credit/Debit card option and also option to send a check or money order by post - for those uncomfortable with e-commerce. When check clears, e-mail them password or whatever.

You could easily go to $10 /month and still be at a price point that is 1/3 the going rate. The catch is, the more you charge, the more work you will have to do on the site to keep it current and give the customer value for the price. Low fee, and you can let the site run itself by word of mouth....

Posted by: rtking

I think $10 a month is still cheap. After all, just a single letter to ONE lady on Anastasiaweb.com is $7... and you must purchase (I think) 4 credits for a total $28 to begin. (I may be wrong about the total, but it comes pretty close.)

What is tricky is that an agency translates these letters on Anastasia, and I have personal experience that the agents write letters to you... not the women.

With Khashyar and Lena's personals, you get the woman's direct email address. That is actually much more comforting than relying solely on an agency! And at $10 a month, that's a bargain also!

As to Steve's point... I think it's a valid point of concern. I wonder if there's a way to link PayPal or some other "Online Check" service? Or there's always "snail mail" and a check made-out to Khashyar.

Just my $0.02!

Bob K.

Posted by: Khashyar

Thanks Jim and Bob for your feedback and ideas...

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time trying to redesign the new personal's site and updating some of its software (as well as "marketing" our website some more.....)

I have been hesitant to charge anything for the personals because I like to offer a free service that can be of service to people and offer them an opportunity to meet others.... and I am not sure at this moment if, when or how much to charge...

I want to offer a service, as well as to cover some of the basic expenses of running the site...

What I MIGHT do at this time, is to present a donation PayPal button, where people can send a donation if you want to contribute to the upkeep of the site, and they feel that the website gives them something of value for their lives...

Perhaps I will recommend a "Suggested donation" (suggest a specific amount? or let them know what other similar services cost?) and people can provide what they feel they should contribute???

I like the idea of people giving what they feel inpired to give (and what they can afford)...

I want to balance fairness and low cost and a good feeling regarding our website, with providing everything that we need to maintain and pay for the site...

Do you think that people would respond to a request for a donation?????

Regading PayPal... Yes... I can set it up so that Pay Pal processes the monthly fee or donation.... I think at the moment, this new program processes fees through "2click," but.. I can purchase a PayPal plug-in to process everything through Pay Pal.. (I trust Pay Pal, and I think others would feel comfortable about it also)..........

Regarding donations.... I also began and run a 501(c)(3) non profit arts foundation, where donars qualify for a tax deduction for their donation. One possibility is to allow site users who want to donate money do so under the nonprofit arts foundation so that they can receive a tax deducation, with the money going to the upkeep of the website....

Do you feel that people would feel better about donating and would donate more if they could receive a tax-deductable contribution for a donation??

Or.. perhaps we could offer both: a way to give a tax-deducatble contribution, as well as paying a low fee (like $10 per month) for access to the personals.

But, I think at this time as our site is growing, I think that I would want to just offer a free personals service with the ability to give a donation.

Thanks for your comments and ideas, and I welcome and appreciate more of your thoughts...

Khashyar

Posted by: Tstephens

I haven't really been posting, but I have been reading the site a lot. On this issue, I'd like to put in my $.02.

I wouldn't mind paying a reasonable fee for the personals service. On some levels, I would even be reassured by the fee. Fees do a couple of things that are good:

1. They help promote sincerity. Someone is less likely to be yanking your chain if they paid a fee to enroll in a service used to contact you. Having been jerked around more than once over the years through email and IMs that were free, I have noticed that when it costs something, people don't screw around as much.

2. They insure stability. A site is only as good as you can afford to make it. All of US are benefiting from this site and if the site receives funds, you are able to enhance it to become what you would like it to be. I'm sure you're already putting in tons of effort, but some features are powered by dollars as well as sweat.

I suggest personals that are functional without a fee, but are greatly enhanced to those who have paid the fee. In the end, you have to decide what you're best comfortable with for the site, though.

Tom