Open the Zoosk app on your Android phone. Tap on the 3 lines menu at the top left corner. Tap to the gear icon close to your nickname. Tap the pencil close to your Account Status. Tap Deactivate and follow the instructions. If you deactivate your account, your profile will not be visible to other members, and you will lose your.
Zoosk, first launched in California in 2007 as a desktop-only dating site, has largely managed to keep pace with its mobile-first competitors, boasting tens of millions of users, a modern-looking. Feb 13, 2020 A leader in the dating app space, Zoosk is a great choice for busy nerds, geeks, and dorks who are practically attached to their phones. Thanks to Zoosk’s integration with Facebook and Google+, the registration process goes at the speed of light.
| Industry | Consumer services |
|---|---|
| Founded | Fremont, California, U.S. (2007) |
| Founder | Alex Mehr Shayan Zadeh Brad Henrickson John Smart |
| Headquarters | , Germany |
| Worldwide | |
| Services | Online dating service |
| Revenue | US$178.23 million (2013) |
| −US$2.62 million (2013) | |
| 174 (April 2014)[1] | |
| Website | zoosk.com |
Zoosk is an online dating service available in 25 languages and in more than 80 countries.[2] The founders of the company are Shayan Zadeh and Alex Mehr, who ran the company until December 2014.[3] After struggles that year, Kelly Steckelberg became the company's new CEO.[4] In July 2019, Zoosk became part of Spark Networks SE.
History[edit]
Zoosk launched in December 2007. Its co-founders, Shayan Zadeh and Alex Mehr, were the company's original CEOs. They are both Iranian immigrants who migrated to US to continue their education.[5][6][7] Zadeh and Mehr met as undergraduates at Sharif University of Technology in Iran and travelled to the US together to attend graduate school at the University of Maryland.[8] Zadeh worked at Microsoft after graduating with a master's degree from University of Maryland in computer science, which is part of the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. Mehr earned his master's degree and PhD and later worked for NASA. Mehr attended business school at the University of California at Berkeley, but he dropped out to work on Zoosk.[9]
In April 2014, Zoosk filed S-1 paperwork for an initial public offering as it sought to raise $100 million in capital.[10] In the S-1, the company reported 2013 revenues of $178.2 million, a 63% increase over the previous year, and that it had cut losses 87% to $2.6 million.[10] It has 27 million members,[3] of which 650,000 were paying subscribers, and its membership was growing 44% year-over-year.[10][11] Zoosk had reached the position of no. 1 grossing dating app and a top 25 grossing app on the AppleiOS App Store.[11]
Despite $200 million in revenue collected in 2014, as well as a profit the previous year, Zoosk lost money in 2014. This is due to the company overspending on expansion and over-hiring. The company was also operating on the start-up principle that profits do not matter. With these problems at the company, Zoosk canceled its IPO in December. In January 2015, they laid off 15% of their staff. To improve revenue, the company decided in November 2014 to require a paid membership to send messages.[4]
On March 21, 2019, Spark Networks SE (a global dating company with a portfolio of dating brands) announced a definitive deal to acquire Zoosk.[12] The deal was finalized on July 1, 2019, forming North America's second-largest dating company in revenues.[13]
Product[edit]
Zoosk has an iOS and Android app and a desktop chat client. Zoosk uses big data and algorithmic recommendations technology to help users find partners.[11] Its 'proprietary Behavioral Matchmaking engine' learns from users' clicks, messaging, and other actions to help produce more accurate matches.[11] The idea is that the more data Zoosk obtains from its users, the better its recommendations can be.[11]
In August 2014, Zoosk added its Photo Verification service, designed to prevent users from 'posting photos of themselves when they were 10 years younger or 20 pounds lighter'.[14] To verify a photo, users are asked to take a video selfie in order to record their appearance from multiple angles. Zoosk moderators then determine if the user's profile photo and video match. When they do, the user receives a green check next to his or her photos.[14] The feature was released first to the Zoosk iOS app, followed by Android.[15]
In January 2018, Zoosk launched Insignia, a way for U.S. military service members to verify their status.[16] The feature is meant to reduce instances of stolen valor, particularly in connection to romance scams.[17]
Zoosk Desktop Site
Zoosk users are aged 18 and older.[18] It uses gamification and popularity rankings to encourage participation.[19]
Funding[edit]
Zoosk's investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, ATA Ventures and Canaan Partners.[6] The company has raised more than $60 million in equity.[11]
Pricing model[edit]
Until November 2014, Zoosk charged no fee to start using the app and to send one message to another person. Since November 2014, contact and interaction beyond the first message per person requires a premium (i.e., paid) subscription.[4][20]
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2014, Zoosk was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America, ranking no. 1660.[21]
In 2014, the San Francisco Business Times also named Shayan Zadeh to its 40 Under 40 list of Bay Area entrepreneurs.[22]
The Wall Street Journal ranked Zoosk no. 29 on its The Next Big Thing 2011 – The Top 50 Venture-Funded Companies list, up from the No. 42 spot the previous year.[5][6]
About.com's 2011 Reader's Choice Awards named Zoosk's iPhone app a finalist in its Best Dating App competition.[23]
According to AppAppeal, in August 2012 Zoosk was the fifth most popular dating app in the world and the third in the U.S.[24] In 2012, the company also won an Effie Award for its advertising campaign 'Online Dating, Your Way'.[25][26]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Best Places to Work 2014'. Website. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^'What is Zoosk?'. Zoosk. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ ab'Form S-1'. Form S-1 registration statement. SEC.gov. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ abcRoberts, Daniel (March 25, 2015). 'Meet the woman tasked with saving Zoosk'. Fortune. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
- ^ ab'The Next Big Thing 2011 - The Top 50 Venture-Funded Companies'The Wall Street Journal Accessed September 6, 2012
- ^ abcKincaid, Jason 'Zoosk Lands Another $30 Million for Social Dating'The Washington Post Accessed September 6, 2012
- ^'Zoosk profile'CrunchBase Accessed September 6, 2012
- ^'Online Dating Website Zoosk Files for IPO of Up To $100M'. Fox Business Network. 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
- ^'Shayan Zadeh & Alex Mehr Interview'Vimeo Accessed September 6, 2012
- ^ abcBercovici, Jeff (16 April 2014). 'Zoosk Files For IPO; Here's What You Need To Know'. Forbes. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ abcdefLawler, Ryan (16 April 2014). 'Online Dating Site Zoosk Files For $100M IPO, With $178M in Revenues And A$2.6M Net Loss in 2013'. TechCrunch. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^'Spark Networks SE Enters Definitive Agreement to Acquire Zoosk, Inc., Creating the Second Largest Dating Company in North America'. www.businesswire.com. 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2019-07-01.
- ^'Spark Networks SE Closes Zoosk, Inc. Acquisition'. finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-07-01.
- ^ abLapowsky, Issie (21 August 2014). 'This Dating Site Is Teaching the Internet an Important Lesson About Anonymity'. Wired. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^Moscaritolo, Angela (21 August 2014). 'Avoid Getting Catfished With Zoosk Photo Verification'. PC Magazine. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^'Introducing Zoosk Insignia, U.S. Service Member Verification to Fight Romance Scams'. The Date Mix. 2018-01-25. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^'How a Billion-Dollar Internet Scam Is Breaking Hearts and Bank Accounts'. HuffPost. 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
- ^'CrunchBase'. CrunchBase. CrunchBase. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^Staff (2012-04-27). 'Zoosk Utilizes Gamification to Improve Online Dating'. Gamification Co. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
- ^'Do I Have To Pay? : Zoosk Help'. Zoosk.zendesk.com. 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
- ^'Inc. 5000 2014'. Inc.com. Inc. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^Staff. 'Shayan Zadeh: CEO and co-founder, Zoosk'. Website. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^'Best Dating App Readers' Choice Award 2011 Finalists'. About.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012
- ^'The Most Popular Dating App Per Country'AppAppeal Accessed September 10, 2012
- ^'Effie:Zoosk'Archived August 26, 2012, at the Wayback MachineEffie Worldwide Accessed September 9, 2012
- ^'Effie Awards' Advertising Educational Foundation Accessed September 10, 2012
External links[edit]
The Full Zoosk Review
The behavioral data used for matchmaking can be viewed at the ‘Dating Insights’ page.
- Free Services
- Price
- Features
- Security
- Usability
Summary
The platform has a unique matchmaking feature called ‘SmartPick’. ‘SmartPick’ together with ‘Dating Insights’ works wonders for members of the platform. Instead of asking members to complete a personality test or fill a questionnaire upfront during the sign up process, Zoosk uses behavioral matching technology to help the system know each member when they are using the website.
Zoosk Dating App Review
Zoosk is available both as a desktop website and mobile app. You can freely download the mobile app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store. With the exception of the Dating Insights feature, the app has similar features or functions available on the website. Dating Insights contains a lot of data, making it impossible to fit in the mobile app screen.
Compared to the website, the app has a seamless user experience. The search and contact icons at the bottom of the screen make it easy for the members to easily connect with other members. The ads on the app may however distract you when using the platform. You can avoid these ads by upgrading your account.
Zoosk Desktop Site Delete Account
This Is How Zoosk Works
The behavioral technology is applied by SmartPick to match you up with a potentially compatible partner. The behavioral data used for matchmaking can be viewed at the ‘Dating Insights’ page. The system takes into account the people that you are liking on the platform, as well as the people you are messaging and winking at.
Zoosk also asks you a few questions to help in matchmaking, in addition to the behavioral data it collects. The match questions asked include: “Would you like to restrict your matches to only certain religions” and “Would you date someone who has a child?”
The paid subscriptions give you more options in terms of making real connections with other members on the platform. For example, only paid members can send messages and see people who have viewed their profiles.
The Registration Process
The sign up process for Zoosk is quick and easy, you will be done within three minutes. You will be required to fill a personal information form indicating your birthday, gender and gender preference, zip code, and email address. If you try using a VPN, it will be detected by Zoosk. You therefore have to use any zip code from your country of residence.
Zoosk will send you an activation link once you submit your details. Clicking on the link sent to your email means you are now a member of the platform. However, your account is not validated yet. To validate it, you will be required to provide a number and subsequently entering the code sent to the number you provided.
A validated account lifts the limits imposed on accounts that are not validated. You also have the option of increasing the credibility of your profile by connecting your Twitter and Facebook accounts to your Zoosk dating profile. The dating service also provides an option to sign up through Google or Facebook, which is much faster.
Membership on The Platform
Zoosk has over 40 million members, and most of them are between 25 and 34 years. A majority of the members are from the United States. A good number of members on the platform use it to look for long-term relationships. The high volume of members makes it possible for people to find their match.
Estimates indicate that the dating site’s membership is composed of 52 percent female and 48 percent male. The average age of female members is 24 and that of people identifying as male is 27 years. The good balance of gender makes Zoosk a good platform for both genders looking for love. Members are also drawn from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, regions, and orientations. The website supports 25 languages.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Zoosk has a massive user base that includes people from all demographics | Users cannot search by keyword or interest |
| Available in more than 80 countries | There is a one-time activation fee |
| Translated in 25 languages | |
| Live support available through email and phone | |
| Intuitive layout |
Profile Making
The profile making process on Zoosk is easy and straightforward. It is even easier if you sign up through your Facebook or Google account. Sign up to either your Facebook or Google account and the system will prompt you to answer some basic questions about your gender, birthday, gender preference, and zip code.
Zoosk then asks you if you have children, your level of education, ethnicity, height, and religion. You will also be asked if you are a smoker or non-smoker. Your profile picture will then be uploaded from your Facebook or Google account. You can further refine your photo with a short bio, uploading more photos, and writing details about your ideal date and perfect match.
The profiles quality makes it possible to easily know about a member’s interests or personality. Any member can freely view another member’s list of interests.
Testimonials
“I have used Zoosk to connect with people when travelling to different cities and countries. I don’t have to go to a club to meet girls when in a new city. All I have to do is log in to the app and start searching for girls nearby.” – Cory Infante
“I like the simple design and layout of Zoosk both on the website and app version. It is actually not too demanding to use the platform, with easy-to-locate icons on the app that makes it easy to find what you are looking for.” – Hulda R Lee
Prices and Payments
You can sign up for free and use Zoosk for free through its free basic account. You can upgrade through different packages to access a few privileges – nothing much.
You can upgrade for one month at $29.95 per month, 3 months at $19.98 per month, and 6 months for $12.49 per month. Paid Zoosk plans make it possible to send messages, use SmartPick, and see who is viewing your profile. You can also browse incognito when you are on the paid plan. The payment options include PayPal, debit card, and credit card.
Special Features
The main matchmaking feature on Zoosk is Carousel. This feature presents to you members through a roulette. You can then send flirts to the suggested members or skip. Another key matchmaking feature on the platform is SmartPick, which uses behavioral data to give you match suggestions.
Zoosk also collects and assembles your data which you can view on the Data Insights page. The data gives you insights on your activity and your dating style, members that you like, and people that like you. These insights can help you determine the kind of people you are going to attract and your similarities with the members you are attracted to. Other special features on the dating platform include Boost, Super Send, and Connections.
Comparing Zoosk with Other Dating Sites
Compared to other websites, Zoosk’s layout is dull or boring. The website has a simple white and blue theme that is simple but uninteresting. Overall, Zoosk aesthetically falls behind compared to websites like OkCupid, eHarmony, and Match. The similarity with these other platforms is that eHarmony and Match also have a paid subscription model.
Zoosk Desktop Website Login
A comparison of Match, eHarmony, and Zoosk shows that of the three dating platforms, Zoosk is the one more inclined towards a younger demographic or millennials.
Frequently Asking Questions
Who Can Join Zoosk?
Anyone who is at least 18 years of age can join Zoosk.
How Do I Join Zoosk?
You can join Zoosk through your Facebook account, Google account, or through the website’s sign up process. Sign up, fill in the personal information form, submit it, click the link sent to your email, and your account will be ready for use.
Does Zoosk Offer Premium Membership?
Zoosk offers premium membership in three different packages. The duration you choose determine the package, and you can go for the one month subscription, 3 months subscription, or the 6 months subscription.
Does Zoosk Give Out Refunds for Unused Time?
Zoosk does not offer refunds under any circumstances, including for unused time
What Is Zoosk’s Dating Insights?
Zoosk’s Dating Insights is a feature that helps users track their activity on the platform as well as help them in matchmaking. The feature collect’s a member’s data on the people he/she likes and the people who like her/him. Data on their dating style is also available in the insights.
How Do I Search for Potential Matches on Zoosk?
You can look for members through the search tab on the platform. Alternatively, you can utilize the Carousel function to get your matches.
What Is Zoosk’s SmartPick Technology?
The SmartPick technology analyses your behavior on the platform and use the data to suggest matches for you.
Is Using Zoosk Safe?
You are expected to take caution while using Zoosk to avoid contacts with scammers and fraudsters. You have the liberty of reporting or blocking any member who abuses you on the platform by clicking the ‘Report/Block’ button available on the abuser’s profile.