The Scoop: The most popular online dating tools — i.e. swiping and mutual matching — mimic how daters act in the real world. While critics may bemoan the superficiality of swiping right, the reality is that dating has been superficial long before Tinder came around. The most lucrative strategy for a dating platform isn’t to argue with daters about what they want, but to give them what they want. BeautifulPeople.com does just that. This niche dating site fosters an elite community where only the most attractive and desirable singles have entry. Since 2002, BeautifulPeople has received over 10 million applications, and a fraction have been deemed beautiful enough to join the fun.
We’re all told growing up that it’s what’s inside that counts, but, in the dating world, the outside is undeniably important, too. Singles often make snap decisions about who they want to date based on a beautiful smile rather than a beautiful soul.
BeautifulPeople.com empowers attractive singles to be selective when seeking a romantic partner.
Some dating sites try to discourage users from judging one another based on looks, but BeautifulPeople.com doesn’t see the point in telling its users that what they want is wrong. Instead, the dating site has allowed its members to be selective and pursue dates in an exclusively attractive community.
Since 2002, BeautifulPeople has distinguished itself in the dating world by embracing the idea that singles want to date pretty people. This niche dating site has stirred up controversy over the years by catering to the most desirable and physically beautiful singles in the dating scene.
However, the team stands by the success of the dating site and boasts about the quality of its membership.
BeautifulPeople maintains the world’s largest exclusive dating club for attractive men and women. Greg Hodge, the dating site’s Managing Director, said BeautifulPeople’s application rate has been growing as online daters seek out niche sites and like-minded communities.
“BeautifulPeople has been operating since 2002, when online dating was still seen as quite taboo,” Greg said. “We helped pave the way for niche sites, and, because of our exclusive business model, we have been a lightning rod for criticism over the years.”
The Site Has Its Members Vote on Who’s Hot Enough to Join
Since its launch, BeautifulPeople.com has unapologetically maintained a survival-of-the-fittest attitude in the online dating scene and positioned its platform as a coveted resource for hot singles.
“BeautifulPeople was founded on the basic principle of human nature,” Greg said. “People want to be with someone they are attracted to. It’s Darwinism.”
The idea of BeautifulPeople is simple, but how does the dating site decide who is and is not attractive? It doesn’t. The members do.
BeautifulPeople.com’s members collectively determine which applicants can join the dating site.
BeautifulPeople members vote on all potential newcomers to the site. The applicants submit a photo of themselves and a profile description, and members of the opposite sex have 48 hours to review this information and vote them up or down.
“The vote is fair and democratic,” Greg assured us. “If applicants get a majority of positive votes, they are accepted. Failed applicants’ profiles are removed.”
That’s it. No appeals or buy-ins. The members have the power to decide who to let in or keep out. If a majority of members don’t like someone, for whatever reason, that person cannot join the club. This system ensures the quality and desirability of the membership.
The voting process is controversial, but it works because it gives members what they want and allows them to honestly pursue their desires. BeautifulPeople recognizes that superficial judgments are a natural part of dating and has provided tools to help singles take their dating experiences up a notch.
“Attraction is important,” Greg said. “The initial attraction is physical. It may not be politically correct to say so; however, it is honest. BeautifulPeople removes the first hurdle as everyone in the community is attractive as voted so by the members.”
Over 10 Million Have Applied, But Only the Elite Make It In
BeautifulPeople.com has over 750,000 members around the world. These individuals are the cream of the dating crop, voted in from more than 10 million applications over the last decade. Most members reside in the US, the UK, Brazil, and France.
Greg told us that women have an easier time being accepted into BeautifulPeople than men do, and the dating site generally has a slight bias toward female users. He attributes this to the voting system and the differences in how men and women on the site vote people in.
“A dating site where existing members hold the key to the door.” — BeautifulPeople.com
The voting system has given the BeautifulPeople team insight into how its users select partners and determine desirability. Men tend to spend an average of one to two seconds deciding whether to like a photo. Men tend to make their judgments based on the picture alone, while women linger over the words in the profile. Greg said it’s not enough for men to be attractive to get into BeautifulPeople — they have to have more things going for them.
“Women tend to look at the bigger overall picture such as income, job status, profile text, and where the male applicants are going in life,” Greg said. “Some of the more materialistic values do come into play when women vote. Due to this the women are tougher critics when defining what is beautiful to them.”
Greg stands behind the effectiveness of the BeautifulPeople’s dating platform. “Many thousands of members have found love through our community,” he said, “with thousands of marriages and many beautiful babies born.”
A New Policy to Give Failed Applicants Feedback & Support
In 2018, BeautifulPeople.com plans to unveil substantial changes to its website. The team is changing their business model to pay more attention to helping the people who try and fail to join BeautifulPeople. Instead of letting those singles slink off in disappointment, the dating platform plans to give them options to improve themselves and, hopefully, gain access to the dating site with another application.
This can make a dramatic difference in the company’s bottom line because 90% of its applicants are rejected from the site. That means they take their dating hopes elsewhere and spend time and money on competitors.
The BeautifulPeople team has revolutionized the dating space by being honest about what singles desire most.
“Historically we have never monetized the failed applicants, which is the majority of traffic to our apps and website,” Greg said. “Going forward, we’ll be changing the business model to give failed applicants the opportunity to receive detailed feedback from a beauty consultant or plastic surgeon.”
The follow-up consultations will help the applicants understand why they were rejected (maybe they used a blurry photo or should consider cutting their hair) and what they can do to increase their odds of making it in on their next attempt.
BeautifulPeople will give advice and recommend goods and services to help singles work on their appearance and dating skills.
For instance, if someone looks overweight in the photo they submitted, the image consultant may recommend a personal trainer or a dietitian to help the person become the best possible version of themselves. This feedback will be available for a small fee.
“Our goal is to increase revenue through introducing additional revenue streams,” Greg said, “and to provide constructive criticism that enables applicants to make positive life changes.”
BeautifulPeople Sees Itself as the VIP Room of Online Dating
When building a relationship, personality is important, but, when it comes to attraction, looks continue to influence the decisions of most, if not all, singles. BeautifulPeople.com recognizes the importance of appearance in dating and has capitalized on it with a democratic system for refining the online dating pool to only the most desirable individuals.
The site’s community of good-looking men and women has drawn some criticism over the years, but it also continues to attract millions of applications from all over the world. Many singles feel intrigued by the dating site’s unique premise and want to know if they have what it takes to be one of the beautiful people on BeautifulPeople.
“BeautifulPeople is a niche boutique dating site,” Greg said. “If the online dating market were a nightclub, we would be the VIP room.”
