Бюджетный маркетинг — Владимир Фунтиков, Creative Mobile (КРИ 2013)

Бюджетный маркетинг: борьба за место в топе
(с) Владимир Фунтиков, Creative Mobile
КРИ 2013

Видео:

Слайды:
Владимир поделился своим опытом: как команда разработчиков без инвестиций, связей и PR компаний достигла успеха на рынке мобильных игр.

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Всего за 2 года никому неизвестная команда превратилась в независимого разработчика мобильных и социальных игр. Игры от Creative Mobile для Android’а набрали более 100 миллионов загрузок.

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Когда вы маленькая группа энтузиастов, у которой нет ни денег, ни знакомств, ни бренда, то есть только два решения этих проблем:

Решение А: искать инвестора для своих игр.
Решение Б: использовать бюджетный маркетинг.

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Android был выбран по двум причинам: уже был опыт разработки под данную ОС и на рынке Google Play аудитория менее требовательная к приложениям.

Прежде чем браться за разработку желательно провести анализ конкурентной среды. Этого обычно никто не делает, т.к обычно сосредоточены на разработке. Но такой анализ помогает не только будущему маркетингу, но и выбору правильного направления при дизайне игры.

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Найдите, чем отличиться от других игр своего жанра. Игра может стать успешной даже если она просто не будет повторять ошибок своих предшественников.

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Вот так изменилась игра в последнем апдейте.

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

И вот как этот апдейнт изменил позицию в рейтинге Google Play.

Доклад КРИ - Бюджетный маркетинг

Доклад - Бюджетный маркетинг

Сравнение двух игр в разделе гонок.

Доклад - Бюджетный маркетинг

Бюджет Real Racing 3 от Electronic Arts неизвестен, но явно очень большой (на слайде указано расстояние от Земли до Солнца).

Доклад - Бюджетный маркетинг

Бюджет Hill Climb Racing — также неизвестен, но его размер вряд ли сильно больше стоимости ящика пива. 🙂

Доклад - Бюджетный маркетинг

Их позиции на Google Play.

Доклад - Бюджетный маркетинг

Доклад - Бюджетный маркетинг

Доклад - Бюджетный маркетинг

19 126 комментариев

19 126 thoughts on “Бюджетный маркетинг — Владимир Фунтиков, Creative Mobile (КРИ 2013)”

  1. Online dating is a fantastic thing when you find a website or app that really works for you. With estimates as high as 8,000 dating sites available worldwide, however, it can be hard to discern which dating websites are complete wastes of time. In preparing for this Flirt.com review, I saw a very familiar template and knew exactly what I was looking at. Here’s a sneak peek:

    We like to do a lot of dating site reviews here at Beyond Ages to eliminate fake sites and time wasters. Since your online dating experience can only be as good as the website you use, it’s an important factor. By pointing you in the right direction with a detailed review, you can spend more time on actual dates. That’s how it’s meant to work, right?

    You need to be using at least one or two of the top dating apps right now if you want to get any real results. So many people exclusively look online now, thanks social distancing, that you can’t avoid it even if you want to. Fortunately there are a few great options out there for most people, you just need to do your research first.

    How we reviewed Flirt.com
    A lot of the reviews seem to cover the site based on a cursory glance. Rather than just talking about how the site looks and how I assume it would function, I want to go deeper.
    I’ll always set up a free profile, only filling out the mandatory fields at first. What I’m looking for here is to see if I’ll receive a bunch of inbox spam. Fake dating websites will often have a bunch of fake accounts that try to fool you into signing up for their premium service. Since no real user would message a blank profile, a busy inbox straight away means you’re seeing spambots.

    No matter how this turns out, I’ll then use the site for a week or two with this free account. I’ll add profile photos and complete my bio like normal. My aim is to set up as many dates as possible as a free user. I’m looking to see if it’s even possible and if so, how the experience compares to some of the more popular sites. After that, I move on to a paid account several weeks after that. I want to see if the premium perks make it any easier for me to set up dates.

    All in all, I end up with a far better understanding of what it’s like to actually use the site. This makes for a far more informative review. If I can save just one person from being scammed, all this effort is totally worthwhile.

    Every BeyondAges writer follows strict and verifiable guidelines. Unlike other dating sites, our reviews are always up-to-date and sourced by local experts–not rehashes of stuff you can find elsewhere.

    Methodology Description
    Rigorous Testing Conducting thorough reviews of dating apps and websites through extensive use over weeks/months.
    Anecdotal Experience Utilizing the practical experiences of a large team of dating and relationship coaches.
    Expertise Leveraging decades of practice in the dating scene to provide up-to-date and impactful advice. We balance subjectivity in an objective framework to give our readers a more wholistic frame of reference for modern dating.
    Continuous Learning Exploring new approaches to dating success to ensure advice remains relevant and effective. This includes out-of-the-box thinking to discover new trends and hacks.
    Online Focus We place a significant focus on how online dating and virtual communication affect modern dating dynamics. From apps, sites, chat rooms, video calls – we delve deep into the pros and cons.
    User Engagement Engaging with readers to comment and share their experiences to build a vibrant community, enhance trust, and ultimately create a better dating experience.
    Affiliate Disclaimer:
    At BeyondAges.com, some of our links are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you click on them and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. This does not influence our content; our opinions, reviews, and articles are based on objective analysis and remain unbiased.

    Please note that we do not directly sell products; our links lead to third-party websites with their own terms and policies. Your support through these links helps us maintain our site and continue delivering valuable content to our community.

    Thank you for trusting BeyondAges.com and being a part of our journey.

    Our Full Flirt.com Review: Fun or None?
    No need to hide the conclusion for this site all the way at the bottom. It’s part of a massive network of fake dating websites that seem to point back to TopOffers.com. If you’re not familiar with this network, I’d suggest reading through the rest of Flirt review anyway. The more you can understand and look out for these fake sites, the safer your credit card will be.

    AFF (which you can try for free) is one of the largest hookup sites out there right now and where we’ve seen guys especially get good results, which makes it Flirt.com’s biggest competitor. A great first step to any review is a brief comparison between the best option out there (AFF) and Flirt.

    So, below is a quick comparison so you can see how the two stack up.

    Our Recommendation
    In all honesty, Flirt.com disappoints on almost every front except usability. While the website’s layout is user-friendly and easy to navigate, it serves no real purpose when the only “women” I ended up conversing with turned out to be individuals located who knows where. Overall, my experience left much to be desired.

    The initial giveaway was the profiles themselves. Most of the profiles I encountered were nearly empty, containing only basic information. I frequently encountered profiles of women seeking men aged 18-96, which deviates from the norm where most dating apps feature users with more specific criteria for potential matches.

    Here is a screenshot of the typical interactions I experienced with users who messaged me. In my experience, nobody initiates a conversation like this. Typically, women would begin with a simple “hi,” “hello,” or a comment about your profile. However, the messages I received from Flirt.com users appeared to be generated by bots. It immediately put me on guard, signaling that I was dealing with a low-quality site primarily focused on coaxing users into subscribing to their premium services.

    Questionable message 1

    Questionable message 2

    When you compare it to the top sites out there now, like AFF, it looks even worse.

    I was looking for a hookup, so I used AFF instead. They boast over 60 million (real) users and are specifically targeted at hookups. I can send a handful of messages and expect a few replies even if my messages might be branded as “generic”. It’s infinitely better than giving this dodgy network your hard-earned money.

    If AFF doesn’t do it for you, we recently reviewed all of the top dating apps and websites out there. Have a look through that list and see what appeals to you most.

    How Did I Recognize That This Site Was Suspicious?
    After spending extensive time writing detailed dating site reviews, I’ve become acquainted with larger networks in the industry. In the case of TopOffers, a significant portion of their websites seems to share the same template and tactics. I’ve examined and reviewed these sites, and I could quickly discern that Flirt.com was just another site in their lineup of subpar dating platforms. Take a look at the five other sites within their network, and you’ll notice the striking similarity. As evident, Flirt.com closely resembles them as well.

    Site design similar to other sites
    Site design similar to other sites

    Other sites with a similar design

    They seem to register a collection of cringe domain names like “Shagaholic.com” then duplicate the site over and over. About the only thing that really changes is the color scheme, honestly. So, the moment I logged into with my free account I knew exactly what to expect and I wasn’t surprised.

    hey seem to register an array of cringe-worthy domain names like “Shagaholic.com” and replicate the same site repeatedly. The primary difference typically lies in the color scheme. Consequently, the moment I logged into my free account, I immediately recognized what to expect, and I was far from surprised.

    What Is This “Top Offers” You Keep Mentioning? As I delved deeper into writing more dating site reviews, I began noticing recurring names in the footer. The more closely I examined, the more connections I unearthed. It turns out this network comprises a whopping 218 fake dating websites! Most of these fall under one of six shell companies:

    Bulova Invest Ltd
    Together Networks Holdings Limited
    Nelfor Services Limited
    Timespace Holdings Limited
    Kingsrock Holdings Ltd
    Northlock Holdings Ltd
    If you ever encounter any of these names in a dating website’s footer, it’s time to cancel your account. In my years of scrutinizing dating sites, I knew that any site affiliated with these companies would adopt the same template, employ the same tactics, and ultimately disappoint users—no meaningful connections, money wasted, and the looming concern that my credit card details might be misused.

    What Makes These Sites So Dubious?
    A legitimate question indeed and one that deserves an answer. In essence, nothing about the 218 sites within their network is genuine, but they employ tactics to feign authenticity. I would incessantly receive messages from profiles on the site, but they were all either hidden behind a paywall or required payment to reply. These would typically be flirtatious messages from bots aiming to deceive me into subscribing to a premium account. With any site resorting to such tactics, I could never recommend divulging your credit card information.

    What makes these sites so bad?
    This is a fair question and an important one to answer. In short, nothing about the 218 sites in their network are legitimate, but they use tactics to pretend otherwise. I would constantly receive messages from profiles on the site but they’re all behind a paywall or I had to pay to reply. These will be flirty messages from a bot that tried to trick me into paying for a premium account. With any site that’s going to use tactics like these, I could never suggest handing over your credit card information.

    Conversation behind a paywall
    Conversation behind a paywall

    Moreover, as I discovered in my Flirt review, they will utilize your information to populate their other websites as well. They replicate your profile on other dubious “dating” platforms, making you unwittingly endorse their bots.

    It’s essentially a colossal affiliate network—where you are the product. As the saying goes, “If you’re not paying for it, you’re the product.”

    My Advice: The moment you encounter this template and receive suspicious messages from “users” claiming to be single women interested in meeting up, run. Be vigilant for messages that feel inauthentic. While users on this site may appear overly eager to interact, exercise caution. Chances are, they are merely trying to coax you into subscribing without any assurance of an actual meetup.

    Instead of squandering your time on sites like Flirt.com, I recommend opting for a more trustworthy dating platform. If you’re seeking hookups, I suggest using Adult FriendFinder (AFF). In my experience, no other platform surpasses AFF when it comes to facilitating casual encounters. Unlike Tinder, where your profile picture often dictates your entire experience, AFF places a more significant emphasis on genuine sexual chemistry. Furthermore, you have the advantage of filtering users based on your preferences, ensuring you find plenty of singles who align with your desires. Need more details? Check out our full review of Adult FriendFinder to know more about why we always recommend this site!

    Between Adult FriendFinder and Flirt.com, the choice is clear, and I wholeheartedly endorse AFF. I believe you should too!

    Learn More about Fake Dating Sites with Beyond Ages:
    Want to learn more about more fake dating sites like Flirt.com? Read our popular guide, The List of Fake Dating Sites You Should Avoid, and learn about some commonly-known and not-so-commonly-known scam sites out there:

    Author: Tom Senkus, Dating And Relationship Expert

    Excerpt: “Scammer dating sites often use overly attractive profiles to entice users. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

    There are a couple of signs to look for when screening overly attractive profiles:

    All of their photos look professional and possibly sourced from a modeling agency

    None of their photos have local landmarks or locations that match their stated location

    Their profile has “salesy” language that seems to be flattering to the reader without any specifics (“I’m looking for an older man that’s looking to settle down…”)

    Their profile seems to be generated by AI (artificial intelligence)

    Overtly sexual language meant to entice users

    Sales funnels like OnlyFans or contacting on alternative messaging platforms (like Snapchat for trading pics)

    A large difference between the quality of profiles for legitimate profiles versus ones you suspect to be fake. Not to be negative, but exceptionally model-tier attractive people tend to not use dating apps regularly (or they use exclusive luxury dating apps,). If you find too many attractive women on a relatively new app, for instance, you can reasonably assume that the developers are “padding” the available matches.”

    Expert Publications on Online Dating Site Scams
    The rabbit hole goes deep when it comes to online dating scams and the behavior of vast criminal networks around the world. If you’re curious to learn more about avoiding scams, there are plenty of academic studies where you can learn about which scams are more prevalent, how sites are attempting to prevent illegal/manipulative behavior, and more:

    Ignatius Hua Nyam – Lecturer, Department of Liberal Studies/Directorate of Policing Training Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil-Kano State- Nigeria

    “There are several reasons behind the propagation of online scams. An individual’s greed of sharing the wealth with a specificwealthy online partner is one of the reasons. Poverty also drives desperate individuals into cybercrime that involves romance scams. Some victims are affected because they did not know any better. While their desire to have emotional attachment trap others.

    Chenyang Wang

    “In an era of widespread mass marketing scams on the Internet, many victims have reported varying degrees of financial loss and psychological damage after encountering lottery scams and advance payment scams. Among them, the emotional damage to victims of online dating scams may be even more severe because the whole scam process involves mental attachment, sexual abuse, and relationship breakdown. There is little help and support for victims throughout the scam process and even after the scam is over, which not only makes it difficult for victims to get timely and professional assistance after experiencing online scams, but victims even run the risk of being scammed by criminals again afterward, so timely help and professional psychological treatment for victims is of positive significance. In previous studies, there are fewer reports summarizing and analyzing the psychological conditions of victims.”

    Fangzhou Wang, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Texas at Arlington

    “Our observations indicate that scammers not only diversify their approaches to prompt more responses, such as appealing to their romantic relationships, asking for identifying information and requesting victims switch to private chat platforms, but they also use several techniques for getting victims to overcome their misgivings about sending the scammers more money. For example, scammers subtly persuade victims to see themselves as holding more power in the interaction than they do.”

    What’s your experience been like using Flirt? Comment below and share your experience with the BeyondAges community.
    VISIT FLIRT NOW
    → CLICK TO TRY AFF FOR FREE ←
    Pros and cons
    No matter how dubious a site may be, there are usually some redeeming aspects. In the case of Flirt.com, however, the “positives” come off as thinly veiled criticisms:

  2. Flirt.com is for adults looking for fun, flirty encounters rather than serious dating. The site is aimed at the younger crowd, though there are older members there and some seeking longer term relationships. It offers free membership for women, while men can join for free but must pay for additional services such as email.

    Flirt has been recently revamped and is designed for people looking for casual dating. Most people there are in their twenties and early thirties, though there is no upper age limit. It’s owned by the Cupid Dating network and caters mostly to members in the UK, the U.S. and Australia, though membership is open to anyone.

    Flirt is «spicier» than your regular dating site — don’t expect to find your next significant other there.

    Naughty mode
    This site is designed to have a light, fun feel to it. It is not intended to be an «adult» site, though there is some mature content. Most adult content can be blocked by switching-off «naughty mode» (the initial setting).

    This will hide any images that are explicit. Flirt is a worth a look if you are single and looking to meet new people and have a little fun. Those looking for more serious relationships would probably be better off looking elsewhere.

    Features
    Flirt.com is feature rich, offering email, message boards, chat rooms, member diaries, videos as well as basic flirts and emails. Flirt has a dedicated mobile site for those wanting access their matches on the go. They also sponsor speed dating and other live events for those who want to meet someone in person.

    Membership
    Women have access to all features of for free. Men can join for free, but will need a paid membership in order to use some features of the site. Despite being free for women there is still a very high proportion of male users.

    Flirt ist ok. A few fake profiles (like everywhere), a few cam girls (like everywhere) and a few scammers (like everywhere) but generally the site seems to be real. Personally prefer because i’ve actually hooked up twice using it, but just wanted to try somethin’ new so decided to give Flirt a chance.
    Not worth it. I had no luck on this site after six months.
    Though it’s a casual site, I met my love here. So everything’s in your hands. Try, you won’t lose anything.
    Good site for flirting and one night stands! Unfortunately one day this won’t be enough for you and flirt cannot offer you something serious.
    I’m really glad that a friend of mine gave me the advice to register on Flirt to make my life more spicy. I wasn’t really going to have anything more than just a naughty chat but it turned out that there’s a nice lady in mt city who’s willing to date with me. I’m freaking happy now
    Though it’s a casual site, I met my love here. So everything’s in your hands. Try, you won’t lose anything.
    This site is bull****, it’s a total scam, the profiles of women are not even real they are all fake, when you create a profile and it becomes active they suck you in by sending you lots of messages and winks from so called women which are not even real and don’t actually exist and because you can’t read the messages as an unpaid member to be able to read the messages you have to subscribe and pay for a membership then once you do that and you respond to the messages you don’t get a reply back.
    This site claims that singles are in your area, but in truth that they live elsewhere. I had received a lot of mail from people that the site claimed were in my area, but they actually lived far away. Beware of scammers as well, I have found quite a bit of them on this whose profiles seemed to be processed quickly since their information is available. However, those members who may actually be real usually have the contents of their profile information pending. I’ve seen a lot of scam activity on this site and very little actual people.
    Cute looking site like many others however only here I’ve had 5 dates within 3 weeks after the start. Also I should note that flirt sometimes really hard to use and it’s taking some time to feel yourself comfortable during usage of it and actually it’s not because of gliches or something simply the pictures of buttons are obvious so sometimes you can find yourself on the page you haven’t wanted to open. However I should admit that in the end it worth all the troubles in the start.
    Hi everyone. I didn’t have very high expectations of this sort of thing. However, I have loads of fun talking to people and an amazing amount of interest is being shown in me. Hope things will get even better when I add my photo, hehe 🙂 you guys better do this too, if you haven’t yet 😉 5*
    Just a warbibg to others. This website sometimes states that people are in cities that they are not. For example, the site may say that they’re in Chicago when they may actually be in Dallas.
    Great site! Met some great people and got chatting on the phone with a local using the ‘Talk Live’ feature. I wasn’t expecting much from the whole ‘online dating’ thing other than a bit of joking around and wind-ups, a lot of the feedback from web dating isn’t that reassuring. After signing up for a trial I had a lazy look around the site, but didn’t make much of it, it looks well designed and is easy to navigate, but the abundance of options was a bit overwhelming for a beginner like me. I didn’t go back to it until a few weeks later, I was bored and lonely on a Saturday afternoon and the reason that I joined a dating site became very much apparent again! So i had another crack at it and decided to try and get something out of it this time. After I made the effort to fill in my profile and what I was looking for in a match things got better very quickly. Got chatting with a member who at my request agreed to having a chat over the phone (this might scare some people or way or sound a bit forward, but the talk live feature uses an anonymous caller id so neither party’s numbers are given away, so it’s less of a big deal), and started up a bit of a regular thing with her! Maybe I’m lucky, or maybe it’s my good looks and charm;). Since then we’ve been on a couple of nights out together and get on well… I haven’t been online since! Fingers crossed!!!

  3. Pros and cons
    No matter how dubious a site may be, there are usually some redeeming aspects. In the case of Flirt.com, however, the “positives” come off as thinly veiled criticisms:

    PositivesNegatives
    No real women on the site
    You can’t read messages or reply to them unless you pay
    Even if you pay for a membership, none of the «women» will reply to you
    Chatting and messaging
    My messaging experience on this website would be great if there were real users on it. The layout is so intuitive and easy to use but any attempt to talk to someone brings you to this:

    Payment page to reply to a message

    Even when I got a pop-up window in the corner like the one below, I can’t reply. The moment I clicked in the text field to reply, I’m taken to that same subscription page.

    Pop-up message

    It’s quite disheartening, really. Yakf3 assured me that I wouldn’t regret meeting her, yet it seems I may never get the chance now. This problem persisted with every bot that messaged me.

    As illustrated in our recommendation, some messages don’t even reveal their initial content. You receive a notification that someone messaged you, but to view it, you must upgrade to a premium account.

    Alternatives to Apps For Normal Guys Recommended By Dating Experts

    If you haven’t been getting good results from dating apps you’re probably using the wrong apps. There are a few options out there that we’ve been seeing a lot of regular guys do really well with that you need to try:

    Who’s Flaking?
    Screentshots from our review of Flirt.com
    Share
    Tweet
    Pin
    Online dating is a fantastic thing when you find a website or app that really works for you. With estimates as high as 8,000 dating sites available worldwide, however, it can be hard to discern which dating websites are complete wastes of time. In preparing for this Flirt.com review, I saw a very familiar template and knew exactly what I was looking at. Here’s a sneak peek:

    Site Our Experience Our Rating Free Trial Link

    Best for hookups
    Experience Highlights
    Experience Highlights
    Best results for regular guys
    Over 60 million active members
    Our top hookup site for the year
    Not good for long-term relationships
    9
    Try AFF For Free
    Experience Highlights
    Experience Highlights
    No real women on the site
    You need to pay to message anyone
    Even if you pay for a membership, none of the «women» will reply to you
    3
    Try Flirt.com
    We like to do a lot of dating site reviews here at Beyond Ages to eliminate fake sites and time wasters. Since your online dating experience can only be as good as the website you use, it’s an important factor. By pointing you in the right direction with a detailed review, you can spend more time on actual dates. That’s how it’s meant to work, right?

    You need to be using at least one or two of the top dating apps right now if you want to get any real results. So many people exclusively look online now, thanks social distancing, that you can’t avoid it even if you want to. Fortunately there are a few great options out there for most people, you just need to do your research first.

    How we reviewed Flirt.com
    A lot of the reviews seem to cover the site based on a cursory glance. Rather than just talking about how the site looks and how I assume it would function, I want to go deeper.
    I’ll always set up a free profile, only filling out the mandatory fields at first. What I’m looking for here is to see if I’ll receive a bunch of inbox spam. Fake dating websites will often have a bunch of fake accounts that try to fool you into signing up for their premium service. Since no real user would message a blank profile, a busy inbox straight away means you’re seeing spambots.

    No matter how this turns out, I’ll then use the site for a week or two with this free account. I’ll add profile photos and complete my bio like normal. My aim is to set up as many dates as possible as a free user. I’m looking to see if it’s even possible and if so, how the experience compares to some of the more popular sites. After that, I move on to a paid account several weeks after that. I want to see if the premium perks make it any easier for me to set up dates.

    All in all, I end up with a far better understanding of what it’s like to actually use the site. This makes for a far more informative review. If I can save just one person from being scammed, all this effort is totally worthwhile.

    Every BeyondAges writer follows strict and verifiable guidelines. Unlike other dating sites, our reviews are always up-to-date and sourced by local experts–not rehashes of stuff you can find elsewhere.

    Methodology Description
    Rigorous Testing Conducting thorough reviews of dating apps and websites through extensive use over weeks/months.
    Anecdotal Experience Utilizing the practical experiences of a large team of dating and relationship coaches.
    Expertise Leveraging decades of practice in the dating scene to provide up-to-date and impactful advice. We balance subjectivity in an objective framework to give our readers a more wholistic frame of reference for modern dating.
    Continuous Learning Exploring new approaches to dating success to ensure advice remains relevant and effective. This includes out-of-the-box thinking to discover new trends and hacks.
    Online Focus We place a significant focus on how online dating and virtual communication affect modern dating dynamics. From apps, sites, chat rooms, video calls – we delve deep into the pros and cons.
    User Engagement Engaging with readers to comment and share their experiences to build a vibrant community, enhance trust, and ultimately create a better dating experience.
    Affiliate Disclaimer:
    At BeyondAges.com, some of our links are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you click on them and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. This does not influence our content; our opinions, reviews, and articles are based on objective analysis and remain unbiased.

    Please note that we do not directly sell products; our links lead to third-party websites with their own terms and policies. Your support through these links helps us maintain our site and continue delivering valuable content to our community.

    Thank you for trusting BeyondAges.com and being a part of our journey.

    Our Full Flirt.com Review: Fun or None?
    No need to hide the conclusion for this site all the way at the bottom. It’s part of a massive network of fake dating websites that seem to point back to TopOffers.com. If you’re not familiar with this network, I’d suggest reading through the rest of Flirt review anyway. The more you can understand and look out for these fake sites, the safer your credit card will be.

    AFF (which you can try for free) is one of the largest hookup sites out there right now and where we’ve seen guys especially get good results, which makes it Flirt.com’s biggest competitor. A great first step to any review is a brief comparison between the best option out there (AFF) and Flirt.

    So, below is a quick comparison so you can see how the two stack up.

    Site logo Adult FriendFinder Logo
    Overall
    3
    9.5
    Quality of Women
    2
    9
    Popularity
    4
    9
    Usability
    10
    10
    Privacy & Safety
    8
    10
    Effectiveness
    1
    9
    Value
    1
    10
    VISIT FLIRT NOW
    → CLICK TO TRY AFF FOR FREE ←
    Our Recommendation
    In all honesty, Flirt.com disappoints on almost every front except usability. While the website’s layout is user-friendly and easy to navigate, it serves no real purpose when the only “women” I ended up conversing with turned out to be individuals located who knows where. Overall, my experience left much to be desired.

    The initial giveaway was the profiles themselves. Most of the profiles I encountered were nearly empty, containing only basic information. I frequently encountered profiles of women seeking men aged 18-96, which deviates from the norm where most dating apps feature users with more specific criteria for potential matches.

    Here is a screenshot of the typical interactions I experienced with users who messaged me. In my experience, nobody initiates a conversation like this. Typically, women would begin with a simple “hi,” “hello,” or a comment about your profile. However, the messages I received from Flirt.com users appeared to be generated by bots. It immediately put me on guard, signaling that I was dealing with a low-quality site primarily focused on coaxing users into subscribing to their premium services.

    Questionable message 1

    Questionable message 2

    When you compare it to the top sites out there now, like AFF, it looks even worse.

    I was looking for a hookup, so I used AFF instead. They boast over 60 million (real) users and are specifically targeted at hookups. I can send a handful of messages and expect a few replies even if my messages might be branded as “generic”. It’s infinitely better than giving this dodgy network your hard-earned money.

    If AFF doesn’t do it for you, we recently reviewed all of the top dating apps and websites out there. Have a look through that list and see what appeals to you most.

    How Did I Recognize That This Site Was Suspicious?
    After spending extensive time writing detailed dating site reviews, I’ve become acquainted with larger networks in the industry. In the case of TopOffers, a significant portion of their websites seems to share the same template and tactics. I’ve examined and reviewed these sites, and I could quickly discern that Flirt.com was just another site in their lineup of subpar dating platforms. Take a look at the five other sites within their network, and you’ll notice the striking similarity. As evident, Flirt.com closely resembles them as well.

    Site design similar to other sites
    Site design similar to other sites

    Other sites with a similar design

    They seem to register a collection of cringe domain names like “Shagaholic.com” then duplicate the site over and over. About the only thing that really changes is the color scheme, honestly. So, the moment I logged into with my free account I knew exactly what to expect and I wasn’t surprised.

    hey seem to register an array of cringe-worthy domain names like “Shagaholic.com” and replicate the same site repeatedly. The primary difference typically lies in the color scheme. Consequently, the moment I logged into my free account, I immediately recognized what to expect, and I was far from surprised.

    What Is This “Top Offers” You Keep Mentioning? As I delved deeper into writing more dating site reviews, I began noticing recurring names in the footer. The more closely I examined, the more connections I unearthed. It turns out this network comprises a whopping 218 fake dating websites! Most of these fall under one of six shell companies:

    Bulova Invest Ltd
    Together Networks Holdings Limited
    Nelfor Services Limited
    Timespace Holdings Limited
    Kingsrock Holdings Ltd
    Northlock Holdings Ltd
    If you ever encounter any of these names in a dating website’s footer, it’s time to cancel your account. In my years of scrutinizing dating sites, I knew that any site affiliated with these companies would adopt the same template, employ the same tactics, and ultimately disappoint users—no meaningful connections, money wasted, and the looming concern that my credit card details might be misused.

    What Makes These Sites So Dubious?
    A legitimate question indeed and one that deserves an answer. In essence, nothing about the 218 sites within their network is genuine, but they employ tactics to feign authenticity. I would incessantly receive messages from profiles on the site, but they were all either hidden behind a paywall or required payment to reply. These would typically be flirtatious messages from bots aiming to deceive me into subscribing to a premium account. With any site resorting to such tactics, I could never recommend divulging your credit card information.

    What makes these sites so bad?
    This is a fair question and an important one to answer. In short, nothing about the 218 sites in their network are legitimate, but they use tactics to pretend otherwise. I would constantly receive messages from profiles on the site but they’re all behind a paywall or I had to pay to reply. These will be flirty messages from a bot that tried to trick me into paying for a premium account. With any site that’s going to use tactics like these, I could never suggest handing over your credit card information.

    Conversation behind a paywall
    Conversation behind a paywall

    Moreover, as I discovered in my Flirt review, they will utilize your information to populate their other websites as well. They replicate your profile on other dubious “dating” platforms, making you unwittingly endorse their bots.

    It’s essentially a colossal affiliate network—where you are the product. As the saying goes, “If you’re not paying for it, you’re the product.”

    My Advice: The moment you encounter this template and receive suspicious messages from “users” claiming to be single women interested in meeting up, run. Be vigilant for messages that feel inauthentic. While users on this site may appear overly eager to interact, exercise caution. Chances are, they are merely trying to coax you into subscribing without any assurance of an actual meetup.

    Instead of squandering your time on sites like Flirt.com, I recommend opting for a more trustworthy dating platform. If you’re seeking hookups, I suggest using Adult FriendFinder (AFF). In my experience, no other platform surpasses AFF when it comes to facilitating casual encounters. Unlike Tinder, where your profile picture often dictates your entire experience, AFF places a more significant emphasis on genuine sexual chemistry. Furthermore, you have the advantage of filtering users based on your preferences, ensuring you find plenty of singles who align with your desires. Need more details? Check out our full review of Adult FriendFinder to know more about why we always recommend this site!

    Between Adult FriendFinder and Flirt.com, the choice is clear, and I wholeheartedly endorse AFF. I believe you should too!

    Learn More about Fake Dating Sites with Beyond Ages:
    Want to learn more about more fake dating sites like Flirt.com? Read our popular guide, The List of Fake Dating Sites You Should Avoid, and learn about some commonly-known and not-so-commonly-known scam sites out there:

    Author: Tom Senkus, Dating And Relationship Expert

    Excerpt: “Scammer dating sites often use overly attractive profiles to entice users. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

    There are a couple of signs to look for when screening overly attractive profiles:

    All of their photos look professional and possibly sourced from a modeling agency

    None of their photos have local landmarks or locations that match their stated location

    Their profile has “salesy” language that seems to be flattering to the reader without any specifics (“I’m looking for an older man that’s looking to settle down…”)

    Their profile seems to be generated by AI (artificial intelligence)

    Overtly sexual language meant to entice users

    Sales funnels like OnlyFans or contacting on alternative messaging platforms (like Snapchat for trading pics)

    A large difference between the quality of profiles for legitimate profiles versus ones you suspect to be fake. Not to be negative, but exceptionally model-tier attractive people tend to not use dating apps regularly (or they use exclusive luxury dating apps,). If you find too many attractive women on a relatively new app, for instance, you can reasonably assume that the developers are “padding” the available matches.”

    Expert Publications on Online Dating Site Scams
    The rabbit hole goes deep when it comes to online dating scams and the behavior of vast criminal networks around the world. If you’re curious to learn more about avoiding scams, there are plenty of academic studies where you can learn about which scams are more prevalent, how sites are attempting to prevent illegal/manipulative behavior, and more:

    Ignatius Hua Nyam – Lecturer, Department of Liberal Studies/Directorate of Policing Training Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil-Kano State- Nigeria

    “There are several reasons behind the propagation of online scams. An individual’s greed of sharing the wealth with a specificwealthy online partner is one of the reasons. Poverty also drives desperate individuals into cybercrime that involves romance scams. Some victims are affected because they did not know any better. While their desire to have emotional attachment trap others.

    Chenyang Wang

    “In an era of widespread mass marketing scams on the Internet, many victims have reported varying degrees of financial loss and psychological damage after encountering lottery scams and advance payment scams. Among them, the emotional damage to victims of online dating scams may be even more severe because the whole scam process involves mental attachment, sexual abuse, and relationship breakdown. There is little help and support for victims throughout the scam process and even after the scam is over, which not only makes it difficult for victims to get timely and professional assistance after experiencing online scams, but victims even run the risk of being scammed by criminals again afterward, so timely help and professional psychological treatment for victims is of positive significance. In previous studies, there are fewer reports summarizing and analyzing the psychological conditions of victims.”

    Fangzhou Wang, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Texas at Arlington

    “Our observations indicate that scammers not only diversify their approaches to prompt more responses, such as appealing to their romantic relationships, asking for identifying information and requesting victims switch to private chat platforms, but they also use several techniques for getting victims to overcome their misgivings about sending the scammers more money. For example, scammers subtly persuade victims to see themselves as holding more power in the interaction than they do.”

    What’s your experience been like using Flirt? Comment below and share your experience with the BeyondAges community.
    VISIT FLIRT NOW
    → CLICK TO TRY AFF FOR FREE ←
    Pros and cons
    No matter how dubious a site may be, there are usually some redeeming aspects. In the case of Flirt.com, however, the “positives” come off as thinly veiled criticisms:

    PositivesNegatives
    No real women on the site
    You can’t read messages or reply to them unless you pay
    Even if you pay for a membership, none of the «women» will reply to you
    Chatting and messaging
    My messaging experience on this website would be great if there were real users on it. The layout is so intuitive and easy to use but any attempt to talk to someone brings you to this:

    Payment page to reply to a message

    Even when I got a pop-up window in the corner like the one below, I can’t reply. The moment I clicked in the text field to reply, I’m taken to that same subscription page.

    Pop-up message

    It’s quite disheartening, really. Yakf3 assured me that I wouldn’t regret meeting her, yet it seems I may never get the chance now. This problem persisted with every bot that messaged me.

    As illustrated in our recommendation, some messages don’t even reveal their initial content. You receive a notification that someone messaged you, but to view it, you must upgrade to a premium account.

    Alternatives to Apps For Normal Guys Recommended By Dating Experts

    If you haven’t been getting good results from dating apps you’re probably using the wrong apps. There are a few options out there that we’ve been seeing a lot of regular guys do really well with that you need to try:

    Site Our Experience Our Rating Free Trial Link
    Best For Relationships
    Experience Highlights
    Experience Highlights
    Easily the best option for long-term relationships
    75% of all online marriages start here
    70% of users meet their spouse within a year
    In-depth signup and matching process
    9
    Try eHarmony
    Best For Casual Fun
    Experience Highlights
    Experience Highlights
    The best way to meet women for casual relationships
    Best results for regular guys
    Over 60 million active members
    Not good for long-term relationships
    9
    Try AFF For Free
    Great If You’re Handsome
    Tinder Highlights
    Tinder Highlights
    Great if you’re pretty good looking
    Very popular, especially if you’re 18-22
    Really focused on photos
    Becoming more of a dating than hookup app
    8
    Try Tinder
    What Can You Do With a Free Membership on Flirt.com?
    Curious about the features available with a free membership on Flirt.com? Here’s what you get:

    A chance to become a star: The only real opportunity with a free profile is the potential to unwittingly become a face associated with various brands. Who wouldn’t want their image linked to “Shagaholic,” right?

    Advertisements
    A significant red flag indicating that a dating site isn’t what it claims to be is the presence of numerous advertisements. Unlike legitimate sites like AFF or eHarmony, which sustain themselves through subscriptions, Flirt.com seems to thrive on ad revenue.

    Interestingly, Flirt.com doesn’t display ads anywhere. While most lookalike sites I’ve reviewed feature numerous ads, Flirt took a different approach. Since it’s part of an affiliate network, ad revenue alone likely sustains it.

    Need to Block Ads?
    PC Magazine has a great article on how to block ads you’ll come across on dating sites like Firt. Here’s a great excerpt from Max Eddy, Lead Security Analyst at PC Magazine, in their guide “The Best Ad Blockers for 2023”:

    “While legitimate ads can be annoying enough, some ads are deceptive or even dangerous. Some take over your screen, claiming to be from law enforcement and demanding you pay a hefty (and spurious) fine. Some online ads pretend to be from antivirus scanners, proclaiming you’ve been infected and need to download their malware protection solution, which might itself be malicious or simply a way to scare you into buying a subscription you don’t need.”

    Safety & Precautions: Potential Emotional Risks of Online Dating
    One of the little-discussed phenomena about online dating is the emotional side of hookup culture. In a recent article from The Cut, a number of academics and professionals remark on the risks that men and women may endure when seeking relationships online. Do yourself a favor and read the original article (link here). To give you a preview, here are some of the most relevant quotes:

    Lisa Wade, associate professor at Tulane University and the author of American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus, says she has noticed most of her college students are, at best, ambivalent about hookup culture due to the negative connotations that come with this type of sexual interaction: “This is because of awkward hookup interactions, heartbreak, and women feeling disrespected by male sexual partners and having to constantly face the risk of sexual violence.” Wade also makes the case that college students may “feel excluded or targeted because of their race, class, ability, looks, gender identity, or gender expression”.
    Sex therapist Dr. Lexx Brown-James encourages discretion when it comes to casual relationships. “What people forget about sexual liberation,” says Brown-James, “is that it’s also the right to say no. We’re starting to understand that the conversation around empowerment needs more nuances than either going out and having lots of sex as the only means of sex positivity.”

    Frequently Asked Questions About Flirt.com
    To round off this Flirt.com review, I’ll address some of the most commonly asked questions. This should provide a comprehensive overview, but feel free to reach out if you have additional inquiries.

    What Is Flirt.com?
    Flirt.com is purportedly a dating site. However, you won’t encounter any genuine users here, and the platform reserves the right to use your content for their own purposes.

    Who Actually Owns Flirt?
    Flirt is owned by Blue Vision, which also operates a network of sites following similar questionable practices.

    How Can I Contact Flirt.com?
    You can contact them via email at support@flirt.com.

    Is Flirt Real?
    Yes, Flirt.com exists as a real site. However, it’s important to note that the platform is riddled with suspicious profiles that often don’t respond to messages.

    Is Flirt.com Legit?
    Not at all. Flirt.com is part of an affiliate network and is among the 218 subpar dating websites designed to collect your credit card information.

    Is Flirt a Scam or Fake?
    It could be considered a scam, or at the very least, a dubious site. Regardless, Flirt.com doesn’t genuinely facilitate flirting with anyone. It appears more interested in obtaining your credit card information.

    Is Flirt.com Safe?
    No, Flirt.com is not a safe platform.

    What Are the Alternatives to Flirt.com?
    Flirt.com isn’t worth your time. Instead, explore our reviews of the best hookup apps and websites to find a more reliable and authentic dating experience.

    How Does Flirt.com Work?
    Flirt.com operates by masquerading as a legitimate dating site. However, once you create an account, you’ll encounter one paywall after another, urging you to purchase a premium account. Even after upgrading, the “eager” women looking to chat with you often fall silent.

    Is There a Flirt App?
    No, Flirt.com does not have a dedicated app.

    How Do You Send Messages on Flirt?
    As a paid member, you can simply click “Chat” on any user’s profile and initiate a conversation. However, since all profiles appear to be bots, there’s little point in doing so. As a free user, clicking “Chat” will redirect you to the subscription page, urging you to sign up for a paid account.

    How Much Does Flirt.com Cost?
    For those curious about Flirt.com’s pricing plans, here they are:

    One day: $0.99
    One week: $7.00 ($1 a day)
    One month: $28.80 ($0.96 a day)
    Three months: $48.60 ($0.54 a day)
    How Can You Use Flirt for Free?
    By default, when you create a Flirt.com account, you receive a free membership. This allows you to search for members and receive messages. But in my experience, you can’t send messages unless you pay for a membership.

  4. Since 1997, Flirt.com has worked with 70 million users, claiming to take them places where their wingmen or own finesse has failed. By helping you find common interests with potential dates and flings, the site gives you the building blocks to get talking, because as they say, “It all starts with flirting.” Their simple name entices you with visions of ready and cute singles eager to get to know you intimately right in your own town. But does this site really help you with your game, or is it all talk and no action?

    First Glance
    When you first sign up, you’re invited to choose which of two genders you’re attracted to. There’s no trans* option, couples option, or bisexual option, so from the get-go you’re boxed in for what looks like a largely hetero and vanilla hookup site. Whatever you choose, make sure you pick the right one when you sign up, because once you’re a member, there’s no changing who you’re attracted to, leaving bi babes in the dust.

    After registering, creating your profile is straightforward and user-friendly. You can put as much (or as little) detail into this section as you’d like, and pick any picture you think will draw those honeys in. As soon as you finish your profile, you’re pinged by a message from the site admin with lots of “special offers” to keep you hooked. From there, you’re all signed up and ready to start meeting the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in your city.

    The Dating Pool
    From the home screen, Flirt.com promises a wealth of single people right for you. You can filter them by popularity and recent activity. However, you’ll quickly realize that only the first forty-five people or so are available for free, making it a little hard to judge the types of people this site draws in.

    If you’re looking for men, though, the first few rows of eligible bachelors makes one thing is clear: you’d better like men who frown. Out of the available matches in the Bay Area, only two had something close to a smile in their profile picture. Most photos were grainy, and there wasn’t much to go on that suggested the matches there would be fun to spend time with.

    Maybe the straight men look so down in the dumps because the available women, although more friendly and bubbly-looking, all come with a huge asterisk. The majority of profiles looked fake. As soon as I signed up, women messaged me saying I was “interesting” even though my profile and photo gallery were entirely blank. Most of the women were bots at best, or swindlers at worst, and it was hard to know if there were any real and eligible local women looking to meet.

    Unique Perks
    In spite of these red flags, Flirt.com does have a few things that make it different from other browser-based dating and hookup sites. You can do the popular Tinder-style swiping from your desktop, so you can browse without having to read their whole profile (or pay for it).

    You are allowed to send five free messages daily, and participate in chatrooms like “Naughty but Nice” and “Kink Friendly,” so you can connect to more scintillating content with (potentially) real people in your area.

    On top of it all, you can send FlirtCasts. These public messages are sent to multiple active users in the area at once, testing the waters to see who’s interested in a date.

    The catch
    Frankly, everything about Flirt.com screams “scam.” For offering features that virtually every other dating website offers – and not with any grand improvements – Flirt.com is a money drain that seems to target men over 35 who may be less than tech-savvy.

    This website reads like a bad and expensive version of Tinder, and the problems don’t end there. Many men have reported being scammed after signing up. They receive dozens of messages from women, but can’t access them all unless they pay. Once handing their credit card information over to Flirt.com, the river of messages dries up. That’s because most of the messages are from bots, there to stress new users out until they buy credits, and the site then deletes unseen messages after twenty-four hours, giving users little time to consider whether they actually want to pay for the site at all.

    And remember that site admin who messages you at the beginning? Well, it keeps coming, promising a “special discount” for access to features – which, if you’d like to use this site, you really need. Only a user’s initial photo, tagline, and name are visible for free. Their bio, interests, and other information all require a membership. The special discount they offer is 30% off of their special prices, but once that discount ends, you’ll be paying…

    $1.50/day (or $4.50) for a Three Day Trial
    $2.14/day (or ~$64.20) for one month
    $0.77/day (or ~$69.30) for three months
    $0.62/day (or ~$111.60) for six months
    And if you’re still thinking a three-day trial looks harmless, think again. The fine print reads that your three day trial “automatically converts” into a monthly membership, meaning that your $4.50 has just become a recurring $64 a month. To make things worse, Flirt.com makes it very difficult for you to navigate cancellation. Many men report having to go as far as blocking Flirt.com from their cards in order to stop the payments.

    Conclusion
    User beware! Flirt.com is one site you should stay very far away from. Although it may have started out as a legit dating and hookup site in the ‘90s, it’s devolved into a scam to steal money from men looking for lovin’. There are much better places to find a date, and you don’t need to drain your wallet to get there. I’m giving Flirt.com 1/5 stars.