Curious about HowAboutWe’s unique take on internet dating, we conducted an evaluation of the site in order to discover what the user experience would be like. This is our HowAboutWe review

— Pros and Cons —

Pros

• Unique concept
• Focused on real meet ups
• iPhone and Android apps available

Cons

• No webcam chat
• Shy personalities may not be comfortable with fast-tracking real-life meetings

— In-Depth HowAboutWe Review —

Imagine this unique premise, an online dating site that encourages people to get to know each other in offline situations to determine if they are a good match. In a nutshell, that is what HowAboutWe.com offers. While other online dating sites focus on creating complex matchmaking algorithms to find compatibility among their members, HowAboutWe focuses more on bringing two people together — in real-life — for a personal meet up which will allow their own instinct to determine if they are a match — not some cold line of computer code.

We know, you may be asking yourself “why would I need a site to accomplish that?” The answer is that HowAboutWe acts as the intermediary for bringing two people together based on a spark of intrigue felt by both.

At first, that might not be enough to properly understand the purpose of HowAboutWe. It is best to think of the site as a mutual friend that brings two people together because they think that they are going to hit it off. The site attempts to bring two people together with similar chemistry and then lets them make the determination if they are a fit or not.

The name of the site, HowAboutWe, originates from the premise that if users complete the phrase “how about we ___,” and if other users are allowed to see how others filled in the blank, by the power of that phrase alone — intrigue or curiosity could build about the other person. So much so, that both people will be interested enough in seeing what the other person is like in real life.

It sounds very simple, but if you think about it, it replicates one of the most common experiences that people have when meeting people in the physical world. It captures that intangible spark that draws you to another person — that certain “je ne sais quoi” as the French would say.

With such opening lines as “how about we grab a milkshake and then conquer the world,” or “how about we ditch our computerized dating overlords and have lunch,” it is easier to understand how a single line can create a “spark.”

— Getting Started with the Site —

When you first visit the HowAboutWe site you are greeted with a very simple page. The predominant feature is a drop-down menu asking you whether you are gay or straight and if you are a man or a woman. If you fill in the information and then click on a yellow “get started” button, you are on your way to register on the site.

The full registration process is fairly simple compared to other online dating sites. The way that the profile building portion of the registration is stylized makes what is normally a routine process fun and entertaining. The questions that are posed to you are conversational in nature. You don’t feel like you are undergoing an interrogation — it’s more like answering a series of laid-back questions. Also, you can skip any of the questions on your profile building questionnaire. Of course, the more you answer, the better for matchmaking purposes.

HowAboutWe makes posting a profile picture mandatory. Before you start the registration process it’s best to have your preferred picture ready, as without one you cannot complete the registration process.

In our evaluation, we took less than six minutes to complete the registration process.

— Features and Functionality —

After registering, you can access your welcome page on HowAboutWe. By default, what you first see is the “speed date” feature of the site. This displays the profile pictures of other users and their completed “how about we” phrase in an endless scroll format similar to Tinder. You can either vote “yes” or “no” on each profile as they appear. Based on the number of “yes” votes that profiles receive, that is how the site determines which profiles to include in the “editor’s pick” section of the site.

The feature labeled “tonight” will display other members in your area that are interested in meeting up that same day. You can activate this feature on your profile any time that you are interested in a spontaneous date.

— Communicating with Others —

When you stumble upon a profile that interests you there is a button labeled “I’m Intrigued” that you can select to let the other member know.

There is also an online chat module that members can use for live chat. This chat module is very simplistic in its functionality. You can only engage in text chat and cannot engage webcams or send images. This is done to encourage the “offline” meeting of its members.

Apart from access to the HowAboutWe blog — which offers online dating tips — there are no further features. The feature set can be accessed from any web browser or via their iPhone and Android apps which can be downloaded from their respective app stores.

— Security and Safety —

Taking into consideration that HowAboutWe focuses intensely on getting their members to meet in real life as quickly as possible, safety concerns did come to mind. During our evaluation, we did not proceed all the way to an actual meet up with another member, but for those of you that might join the service and who will meet others in person — please, exercise common sense. Make certain to meet only in very public areas and always let someone know where you’ll be. Also, check-in with that person at a predetermined time to make sure all is well.

Keep in mind that HowAboutWe does not conduct background checks on its members, so you are entirely responsible for exercising caution. Then again, this should always be the case when meeting someone for the first time, regardless of the dating site.

— Pricing —

You can join HowAboutWe for free, however, the user experience will be severely limited. Only paid members can engage the site’s messaging platform and respond to “intrigues” received from others.

HowAboutWe uses a monthly subscription model to give users full access to the site. The monthly cost of membership is $28. This is rather high compared to other online dating sites. It is possible to bring the monthly cost down to as low as $8 per month if you pay for a full year in advance.