Clicking for a strong connection

Financial professional Goh Kok Ming, 30, has no qualms talking about how his dating life has improved since he started using dating app LunchClick slightly more than a year ago.

Unlike other dating apps, whose modus operandi is to offer users as many choices as possible, LunchClick's free service offers users only one match a day.

As a result, impatient people who are always on the hunt for a new date are sifted out from the start, increasing the likelihood of users meeting someone looking for a serious relationship.

Using LunchClick, Mr Goh has gone on more offline dates - up to two a month - of which "five or six have been genuinely successful experiences with strong connections".

There is also no chat function on the app.

This allows him to take his time to get to know someone, as only pre-set questions that exist within the app can be asked.

"I feel like when I meet my match in real life, it means we are both still very curious about each other," he says.

"The suspense can be quite exciting."

Though he admits his busy schedule - he sometimes works 13-hour days - has meant he has yet to find time to commit to a relationship, he is optimistic about finding the right woman soon.

"Even if my dates don't lead to love, they give me a chance to make a new friend and expand my social circle, which might eventually be a way for me to meet someone in the long run," he says.

"It's important to be open- minded when using a dating app. After all, you are still dating like you did before - it's just that now, the platform is slightly different."

This article was first published on April 3, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.