Does Online Dating Work?

Unfortunately, nothing in life has a 100% guarantee - not online dating, and not offline dating. But thousands and thousands of online relationships are resulting in marriages each year!

Is Online Dating Right for You?

Some people have concerns about meeting people online. They wonder if they will meet undesirable people, have their privacy invaded, or appear desperate. Yes it is true you can meet undesirable people online, but as we all know you can meet these people anywhere (at work, school, nightclubs or singles events).

At least with online dating , you can get to know someone in a safe and secure environment before giving them any private information or meeting them in person. Typically people first see each other's profile and picture, e-mail each other through the dating service and chat through the dating service. After a period of time, they will advance to trading phone numbers. Generally, only after advancing from e-mail, chat and talking on the phone, do the people actually meet in person. And if so, people should get together in a public place.

Now please remember, join reputable dating programs that keep all your private information private. Do not join dating services that don't have a secure private anonymous e-mail for you to communicate with other members (not the one you use at home, but one they provide for you). The online services listed here are reputable companies that take security seriously. And before you jump into online dating, read our article on Internet Dating Safety Tips.

Some people also feel they will appear desperate. thatonline dating is something to be ashamed of. This is just not true All sorts of great people join online dating from all walks of life You'll find waitresses, construction workers, chefs, lawyers, doctors. and so on.

Online dating and personals solves the age-old problem of "Where can I go to meet singles? You no longer need to hang out at bars, cocktail lounges, and singles functions.

You can now meet people easily and anonymously from the comforts of your home. You can weed out undesirables with the click of your mouse. You can get to know the person first and decide if you'd like to take the relationship a step further.

And if sitting at your computer and looking through personal ads doesn't excite you, then you should consider matchmaking services or speed dating .

Matchmaking services help you find a date or soul mate by using advanced algorithms to match your wants and desires with the other cyber daters on their site. When a match is found, the personal ad is sent to you and you decide if you'd like to contact them.

Speed dating services are totally different. These are live events hosted by the speed dating service and held at fun public places (like a bar, hall or restaurant). The night is organized so you'll go on a bunch of real live mini-dates all in one night. Usually each date lasts for three to five minutes, then you move onto the next date.

So exercise caution and go have fun. Once you try online dating and personals , you'll be hooked (and hopefully get hooked)!

Why Join Online Dating Services?; The Benefits of Online Dating and Personals

Why do people join online dating services and merrily submit their personal ads? Great question... Listed below are some of the most common reasons online dating has become so popular.

First lets talk about comfort, convenience and ease.

• Ease:Online dating is easy. If you have any questions, the dating services provide lots of online help. Or read our free online dating tips


• Comfort Convenience: You can get to know people from the comfort and convenience of your own home, at any hour of the day or night.


• Modify Your Personal Ad: You can place an ad taking as much time as you'd like to compose it; If you're not happy with it down the road, no problem... change it whenever you desire. There's no rush... no stress.


• Meet When You Feel Like It: Have you ever made a date, and then wished you could change it to another day? With online dating , you can meet people when you feel like it. If you're in a great mood and want to get on the net and talk to someone, go ahead. If you're not, you can read your personal ad replies the next day.


• Removes the Stress from First Dates: Do you sometimes get jitters before a first date? Or accidentally say the wrong thing?Online dating prevents a lot of that stress because you can meet on your terms when you are ready. Andcreating personal ads andreplying to other personal ads is easier than face to face conversation. You can compose a reply. Think about it. Edit it. And send it when you're ready.Once you get to know the person, the face to face date will be easy.

Another reason to try online dating is for the time and money saving aspects.

• Saves Time: You no longer need to spend hours getting ready for your date, to then find out you have nothing in common.


• No Travel Time Required: You don't need to travel to meet your date, which in some cases could take an hour or so.


• Save Money on Traveling: Since you don't need to travel to meet your date, you save lots of money on transportation. Whether it is gas and parking money, taxi fare or bus fare!


• Save Money on Clothes: No need to buy that perfect dress... or that great new tie. When communicating via e-mail, you can be wearing your sweat pants or pajamas if you like!


• Save Money on Entertainment: Think of how much money you'll save on the actual date. No need to buy dinner, movie tickets, sports tickets...

Other reasons people join is to broaden the number of people they can meet.

• Live in a Remote Location or Small Town: Some people join because they live in a remote or small town, so it is more difficult to meet people in their hometown. Some towns have only a limited number of available singles in a person's desired age group, but with the Internet you have a HUGE sampling of people of all ages to meet.


• Meet More People: Even people who live in large cities join online dating services because you have millions of people to choose from.


• Meet People All Over the World: With online dating , you are no longer limited to meeting people in your home town. You can meet people in Australia, India, Japan, the United States, Canada, Africa, Switzerland... you name it!


• Meet People Who Match Your Criteria : With online matchmaking , you can specify what traits you want in a man/woman, and then let the matchmaking service e-mail you the possible matches. With online dating, you can do the same (though normally not as fine tuned as matchmaking services) by searching and browsing personal ads.

Online dating works and is becoming more and more popular!

• Success:Everyday, people are meeting the love of their life on the Internet. In fact, Match.com , a popular online matchmaking site, stated "In 2003, based on resignation survey data, Match.com calculates that more than 200,000 Match.com members met the person they were seeking on their site. That is a lot of happy online daters.

Lastly, people join because it's fun and they develop great long lasting relationships. You may not find Mr. or Miss Right instantly, but you will definitely develop lots of friends!

Advantages of Free Online Dating Memberships Trials:

Take advantage of the free features offered with a basic free membership. It's a great opportunity to:

• Ensure You Like the Dating Site You can use the site to make sure it has the desired features and benefits, and it's easy to use.
• Check Out the Other Members Try some searches, read some personal ads, talk to people in the chat rooms. Are there people you'd like to meet?
• Save Money It's always a good idea to try as many free features as you can. This will allow you to see if the site has potential. Also if you're new to online dating, this will give you a chance to learn how to use some of the features on their dime, not yours.

What Are Personal Profiles?

Now let's get into the details.
All members have a personal profile comprised of all or most of the following information:

• User name :  A unique alias, allowing the member's real name to remain anonymous.
• Headline :  A short phrase (usually a few words) to give other members an idea of "who you are" or "who you're looking for".
• Personal ad :  Details about yourself, the type of person you'd like to meet, and the type of relationship you're looking for.
• A picture of the member.

How Do You Meet People at Dating Sites?

To find compatible members, it's as easy as selecting a few options from a list, and clicking the "search" button. Start with a broad search to display as many members as possible. If too many matches are found, you can always fine-tune your search.

The basic search will look something like:

• I'm a woman looking for a man
• I'd like him to be between 40-50 years old.
• And I'd like him to live within 50 miles of my hometown.

Some online dating services and personals sites enable you to perform more advanced searches allowing you to search by:

• Hobbies
• Languages spoken
• Sexual preferences
• Have they been previously married
• Do they have children
• Profession
• Education
• Religion
• Height
• Weight

When you search for members, you will be shown a few details of all the matches. It's common to display the user name, headline and picture.

If one of the matches catches your eye, click on the person to display their personal ad.  If you like what you see, contact the member using one of the sites features (e-mail, instant messaging, winking, etc) and let the fun begin!

Online Dating FAQ

Below are the answers to frequently asked questions regarding online dating and personals

Is it possible to meet singles on the Internet?

Yes, absolutely.3 Millions of people all over the world are joining online dating services.

Who joins online dating services?

Everyone.

Men and women from all ages, backgrounds, sexual preferences, and professions.3 Online, you'll find doctors, lawyers, computer programmers, waitresses, cooks, students and sales people to name a few.

And online dating is not just for young people.3 You'd be pleasantly surprised at the number of people over the age of 60 are joining! My mother-in-law's friend actually met her new husband on the Internet in the Spring of 2003.

Do more women or men join?

In 2002, more men joined than women, but it is finally starting to change. So get going gals!!! The guys are waiting for you.

Is online dating popular?

comScore Media Metrix, an Internet consumer research company, stated in February of 2003 that the popularity of online personals has grown a whopping 31% between December 2001 and December 2002. So I'd say, yes, online dating is VERY popular... and will be even more so in the future.