How Do You Know Which Online Dating Site is Best for You?

online_girl_datingChoosing an online dating site to meet your needs is a highly personal decision. The sites are many and varied, often tailoring themselves to a certain demographic. In addition to general online dating sites, there are sites geared specifically toward religion, ethnicity, location and type of relationship desired, along with many other choices. It would be nearly impossible to investigate them all. So how do you know which one is best for you?

First, consider what you are looking for in a relationship. Are you searching for love, marriage and children or simply a casual fling to pass the time? Are you open to a long-distance relationship or do you prefer searching for someone who can meet you for coffee on a moment’s notice? Do your religious beliefs insist you do not date outside of your faith? Knowing what you want out of a relationship can help you choose a great online dating website.

It is also important to decide how much you want to invest financially into finding a romantic partner. Although many online dating websites tout themselves as “free”, most provide only limited services to non-paying members. Subscription fees to some of the more popular websites can easily shock your credit card statement if you are unaware of the true cost of their service. Be sure you are fully aware of fees and what they entail before providing a website with your credit card information.

Once you know what you are looking for in a relationship and what you are willing to spend in order to find it, discovering the perfect online dating website for your needs is relatively easy. When searching for an online dating site, it is important to be specific. “Online dating” will deliver thousands of generic results. “Online dating for Christian singles” or “Dating websites in Chicago” are much more specific search terms and will get you where you need to be much quicker.

The popularity of online dating is growing by leaps and bounds, and it is now estimated that one in five relationships begins on these websites. Finding the site that best meets your online dating needs is a simple matter of knowing what you want and searching for it. Be sure to read the Terms of Service in their entirety in order to avoid surprise charges and abide by a few common sense safety rules if meeting a potential date in person. The world of online dating is filled with opportunity for those willing to close their eyes and open their hearts.

 

Online Dating: Does it Work?

According to a survey performed by a popular dating website in 2010, one in five relationships now begins online. That’s a pretty powerful statistic and one that has plenty of people asking questions. Does online dating really work? Can true, everlasting love really be found online? Is online dating worth the time and financial expenditure necessary to succeed?

The answers? Yes, yes and yes!

Online dating is not for the easily deterred. While plenty of people find their happily ever after on the computer screen, it may take many failed connections to find the one that matters. Finding your perfect match online requires patience, determination and a thick skin.

For those who can stick it out through the tough times, online dating is wildly successful. Several popular sites match users with potential suitors based on their answers to a series of questions. These sites have the best success rates. Knowing a person has the values and morals you want before ever seeing their profile is a comfort to many people. These sites do most of the work for you.

Other dating websites take a more hands-off approach. These sites allow users to search by picture, location, age or other defined criteria. Usually cheaper to join than their scientifically based cousins, it is possible to find love here as well, although you may have to weed through quite a few crazy people before you find a date.

Online dating websites play an important role in today’s busy world. They allow 24/7 access to a variety of different people who are all looking for some form of relationship. It is no longer necessary to spend hours each weekend at the bar in the hopes your soul mate will walk through the door and declare his everlasting affection. With a click of the mouse and some basic personal information, thousands of potential soul mates are at your disposal. With those kind of odds, how could it fail?

Online dating definitely works. A University of Bath study performed in 2009 shows that 94% of people who have one date after meeting online go on to have a second date, and the average relationship length resulting from online encounters was at least seven months. Customer testimonials posted on all major dating websites seem to indicate that many online relationships culminate in marriage.

The success of online dating is unquestionable. It may take some persistence and a lot of resolve, but those who go online looking for love have an amazing chance of finding it there.