Once considered the exclusive territory of adulterous men,
computer nerds and psychos using false identities, internet
dating has now lost it's stigma. In Europe and the USA, It's now
the most popular method of finding a partner, with 65% of
singletons between the ages of 25 and 50 turning to the net.
Gone are the sleazy chat-rooms, pseudonyms and fake photos, now
online daters upload entire photo albums, write lengthy
descriptions of themselves and detail their exact preferences -
and are happy to admit that this is how they found their
partners.
But this new found confidence in the medium has generated a
plethora of new dating sites; so how do you decide which is the
right one for you and how do you get the best out of your chosen
site? Follow these few simple steps
and I guarantee that you
wont go wrong:-
1. Be honest with yourself about what you're looking for. Do you
just want to chat with other cyber folk or do you genuinely want
to meet a new partner? If you just want a whole bunch of new
pen-pals, there are many sites that aren't particularly bothered
about location so if, for example, you're in Manchester,
England, you can make new friends in Idaho or Madrid. But if you
actually plan to meet anyone you make contact with, then choose
a service that's specific to either the country in which you
live, or better still, the city or area like CupidNights.com
which is a London only
dating site.
2. Are you seeking a very specific type of partner? There are a
great many niche sites out there
so if you want to meet, say,
other single parents or other motorbike enthusiasts, just type
in 'single parent dating' or 'biker dating' into your preferred
search engine and you'll probably find that you'll be presented
with a choice of suitable dating services.
3. Are you willing to pay to join a dating site? Cyberspace is
no different to the 'real' world in this respect - you get what
you pay for! If the operators of a particular site aren't
confident enough in their offering to actually charge a
membership fee, you have to ask yourself why. The average
monthly subscription to a high calibre dating site is usually no
more expensive than a round of drinks so surely it's worth it if
it means you might actually meet your perfect partner by signing
up.
4. OK, you've
found the dating service that you believe is just
right for you. What now? Well, to get the best results from your
chosen site, it's up to you to get the most out of your
membership by posting a bright, upbeat, confident profile and
uploading a photo to accompany it. 95% of dating site users will
only respond to people who have bothered to provide a photo of
themselves; after all, you want to see what other members look
like so it stands to reason that others will feel exactly the
same way about you. And don't be modest - if you think you're
pretty darn attractive, then now is exactly the right time to
shout it from the roof tops!
And finally...and this is the most obvious piece of advice as
well as being the most important...once you've signed up to an
online dating site, don't
wait for others to get in contact,
search through the list of members who fall within your chosen
criteria and when you like the look and sound of someone, send
them a message and introduce yourself. Chances are, if you've
identified someone with whom you might have things in common and
to whom you are attracted, then you can bet your bottom dollar
that they'll more than likely be delighted to hear from you.
So there you have it; if you're single and sick of being so,
find the right online dating site and kick start your love life
today. Have fun and happy hunting!
About the author:
Jon White is the founder of http://www.CupidNights.com - a
London only dating site and the most successful geo-targeted
site in Europe.
