Online Dating Service – How Do I Choose?

If you’re considering an online dating service, your choices are virtually limitless. At the time of this writing, there were 9.1 million results returned for the search phrase ‘online dating service’.

Choosing the right one may seem a bit overwhelming, but there are two questions to ask yourself that will help narrow down your choices.

What am I looking for?

With the abundance of dating sites available, you can find one that caters to exactly what you’re looking for. But you first have to decide what that is. Are you looking for a casual dating experience or just a friend to hang out with? Maybe you feel ready to settle down and are hoping to find the perfect match for a long-term commitment.

Do you enjoy a particular niche in the dating market, like swingers or S & M? There are dating sites dedicated to nearly every dating preference; single parents, same-sex relationships, faith-based dating, people with STDs, senior citizens and big, beautiful women, just to name a few.

Did you know you can find online dating services that help you find one-night stands? Or married people willing to cheat on their partner? The point is, no matter what you’re looking for, it’s available. So the first thing you need to decide is exactly what you’re hoping to find.

Do I want to pay to join?

You have the option of signing up with one of the free dating sites or choosing to become a member of a paid online dating service. The choice is yours and there are people who have found success with both kinds. Weighing heavily on your decision is how serious a relationship you’re looking for.

With a free dating site you may encounter more people who are just curious and may not be as serious as you are about finding someone wanting to establish a committed relationship. Generally speaking, free sites tend to offer fewer features such as chat rooms or web cam options and typically have an abundance of ads and banners all over the site.

If you decide to go with a paid membership, many will offer a free trial for a limited period of time which can be helpful in deciding if you like the site well enough to join.

Paid sites usually have filters in place to verify identification, so they’re typically perceived as being a bit safer and more secure than free dating sites. If safety is a big concern to you, you’ll probably be happier with paying for membership at one of the millions of paid online dating services.

The bottom line is this; before you jump into the first dating site you find, put some thought into what you hope to get out of it. Decide exactly what you’re looking for and because the choices are so limitless, be very specific about the type of person you hope to find. Then decide if it’s important enough for you to spend money to find them.

If you’re dipping your toes into online dating for the first time, you may find it helpful to join a couple of free dating sites to see how it works. Once you become more familiar with how to use an online dating service or decide you’re really serious about finding that special someone, then you can look into the advantages of becoming a paid member.

Whichever route you choose, have fun, be careful and good luck with your online dating experience.