Dating Sites

A large number of dating sites are available on the internet, and the numbers are growing every day.  Doing a search on Google can bring you hundreds of search results. So it could be a daunting task to pick out one that fits your needs.  But if you are serious about joining one and finding a date online, you should put some effort in selecting a dating site that protects your privacy and is safe, and has a large number of members in its database.

Selecting a dating site, the first thing you have to look at, is the people they are targeting and the services they offer.  Some are specialized in dating and finding a committed relationship, while others are more into intimate encounters, and others are just to find a pen pal or email friend. Some are locally, others are internationally oriented. While other sites are targeting a specified group of individuals, like Christians, Jewish people, Asians, or more oriented at the sexual preference and especially for gays or lesbians.  Or if you are looking for someone outside your country there are the foreign bride’s sites.  For every niche of lifestyle you can find a matching dating site. Taking a look at the dating site home page should give you a good idea on what they can offer. And taking a site tour if available or logging in as a guest member can give you even more info on the site, and the actual members from your area or that match your interest.

Features. You have weeded out some of the dating sites, and selected three or four, what are the features the dating site should have.

• Of cause the site should be user friendly and easy to navigate.

• You should be able to post your ad or profile where you describe yourself and what you are looking for.

• A must have is an internal mail exchange program, so your anonymity is always guaranteed.  Never sign up for a dating site that doesn’t have this feature.

• Free Trial period, so you can determine if the dating site is what you expect from it.

• Seeing who’s online is always a nice feature, you can directly start a conversation or initiate a contact. 

• Quick and advanced search capabilities to narrow down the search result to your specific needs. Search by country, state, age etc

• Uploading multiple pictures, as a picture speaks more then a thousand words. Most people pass by on profiles without a picture, no matter the contents.

• Last update and last login date.  A lot of people join a dating site, especially when it’s free, and after a while they forget about it or loose interest. Or they find someone and they forget to delete their ad from the site. So a lot of outdated profiles stay into the database.  Every dating site should have this feature so you can judge how actual the profile really is, and the dating site should have a policy on removing outdated profiles. 

• Buddy list or friends list, to add the profiles that attract your attention and you can quickly find them again.

• Profile statistics, how many times was your profile viewed, and who viewed it.
   

Nice to have.

• Built in chat rooms and instant messaging system.

• Slide show, so you view pictures of the members very quickly.

• Sending a virtual kiss

• Video chatting.

Privacy. The dating site should have a commitment on keeping your personal information protected from other members.  To protect your safety and privacy, never put any personal information like your name, address, phone number, etc  into your profile or ad.

 A free and Anonymous email account. There are a lot of free email systems available on the web. Use them to your advantage, to retain your anonymity until you get to know the person better and he or she has earned your trust. Create a new one just for exchanging mail with possible dates, and people you meet online.

Free and paying sites. Some dating are totally free, other have a free trial period, or it’s free to post a profile, but you have to become a paying member to initiate contacts.  Making the service free opens the door for scam artist and players that aren’t really looking for a serious relationship.  Especially with foreign dating sites from Eastern Europe, Russia. Some people are just out there to play with your feelings, or con you out of money, or are after a green card.  So becoming a member of a paying dating site almost guarantees you that the other members are also serious about finding the love of their live.

Credit card info on the Internet. Its always a dangerous thing giving out your credit card info on the internet, so you have to make sure the dating site is using a  safety and encryption protocol and is certified by Verisign or another similar company. You can recognize a secure site on the web address where it says Https:// and on the Verisign logo on the site.

Putting up your picture.  As said before putting up your picture will get you more attention to your profile. But putting a picture on the internet is not without any risks.  Anyone can right click on it and save it onto his or hers hard drive. And you never know where its gone end up.  Some dating sites put their logo onto the pictures you upload, so it’s harder to abuse it, and I personally think every site should do it.  

Don’t just jump in, do some exploring and find out what every dating site has to offer before becoming a member. Finding a dating site that best suits you, and making well thought decisions, will get you better results in the end. And remember your personal safety comes first.

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