The Online Dating Universe
Recently, it seems that everyone out there is either perusing online dating sites or using the many dating sites now available. With the stigma of online dating pretty much gone, sites like Match.com, eHarmony.com, Date.com, Jdate.com, and myriad other online dating sites have exploded. More people are on dating sites than you'd think, and if you ask a few of your singles friends if they've ever tried any, they'll probably cop to either browsing a dating site or even being a member.
But which ones are the best and why? Dating site choices can be overwhelming, but a few simple things to keep in mind when choosing a dating site might help steer you in the right direction.
What are you looking to achieve?
- Are you looking for a long-term partnership/marriage?
- Are you looking for dinner and dancing dates?
- Are you looking for activity partners, be it hiking, traveling, or someone who shares similar interests?
- Or are you just looking for a hook-up or a one-night stand?
What sort of features/benefits would you like to have available to you on the site?
- Lots of profile information that allows you to get a good idea of who a person might be.
- Good, well-formatted pictures.
- A great many profiles in your area so that your choices are almost unlimited.
- Dating tips and articles that steer you in the right direction to finding the love of your life or some really cool people.
- A fancy dating site look with lots of bells and whistles?
- A niche site that caters to your specific interests, be it senior dating, Asian or African-American dating, fitness dating?
What are you willing to pay for the service?
Most dating sites charge anywhere from nothing, i.e., Free, to upwards of $50.00 a month, with the majority being somewhere around $24.95/month. There are pricing strategies that go behind why prices for certain sites are what they are. This should be something to consider; if the value provided by the site is not up to your standards, maybe you should consider another site before shelling out your hard-earned money.
How important is your privacy?
Posting a profile on a dating site is not, in and of itself, anything that might jeopardize your privacy unless you post a picture, use very specific terms or words in combination with your basic profile description, i.e., I work for People Magazine in the marketing department… and compromise who you are in any similar fashion. Remember, however, that there are some ups and downs to posting a picture: the ups are that profiles with pictures substantially increases the people that might view your profile; the downs are that you might bump into someone on the street (especially if you live in a small town) that might recognize you (believe me, I know, it's happened to me two times). Overall, however, privacy on dating sites is pretty good.
Overall tips for choosing a dating site: Do your homework.
If you are seeking out a very specific type of person, research a few of the sites that have what you are looking for and choose the best among them, or even choose more than one. If the site is free, you don't have anything to lose. Degreedate.com targets singles who value education in their prospective dates, but because education comes in many forms, there will ultimately be a large group of members who may not have a PhD but will appeal to a variety of interests. Jdate.com targets Jewish singles, but that doesn't mean there aren't people of other ethnicities/religions on the site. Sites like Match.com and eHarmony.com, while the largest, may not provide you with exactly what you're looking for, even though among the millions there are sure to be plenty of options.
Make sure the site is appealing to you, not only in its membership numbers but in its features, offerings, niche, how many annoying emails they send you each month begging you to sign up to a 'Gold' or 'Premium' membership, and overall look. Basically, if the site is of value to you, give it a try and hope for the best.