Does online dating work?

January 1st, 2009

Happy new year, everyone!

If you’re looking for love and have made it your resolution for this year, I wish you all the best. As this is a time of new beginnings, I thought I’d tackle the question so many people ask when considering whether to use online dating for the first time: does online dating work?

The quick answer is yes, it does. People all over the world meet and fall in love online all the time. Right now, somewhere, there are probably two people communicating on a dating site somewhere who will end up together. actually, there’s probably more than two people.

Unfortunately, there are also online dating horror stories and many people do find that online dating is not for them. The truth is, it’s not for everyone, though most people will get something out of it.

If you’re thinking of trying Internet dating – do. There is no other way to find out whether or not it’s your thing. Here are some things to keep in mind before you start:

1. Dating sites are not all the same.

Sure, there are some similarities, but there are also differences. Take the time to look at a few different sites before deciding which one to sign up with. Most sites will let you sign up for free so you can look around, so make use of that. Also, even sites that have exactly the same price structure or features can have dramatically different membership, so if one site fails to deliver people you find interesting, don’t be afraid of moving on.

2. You need to put some effort in if you want it to work.

Unless you upload a good photo and spend time working on your profile, you’re not likely to get anywhere. You will also need to spend time actually contacting people, speaking to them online and on the phone and then meeting up. The more you do it, the more likely you are to be successful.

3. It might take time.

Let’s face it, you’re not likely to meet the perfect person straight away. The higher your standards, the more likely you are to have to go through the motions quite a few times before meeting someone even remotely suitable. Online dating is now mainstream, though, so it’s not just freaks and losers who use dating sites anymore. If you find the right dating site and keep at it, you will find someone someone sooner or later, be it on or offline. If you’re looking to sign up to a dating site and are wondering how long a subscription to buy, you can take my online dating quiz to find out.

4. Beware of the scammers

There are some dodgy sites out there and some dodgy scammers who use dating sites to scam people out of money. I don’t want to put you off online dating, because all in all it’s a good thing, but do keep your wits about you. Watch out for people who ask you for money after meeting you online. Many of those will try to lure you away from the dating site ASAP so there is no record of their crime on the dating site and then hit you up with some sort of sob story. There are also sites out there that use fake profiles to lure people in, but that is an illegal practice, so if you stick with large, reputable sites, you should be fine.

Check out my article section for more tips on how to make online dating work for you.

Related posts:

1. How to spot an online dating scammer
2. The problem with online dating site reviews
3. New dating sites matches opposites – does that work?

Entry Filed under: Questions and answers