Beginner’s Guide to Online Dating
There are literally thousands of online dating and personals services to choose from, all claiming to be better than the next.
When you’re new to the scene, it’s difficult to tell which services really do have something special to offer. To help you cut through the confusion, these FAQs introduce you to what online dating and personals services are about, how they work and importantly, what they have in common so that you can spot a genuine winner.
- What if I’m looking for something more serious or
more casual than a date? - How do members advertise themselves?
- How do members find their ideal match?
- How do members protect their privacy?
- Do I have to sign up to see what a service is like?
- Can I try out services for free?
- What can I do for free?
- When do I have to pay?
- What do I get as a paying member, a subscriber?
- How much do subscriptions cost?
- Can’t I find a totally free dating site?
- Do these services practice any kind of quality control?
- I’m gay. What are my options?
- Is it safe to use an online personals service?
- Which are better: large services or smaller ones?
- Will I receive lots of junk email if I sign up?
What if I’m looking for something more serious or more casual than a date?
At one time, online dating and personals services focused on one thing only – dating. Today, you can go online to find friendship, a potential soulmate or marriage partner, even someone to expand your sexual horizons with, as well as casual or romantic dates. Many services let members connect on more than one level within the same site. For instance, at Match.com you can look for friends as well as dates and at Lavalife you can participate in any or all of three communities set up for dating, relationships or sexual encounters.
How do members advertise themselves?
Members showcase themselves to other members through profiles. Profiles include photos, sometimes video and voice clips, and a mixture of basic and personal information on each member. Profiles vary enormously from service to service in terms of detail, interest, style and features. For instance, some have nitty-gritty detail but don’t really give you a sense of what someone’s like, while others are the reverse - short on obvious detail but full of colorful insights into member’s personalities.
When choosing a service, profiles are obviously important and at the end of the day, the “best” type of profile is the type you like best.
