Beginner’s Guide to Online Dating

How do members find their ideal match?

The better services (see Reviews) have excellent search tools that make it easy to find people who meet your own personal “wish list.” However, if you have something very specific in mind and want to cut to the chase, there are countless specialist services that bring people together according to shared interests, ethnicities, religious or political beliefs, physical characteristics and so on. You name it, it’s out there. For instance, if your dream date is a vegetarian animal rights activist, try here.

How do members protect their privacy?

Members remain anonymous (unless they choose otherwise) by using a nickname, or “username.” There’s no danger of any of your personal or “real” information leaking out. Online dating and personals services are ferocious about guarding their members’ privacy – their business depends on it. So, if you join a service that offers its members anonymous phone calls or anonymous text messaging (as Match.com does), you can believe that they really are, and will remain 100% anonymous.

Do I have to sign up to see what a service is like?

Not at all. You can get a good feel for a service without having to become a member. In my experience, first impressions made by the home page are usually in line with what the service is like. For instance, the home pages of American Singles and Yahoo! Personals are clean, simple and refreshingly straightforward, just like their services. Also, most of the better sites have a “take a tour” feature on their home page, for a “member’s view” of the site – screenshots of key pages and features – and FAQ sections for more detailed information what they do, how the service works and special features that it apart from the competition.

Can I try out services for free?

Absolutely. Free membership is an option at almost every online dating and personals service. Exceptions are usually very specialized services that will be going the extra mile for members and want some sort of guarantee that their intentions are serious. Also, most services offer free trial periods allowing you to try out the extras you would get as a subscriber.