Years ago I had a friend who spent hundreds of dollars a month on various online dating sites. The funny thing was, I don’t believe he ever got one date out of his investment. It’s not that he was a bad guy or even bad looking for that matter, he just chose the wrong dating sites. I’d like to give you a few pointers today to steer you in the right direction. so maybe you might have better luck than my friend.Stick With The Bigger NamesIf you have never signed up with an online dating site before, always go with some of the bigger names out there to get your feet wet. These are sites like eHarmony, Match.com and even Adult Friend Finder. There are many to choose from. The reason I tell you this, is dating sites come and go and once they are gone say good-bye to your membership and your money. If you are looking for a particular dating site that isn’t quite main stream, you will have to choose a smaller site. When you go for these bigger and sites, you know they will be around for a little while. Plus they usually have more members and better features.How Do I Know Which Sites Are Big?Well if you have never looked into online dating you will want to do an internet search and look at the various reviews and see what other singles are saying. You will also see that some of the same sites will keep coming up again and again. That is usually a good sign that they are a stable and rather large site.Never Pay UpfrontWith any site that looks good to you, never pay for a full membership right off the bat. Almost every large dating site offers a trial membership or even limited free full membership. Take this opportunity to test the site out and see if you like it. if the site seems to mesh well with you and you like the membership database, ll means sign up for a full membership. If you think you will be on the site for a while go for the annual rate as it is usually cheaper.It’s All About The GreenI figure you work just as hard for your money as I do, and really don’t relish the thought of losing it. So when it comes to online dating sites I want you to do two things. The first is always look at their money back guarantee and make sure they offer one. If you see no guarantee, you may want to think twice about joining. Secondly, never pay with your primary credit card. Invest in either a virtual credit card or a prepaid card. This way if you ever have any problems cancelling you can do it easier with one of those two choices.So go ahead and take a look at some of the more popular online dating sites and get involved. Just remember be safe and think smart.
Why the Online Dating Industry Hasn’t Been Destroyed by Free Social Networking Sites
Some time ago there was a widely held view that free social networking sites like Facebook would seriously damage the online dating industry, or even destroy it completely. But these predictions turned out to be false. Globally, online dating sites continue to be hugely popular. In Australia in particular they are in a real boom period. The dating industry down under expanded by five percent in 2009. Growth in 2010 will probably be twice that rate.So why didn’t social networking have the predicted effect?The most likely reason is that people generally prefer to keep their social lives separate from their sex lives. Certainly, offline, singles have long been meeting prospective partners through friends but it’s usually a quite relaxed and subtle process that takes a while. Social networking offers an online version of this gradual, gentle process.But if you are time poor, and determined to meet someone suitable quickly and discreetly, then a dating site – particularly one catering to a particular niche – is much more suitable. You can quickly find others who have similar relationship needs to yourself, and who live in fairly lose proximity. And if you do get involved with someone and it turns sour your friends won’t know about it. This is a real advantage because when a relationship that has developed through social connections falls apart this becomes gossip fodder, which is acutely embarrassing to those involved. The situation can become even more painful if friends take sides with the hostile or warring ex-partners.Another advantage of not using social networking sites for dating purposes – particularly if you are seeking something casual or even kinky! – is that you then don’t put your career in jeopardy. In assessing present or potential staff members corporations often search Facebook for clues as to their character, after all. There are many stories of Facebook users’ all too revealing photos and profile content resulting in sackings by corporations worried about how these reflect on their reputation.While dating sites still present a risk to the user in this regard, it’s far reduced. Even if a user posts revealing photos on an adult dating site they are still hiding their identity, and cannot be found through a name search. Consequently employers are far less likely to investigate these sites. And while they may come to learn of an employee’s embarrassing profile indirectly, this is extremely unlikely.
Navigating the Dating Scene
For the genuinely single crowd in UK, the perennial question is the same: Why are we still single? It’s so surprising how many of my adult contacts and friends are eligible, well educated and yet still single because we find it difficult to find a person to date. It’s like the dating scene in this country has become the world of Bridget Jones and her male counterparts. We’re well educated, mobile and socially active individuals with decent bank accounts. But for some reason, getting a date on a Saturday night still remains a challenge for the best of us. Why?When you’re single, steering through the UK dating scene can be a tough situation. A lot of people are looking for “The One,” and if you want to get ahead of the rest, it’s time to put yourself out there. Being shy will not get you places.No more singles?It seems that in the UK, there is a shortage of eligible adult contacts, rendering dating a competitive sport. A majority of the people are part of a couple. You only need to enter a bar downtown on a Friday night and you’ll find couples making out or flirting like there’s no tomorrow. Observe this trend for a few more weeks and you will quickly see why local dating has become too crowded – and that perhaps, it’s time to get out if you really want adult fun.You just need to know where to lookThere are lots of eligible singles out there, and those who cannot seem to meet these singles are probably just looking at the wrong places.1. Use the internet. Sign up to reputable dating sites and you can meet singles asap. There are many benefits to on line dating – you can see info about a person first before you agree to meet, for example. Online dating sites also allow you to easily filter people and focus on the group you are eyeing, such as daters in your age range, daters with a certain education, etc. Remember that the social scene in the UK is sort of ageist. Daters aged 25 and younger usually don’t have issues when it comes to finding someone to hang out with on a Friday night because they can get dates through classmates, colleagues, and practically everyone in their age group. But lets face it – you are older now, and it’s harder to meet people in the same wavelength. In online dating, you can easily sift through the dating pool and meet singles you are truly compatible with.2. Another option is no strings dating. If you know where to look, you will find “semi-attached” individuals – people who are not quite in serious relationships are free to date others. Most of them are just looking for casual dating, though, so don’t expect a wedding soon. No strings dating is a growing trend in the UK, and you should take advantage of it, especially if you are just looking for fun. Who knows? Your relationship might take a more serious turn. You can even meet the love of your life. Luckily, dating sites like allows you to meet people who are looking for relaxed, casual dates. Become a member now, and start dating.