As Internet dating services spring up, there’s no reason for anyone to be lonely anymore. All sorts of dating sites are available, based on interests, religious preferences, professional aspirations and other factors. There are so many sites available now, the big question may be how to select the right service to suit each person’s needs. Always use precaution when meeting someone for the first time, and don’t give out too much information too quickly.
Things needed for Internet dating:
- Connection to the Internet
- E-mail account specifically for online dating
- Ability to use search engines and a basic understanding of Internet terms
Before starting the search, there are some things to consider:
- What to look for in the relationship
- Budget – affordability
- References – success rates and friends’ recommendations
Popular Online Dating Services
Some of the dating services have advertised heavily, so more people are aware of them. Since some of these have more members, there may be a larger selection of prospective romantic interests to choose from. E-Harmony uses a compatibility test with questions designed to find the most likely match. Match.com representatives claim that more than a quarter of a million people find partners by using their site. Other popular sites worth looking into include Matchmaker.com and PerfectMatch.com.
Free Internet Date Sites
There are thousands of free Internet dating services available – many that feature specific interests and types of relationships wanted. Many of them are local, while others are international. Most of the free dating sites allow members to contact any of the other members, even if there isn’t a compatible match. OkCupid enables members to create their own questions. Other free sites include:
- Casual Kiss
- Plenty of Fish
- Book of Matches
- Woo Me
Religion-Based Dating Services
Many people are looking for a life partner, and it’s important to find someone with similar religious views and values. There are services that cater to most of the mainstream religions.
Christian dating services include:
- ChristianCafe.com
- ChristianCupid.com
- CatholicCupid.com
- Relationships.com
Jewish dating services include:
- JewishCafe.com
- JewishFriendFinder.com
- JRomances
- JDate
Muslim dating services include:
- MuslimFriends.com
- Muslima.com
- MuslimMatrimonialsNetwork.com
Dating Sites Based on Nationality Preferences
There are Internet dating sites for people who prefer most of the major nationalities. Some of the nationality or ethnic matches include Asian, Greek, Hispanic, Italian, Turkish and Arabian. Interracialmatch.com is where people can find others who are willing to meet someone of any ethnic background.
Specialty Internet Dating Services
Some people are looking for specific things in a partner or person to date, so specialty services have sprung up to meet these needs. If someone is in a certain profession, he or she may want to find others who do the same thing or are in the same field. VIPSingles.com is one site that specializes in matching professionals. For busy singles who want a quick first date, Itsjustlunch.com may be what they need to meet other busy people.
Other specialty date sites include:
- MatureSinglesOnly.com – for single people over the age of 40
- SilverFishing.com – for the over 50 crowd
- SpeedDate.com – to meet a large number of people in a short amount of time
- SingleParentMeet.com – for single parent matches
Now that the Internet has such a large presence in most people’s lives, meeting people is easier than ever. All they have to do is search for their interests through popular dating sites, religion-based match services, specialty dating sites, or preferences of nationality or ethnicity in a partner.
Debby Mayne - Debby Mayne is a published author of more than 30 novels and novellas and former fashion writer for the Home Shopping Network.
