3 Ways to Lower Your Online Dating Risk Factor

3 Ways to Lower Your Online Dating Risk Factor

The fact that it is one of the few industries to prosper during these tough economic times tells you that online dating is becoming THE meeting place of the 21st century. But with more growth and the wide open nature of the internet, comes more opportunity to jeopardize your online dating experience.

While many businesses around the globe are experiencing some tough economic times, there seems to be at least one industry that is flourishing. In the United States last year over 500 million dollars was spent in online dating.

That number is expected to grow like wildfire in a few more years as is the number of internet dating sites which are becoming more and more niche specific.

That in most cases is the future of internet dating. Smaller services will be just as prosperous as some of the current online mega companies without feeling the need or pressure of having to compete against these places.

What of course will be beneficial to many of these businesses large or small is the advancement in technology. Internet dating is bound to get more interactive. In all likelihood it will grow from the instant chats and webcams to pert near feeling like your cyber date is sitting in the same room with you.

But with explosive growth, it becomes more and more crucial to protect yourself in the cyber dating world. Not just fly by night companies that spring up, guarantee results and then disappear with your money but also those individuals who are not interested in anything except what they can get regardless of how it impacts anyone else.

Therefore exercise proper precaution when it comes to:

Choosing your online dating service

Should go without saying right? Except that many of us get caught up in the companies dazzling sales pitch without doing any real homework. The best way to check out an internet dating service is to ask someone who has used it.

Hopefully that person is someone you know and trust. If you cannot find anyone in your immediate circle, than go to some of the forums and see what’s cooking.

People have no reservations about sharing their online dating experience whether good, bad or indifferent. See if anyone is talking about a site you would like to join or get in and start asking questions.

Rules and Regulations

All online dating sites have them (or should) but so few of us actually read them. The print may look boring and too small but having a clear understanding of what the company is offering can save you misunderstandings and headaches.

You could wind up having a bad experience with an online dating service because you believed something that was not spelled out in the fine print.

Whatever dating site you are interested in joining take the extra steps to see EXACTLY what they are offering and the parameters that go with it.

Avoid Straying

You have done your homework and signed on to a dating site. You wind up meeting someone and the two of you really start having some great chats.

Now suddenly the other person has a “wonderful” idea. Why not drop the dating service contact system and start communicating more directly using your primary email address? Not a good idea. This is one of the many ways scammers work.

The whole point is to move you to a place where their activities cannot really be monitored. Then they lay it on thick when it comes to playing with your emotions as a way to manipulate you. Stay within the dating services structure and report anything suspicious.

Not only is online dating becoming mainstream but it is also moving into territory that is more interactive and niche specific. There are a lot of opportunities to take advantage of but the more online dating grows the more important it is to take action and ensure your dating experience becomes less risky.

By Daryl Campbell Published: 2/4/2009

Online Dating – Free Sites Vs Commercial Sites

Online Dating – Free Sites Vs Commercial Sites

With the recession going on free online dating sites are becoming very popular for people that are online looking for friendship and relationships. It is wise to do your homework when it comes to internet dating.

Free Online dating sites are seriously pushing their commercial rivals for competition. With the change in the financial climate people have less money to spend on Internet past times such as dating and finding friendships and therefore turn to free dating sites.

It is true that the paid online dating community is shrinking.

Many of the free dating sites offer a service that is as good as, if not better than, the commercial sites and they are mainly funded by advertising.

The free dating site niche isn’t a closed market, and it’s all about manipulating the search engines in order to get noticed. It’s a case of the site making the most noise that pulls in the audience.

In the last six months paid dating sites subscriptions have fallen 25%. That’s a big drop from a big market. However, according to Hitwise the top 5 subscription based dating sites are getting bigger, whilst their smaller counterparts are shrinking. This is a common trend in any niche market on the Internet and online dating doesn’t appear to be any different.

The recession hasn’t helped the paid dating marketing in any way. Disposable income for non-essential items hit an all time low, with many people losing their jobs, where as the free dating sites benefitted from the increased subscriptions. This then put them in a more powerful position with regards to charging for advertising on their sites, which pulled in more revenue for them.

So what does the future hold for free dating sites? Their position in the market is stronger than ever and at the moment you can only see them building on that. The danger is that the market will become flooded, as and as per the commercial sites it will probably be true that only the top 5 or so sites will succeed and survive.

The next step in online dating could be to fill the void left when people do actually meet up. Online dating sites cater for the instigating the meet, but human nature requires physical interaction and that is where the boundary of the dating site ends.

Author: Ian Sheldon

Free Online Dating Sites Like Plenty of Fish by Markus Frind Rule …

Free Online Dating Sites Like Plenty of Fish by Markus Frind Rule …

Free online dating sites have taken a serious lead over paid online dating sites. If you take into account the economic status of the country and the impact even on single online dating people, the pay online dating sites are taking a virtual beating. Markus Frind of PlentyofFish.com has now surpassed every paid dating site and is climbing the search statistics of sites like Facebook.com and Yahoo Search. Plenty of Fish online dating is a force to be reckoned with. When it comes to page views, Plentyoffish.com is ranked 13th in a league of the big hitters, like Google, Amazon, Yahoo, Facebook, and You Tube.

Markus Frind is a computer science graduate that took his talents, as a single one-man show, with his free online dating site, PlentyofFish.com and made an absolute fortune with a very popular niche.. He has been criticized for having one of the ugliest online dating sites by mere visual eye appeal, but it’s interesting to note that it’s his focus on content, and ease of access, that has proven to out weigh his competition, even the paid online dating sites like eharmony.com and match.com.

PlentyofFish.com generates revenue in the thousands of dollars a day, and Markus Frind is probably, if not the, number one customer of Google AdSense program. Markus has benefited from a novel idea with his free online dating site and the incorporation of Google AdSense ads for his revenue. Using his skills in computer science to tap into the online dating service and provide free online dating to his customers, he has literally become a self-made millionaire several times over.

Markus Frind, a geek, or an inspired entrepreneur? Wisdom and application are hard to beat. PlentyofFish.com is a perfect example of finding a niche and exploiting it to the fullest. Craigslist.com is a very similar story, but the founder of that site has refused to allow pay-per-click ads to be used on his site. Now that baffles me, why would you have a site of that value and traffic and not cash in on the ads and revenue Google AdSense would offer. Oh well, to each his own.

Plenty of Fish online dating site, according to Markus himself, was able to gain market share over other online dating sites primarily because of the shrinking online dating industry business. He says the online dating industry has shrank by some 40 percent. This allowed Markus Frind to rally his PlentyofFish.com online dating service to the top of a popular niche when others were crashing around him. Do you think by being a free online dating service, played a major role in this phenomenon? That and the fact that Markus knew how to make use of organic search traffic while others were paying to be in top search positions. Again, it pays to know your way around the computer business.

If you want to learn from a master of his domain, Markus Frind and PlentyofFish.com is a textbook case in point. Online dating will continue to be a high traffic niche, but even by Markus’ own statements, the social networking industry is gaining huge strides currently, so if you want to ride the surf from the top, Facebook.com and MySpace are where it’s happening.

Author: Jimmy Wilson

Immediate Satisfaction Guaranteed?

Online Dating: Immediate Satisfaction Guaranteed?

We live in a time of instant gratification. We don’t want things tomorrow or the next day. We want it now. That extends to online dating which has raised the expectation levels when it comes to relationships like few things before or since.

In the old comedy show Get Smart, Maxwell Smart tells his arch nemesis Siegfried that he needs to learn patience. Siegfried’s reply? “I am patient. It’s just that waiting bugs me.” No doubt many people seeking to meet that special someone in cyber space can relate.

It’s understandable. Never before has there been anything quite like online dating. The almost unlimited selection of potential dating partners, depending on which online service you use, coupled with the ability to instantaneously connect with someone who shares your same interests is a phenomenon that has revolutionized dating online and off. And all from the privacy of your computer.

The funny part is online dating has really taken off. Why is this a surprise? Mainly because it was not expected to do so well in a down economy. We all know how tough things are; yet many online dating services are reporting record memberships and more importantly for them record profits. No doubt the future looks bright for quite a number of these companies.

Yet you can visit countless forums where many people are upset because after a certain period of time they have not really met anyone. Others take it a little further and blame the dating service they signed up with. If certain dating sites are supposed to be the industry leaders when it comes to internet dating, then someone is lying.

In some ways they have a point. But one thing online dating has done besides transform the public scene is heighten people’s anticipation level. A cornucopia of people to choose from (more than what has ever been available) should yield better results faster. In theory it should work just like that.

Sure the stories are true where a person goes online for the first time meets their dating partner and after several back and forths they decide to hook up offline. Things go great. The chemistry was more than either of them expected and before you know it they are strolling down the aisle listening to the wedding march.

For the majority? Not so much. Online dating for them is a time-consuming tough journey and it is for the same reason that makes internet dating the phenomenon that it is; too many choices.

One person seems to share the same interest as you but their looks just don’t cut it as far as you are concerned. Another person does have the looks but your taste and their is so far apart that there is no way you can make a go of it. Someone else seems to be just what you are looking for but after several online chats it turns out you are not exactly what they are looking for. Now it is back to square one and you start the process all over again.

Because there are so many profiles to go thru and you have not had any luck so far the task gets a little more overwhelming. You start to ask yourself will you ever meet anyone. Many have answered no and given up all together. It’s back to the offline dating scene for them. Crowded bars and blind dates in their opinion yield better results.

The thing to keep in mind is that because you have so many people to choose from that it probably will take longer to find that special someone. Therefore treat online dating like your own personal cyber club. Establish friendships and create your own social network. Above all put those instant success stories out of your mind. They only increase your stress level. “They did so why can’t I” can easily become your mantra. Don’t let it. Since you are on this online dating train, the best thing you can do is enjoy the ride.

By Daryl Campbell Published: 1/30/2009

Online Dating Advice For the Boomer Woman

Great tips for the Boomer Woman to find success with online dating. With fierce competition in the online personals arena it pays to do your homework.

The available Boomer Woman, is quite shy to advertise herself personally that she would like to meet men. Imagine her telling someone she meets that she would like to date and if that somebody knows someone who would be interested. Society might laugh at her that in her advanced age – 50 and above. She still wants sex; although of course that is not the only reason. It is more discreet therefore to avail of dating services in the internet. But she has to make her personal profile attractive in order to get the attention of men. With vast majority of women who register online, the competition is tough.

You have to read and apply some dating advices for online dating in the internet or in books. Many details are put on line by a lot of other ladies on the dating services. One dating advice you should apply is to make your profile smart and desirable in order to standout. Assessing your target market is one of the basic dating advice for online dating- you have to package yourself depending on the men you desire. If you want an athletic and active man – portray yourself that you are into sports and some action. Like you jog, play lawn tennis, watch auto racing or go to the gym.

If you want someone who is a homebody, portray yourself to be a baker of cookies or a cook of special recipes. As the saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Or you can also show that you quilt, cross stitch and organize photo albums. This might appeal to a man who wants his house organized day in and day out. If you want a man who is financially stable, the best da ting advice for you is to learn about the stock exchange so you can chat about it with him. That way you will know if he is telling the truth or not.

There are many ways of chatting so you can know the truth about the person. When advertising yourself, one practical dating advice for you is to always emphasize your best qualities. Perhaps the best quality of a Boomer woman is that she is a woman of experience and capable of doing many things. The boomer woman is not fretful or jealous or impatient like their younger counterparts. Younger men even prefer to date older women because of these qualities. There is less emotional burden and issues unlike girls in their 20′s whose main concerns are shoes and nail colors. Mature women are intelligent and can talk widely of many topics.

Never ever announce that you are a busy woman and obsessive about your job. Most men would not prefer to play second fiddle to a woman’s career and some can be intimidated by it. They want to be pampered by a woman. They would want to be more powerful than her when it comes to earning capacity. Men who usually go online are also too busy to go into the complications of blind dates and are more interested to listen to a woman’s opinion. And the last but not the least dating advice is – have fun and don’t forget to make the most out of your time…who knows, maybe your soul mate is just a click away.

So, go on line and make that powerful profile.

Author: Ruth Purple

Find the perfect date with 4 golden words

If you are trying to attract that person of your dreams online, through a dating site, there are four golden words to remember: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Keeping these four words in mind can help you to write a great attention grabbing profile, and get more interest than those with boring profiles.

Attention – Grab attention with a killer opening line. Make sure your opening line gets results, and makes readers want to click on your full profile. Try to avoid cheesy, well worn clichés, and go for something original instead.

Interest – sustain interest with the body text. This is the long, descriptive part of your profile. Avoid lengthy descriptions about yourself, don’t be boring! Instead aim for a unique angle, tell a story that describes how you are, without you telling them who you are. Keep it lighthearted for maximum interest.

Desire – Get in touch with your readers emotions by subtly flirting. Keep it flattering, and again avoid the cheesy one-liners that are a sure turn off.

Action – entice them to take action by giving them an opportunity to contact you, by thanking them for taking the time to get in touch, or by challenging them to answer a funny question.

Above all else, have fun with your online dating, use your imagination and follow these four ideas to find success and true love online.

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Online Dating

Online Dating

Advice for online dating success and a discussion of the evolution of dating now that there are internet dating sites.

Years ago, dating via the internet was unthinkable. In-fact when I began to date, we never even knew that the internet existed. We never dreamed that one day we would be hooking up with a date via our computer and a simple click of the mouse.

The internet has become a world that many of us are involved in, in many different ways for many different reasons. My friends and I delved into the cyberspace way of dating and relating some four years ago. When we first began it was a disaster, as none of us know what we were doing. But now we have come out the other side somewhat wiser, with a much better idea of the do’s and the don’ts of internet dating.

You can have a fulfilling online dating experience by following a few simple guidelines. Most dating sites will let you create a profile and post a photograph for free, however to contact people, this is where it does cost. There are some online dating services that are totally free, however the one’s I used when I dated online were all paid services.

It is a good idea to register with a few, cast a wide net so to speak. Below are my ideas for success when dating online.

 

• First and foremost, and especially for women, always remember safety first. If something feels off, then it probably is and you should bail as soon as possible. Don’t be afraid to cancel a date, or end a date you are on if you are feeling uncomfortable about your safety.

 

 

• Always post a photograph, a good clear photo that shows you smiling. You will have more contact from people if you post a photo. If you are not willing to post a photo, people may think you have something to hide. So this is always a good idea.

 

 

• Do not give out your phone number in the first email contact. I have heard of many people doing this and quite frankly this kind of behaviour reeks of desperation, a definite turn off.

 

 

• Do not read too much into the first few emails. Quite often it is easy to become excited about a prospective date just from a few emails. This is foolish as these people you are emailing are not real until you meet them face to face.

 

 

• When you talk on the phone for the first time, keep the conversation short. The first phone call should be about making the first date, nothing more. Do not fall into the trap of chatting for hours on end to a total stranger. It is very easy to be lulled in a false sense of security and reveal way too much about yourself. You should be revealing yourself face to face on a date or preferably a series of dates.

 

 

• On your first date, keep it short. Go for a walk in the park or meet for coffee, for no more than an hour or so. The first date should not last for three hours.

 

 

• Unless your date is rude, or you decide that you just do not like them. Date the person three times before deciding if the friendship/relationship can go anywhere. One date, lasting an hour is not enough time to know if this person is the one for you. It is important that you give the person a chance.

 

• On one of your three dates, deliberately change the plans. Request a change of place, time or day. This will tell you if the person is flexible or not. If this person makes a fuss, there is a pretty good chance they might be controlling or abusive. This rule is not absolute, however I would be on my guard with anyone who got upset because I could not make it to lunch on a particular day.

These are just a few examples of things that I learnt whilst dating on-line. It took twenty-three dates and a failed relationship for me to realise my mistakes. I wish that I had this information that I am passing onto you back then, but I was none the wiser. Hopefully if you follow my simple guidelines you will have a successful and enjoyable online dating experience.

Author: Janelle Coulton

Is Your Free Online Dating Site Really Free?

Is Your Free Online Dating Site Really Free?

There are many people who are interested in finding a free online dating site, but are in a dilemma. Which site is best for you? Which site should you go sign up for?

This is a valuable question because every site is built for different people and every person would find their ‘ideal’ home at a different free online dating site.
Also, you may know which sites offer dating services, but not know which ones allow you to sign up to their service for free. There are many online dating sites, but by reading on you can and will be able to find the ones which allow you to sign up for free to their online dating site.

Many of the new sites offer free trials, which allow you access to some of the features. If you decide to, you can pay to get a premium or upgraded membership to that site. You can create your profile and post it to the site. You can even put up your photograph along with your profile. After this, most sites will work hard to find you a date or a match. The features of each dating site will allow you to connect with these people by messenger or email.

But, it is always preferable that you go for an online dating site that is offering a free service. Free service is always better when using a new website, which you have not decided upon yet. Also, and unfortunately, some of these new dating sites popping up are frauds. They can take your money for membership and then just disappear. You are not left with any alternative at that point of time because you do not even know to whom the site belongs to or where to go for your money.

If you really value your money go for the free online dating sites, which allow you a trial period. They will provide you a full fledged trial service without the cash. Most of these sites, like eHarmony, will even show you your matches for free. Most of these dating services will offer a paid service on top of their free online dating. This paid service is for a better dating service, but if you find that your purposes are served just by registering for free then why go for paid service?

Just give a word search for the free online dating site over the internet. You can find them all over the net. Also, review sites are a great place to go. You can find out which are the best free online dating sites by seeing what other users, like yourself, have to say about them. If you like the free online dating site they have to offer, you can always register yourself as a premium member.

By: Kurt Spelling

Over 50s Online Dating Advice

Over 50s Online Dating Advice

Internet dating for people over 50 is an area of special interest for many. Today there are even special guides created for people over 50 that are involved or wish to get involved in online dating.

There is a lot of material available on the internet about dating advice and an over 50s dating guide would probably be very similar to a dating guide for any age group. The world wide web (www) does bring in a few new elements to dating which make things much easier and more interesting but do require some thought.

The most important thing to get right first is to create an honest profile for yourself. This may seem obvious but it is worth giving this some consideration or even getting a friend to help you. To create the best profile for you its important that you get to know yourself. This may sound basic but it is important to ask yourself some searching questions, find out what you really like and don’t like, think about what has worked for you in past relationships and what has not, what do you find attractive, what personality types you bond with etc. This can sometime be a little emotional but it’s important to be honest with yourself. A friend can also help with an external viewpoint on some of these questions.

Once you know yourself it is important to be honest and open when creating your profile on a senior dating site, being clear about your fundamental reasons for being a member, the sort of friendship, relationship you are looking for, the type of partner you are interested This will help guide the right sort of members who will find you when they are searching the mature dating site.

Once you have finished your own personal profile, you should try to build up a profile of the type of partner/friend/lover you are interested in looking for. This all sounds a bit scientific but it has been proven to work extremely well and millions of couples have found true bliss using this technique.

Build a list of nice things you are looking for in a potential partner/friend, then search and score. I know this sounds a bit difficult but it’s actually lots of fun and it makes total sense. It will help you find people who you are most likely to get on with who have similar interests and very importantly have the same expectations as you.

Finally when it comes to actual meetings then the traditional dating advice is still very sound.
Tell a friend and get good support before and after your date
Have FUN!

Author: David Banzius-Bell

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