If you’re new to online dating (or feel you failed miserably at it before so you need some guidance), then this lesson will help you start off on the right foot – choosing the type of dating site that works best for your needs.

You’re going to hear a bunch of success stories as well as a bunch of horror stories from people all over the web about almost every site.

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The key is to remember that this is your journey – not theirs. You may have a wonderful experience or a less than stellar one. Just don’t be scared off by someone else’s tale of woe.

New Sites Versus Established Ones

Every day, it seems, a brand new dating site pops up on the Internet. That’s because the demand is so overwhelming and many people belong to more than one (or two or three) sites – maximizing their chances to find the right person.

You can’t simply take a site’s word for it that they’re the one you need to use. They’re blatantly self-promoting, so you need the word of someone who isn’t an employee of the site.

One of the best indicators that the site is reputable is their longevity in the business. Because online dating is such a hot topic, entrepreneurs launch new domains on the fly regularly – but you want someone committed to your dating success – someone who will help grow the site so that you have a large database of prospects to choose from.

You may want to go ahead and get on some sites that have a high amount of traffic already flowing to them.

But don’t discount new sites completely – because you get in on the ground floor and become one of the premiere members when you join a freshly built site. Make it one of your possibilities, but ensure larger success with high traffic dating sites, too.

Another reason new sites can be good is that some of the older sites have thousands of unused, stale profiles sitting in them. So while the member count may show a high number, the active members looking for a connection could be significantly lower.

Don’t Limit Yourself to Just One Site

The reason I say it’s wise to use the free option initially is that I want you to try out a few different sites. I don’t want you locked into just one where you’re not quite happy with the results.

What should you look for in the ones you choose?

• The angle of the site – some promote random sexual hook-ups, some tout Christian members, others are for seniors only, or for the gay community. You want to pick sites that cater to YOUR needs.
• Is the navigation menu overly complicated? You may not want it too simplistic, but if there’s an in home visit required, you’ll know they’re a little over-zealous in what they should be asking from you.
• What is their approval process? Some sites let anyone in, and some have parameters that must be met before you get the key to a membership.
• Is the pricing right? Some sites are very affordable for any budget while others cater to a high-end clientele.

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Don’t rush it in the next five minutes. Allow yourself some time to glance around and navigate each site – do you like what you see? No site will be 100^% perfect for everyone, but you’ll be able to recognize which ones are a no-go right off the bat.

When it comes to pricing, free is within your budget, but it might also be full of people who aren’t serious or who aren’t willing to pay for the very best. Just a small monthly payment signals that person is seriously seeking a connection – and willing to pay for the opportunity!

Check Out a Sample Profile

Most sites, even when they give you a free user option, will let you see a sample profile so that you know what you’ll be able to find out about people when browsing the profiles database.

If it’s bare-boned (like age, name, location and picture only) – then you know it won’t be enough to offer you the deep kind of connection you’re searching for.

You need to put the anxiety about creating your profile to rest. Here’s the good news – it can always be tweaked for improvement!

You’re going to be nervous initially. Maybe wonder who would like what you have to say!?

But the fact is, there’s someone for everyone – and you just need to be you in your profile without coming across as boring.

Since there’s no face-to-face interaction, it’s important to review some of the other profiles to see what makes you interested in them.

Did they have a witty subject line for their profile?

Were they open and honest and amazing with how they painted a picture of their life?

Did the humor come across so loud and clear that you wished you could go have a cup of coffee with this person right then and there?

You want to emulate the types of profiles that make you tick – without creating a false identity that doesn’t truly represent you.

What Type of Interaction Is Available?

Remember in the previous lesson, I asked you, as one of your tasks, to jot down what types of communication you wanted to work with. Does this site have what you were looking for?

If there’s a chat feature, that’s a good sign – because you can talk in real time without having to meet in person and meet before you know if you’re ready for that connection yet.

This is a perfect setting for people who work odd or long hours. It’s also beneficial for single parents who want to get to know someone pretty well before having an in-person meeting. And if you’re in a rural area, it works well because you don’t have to travel long distances to meet everyone in person.

Tasks for You to Accomplish Until the Next Lesson:

There are some sites that are great for beginners to use with online dating. The male to female ratio is nicely balanced, and you have a good chance of meeting someone right for you.

All you need to do for your tasks today are go visit these sites and enter your:

· Name
· Email
· Location

That’s it! You’re not going to hand over a credit card number for any later fees. You won’t have to give out sensitive personal information. This just lets you cross the threshold and enter into the site to have a quick look around.

The ones who usually end up very pleased with their results are the ones who took the time to simultaneously sign up at a few online dating sites. Don’t use one, wait for it to flop, and then move on to another one.

You’ll quickly realize that each site has a different diverse population, and you want a broad selection to choose from.

Here are the sites I advise you to sign up for with a trial – some cater to a specific crowd while others are very broad spectrum!

• eharmony.com
• Sugardaddie.com
• EliteMate.com

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Just keep in mind – it’s a good idea to have many options at once, so visit the sites listed above and then choose all that are relevant to you and give them a test drive!

In our next lesson, we’re going to be digging into the profile set-up a little more. And we’ll cover how you use that awesome profile to meet others on the site!