I’m frequently asked what THE site is for online dating. The ONE online Dating site where everyone is an active member, everyone has 100%  honest internet profile; internet photos are current, everyone is Normal and has all the qualities that the single is looking for. Internet Dating sites reflect what goes on in life. In other words, that ONE site –like THE place to meet singles – doesn’t exist.

Who is on Online Dating Sites is just like who you find in life. There are singles who aren’t seriously looking, aren’t honest about who they are, and are“different”. Studies show that people are as honest on online dating sites as much as they are in regular life.

The truth – There’s no one place where you can always find the singles you want to meet. In “real life” you need to try a variety of places and in the virtual dating world you will need to a few different internet dating sites.

People have told me almost every online dating site – from eHarmony to plenty of fish – are just for people looking for hookups. AND I have also heard that on each of these internet dating sites, people have met, fallen in love and gotten married (including clients I’ve referred). So how do you choose? Here are 5 Easy Steps to Finding the Best Online Dating Site for you.

• Decide what you are looking  for: A serious relationship, casual or friend with benefits? Whatever type of connection you are looking for, there are sites that specialize in that area.
• Who are you are looking for.  There are internet dating sites that are geared for certain ages,  interests, and demographics. Looking for someone who loves to dance,  western life, or has a disability – there are specializing internet dating  sites. You can Google your specific interest and internet dating and find  a big variety of internet sites.
• Paid or free? The advantage of free online dating sites like plentyoffish.com is you’re not spending your money. May sound perfect but often members are  not be as serious as paid sites for finding  someone or may not have the money to pay for a site. Free online dating sites allows the non-working, no car and living in the sister’s basement to internet date.
  • Paid online dating sites (match.com, eharmony.com, chemistry.com, etc) the best?
  • Most of the paid online dating sites allow people to  browse after putting up a profile. But if people don’t pay, they usually can’t email or answer others’ emails. And those profiles aren’t  designated. So while a paid Online Dating site may have 15 million members  there may be 1-2 million that are active members. As an Online Dating Expert, my recommendation to do a combination of at least 1 paid internet dating site and 1 free internet dating site.
• Test the internet dating site.  Sign up for a free membership and browse for members in your area. Are there enough people in your area to make it worth your time and possibly money?
• Have a Coffee Date with the Online Dating Site. Take advantage of free or trial offers. Most paid internet dating sites allow you to browse for a short time for free or offer a  money back offer for a certain number of days. Often they offer free weekends to try out the site.  * Make sure you understand the cancellation policies as most will automatically charge your credit card.

If the online dating site doesn’t work, then move to another site. On larger sites, my male clients get at least 8-12 emails a day the first week they post. And of course my female clients usually get a 100 the first week. If you’re not getting those results on a large site, the site may not have many active members or your profile needs to be revised (check my past blogs for ways to write great profiles and get winning photos or sign up for my Internet Dating review makeover.

Joann Cohen, Online Dating Specialist -  Learn more  my services

Phoenix Dating Coach