A Look at Online Dating Sites
One in five singles in serious relationships have met online whereas only 9 percent of couples have met at a bar or club. With about 20 million singles reported on various online dating sites, it may be time you consider joining an online dating site. But which one is the right fit for you?
The right person for you might be just a click away. Photo: We are Women
OKCupid
OKCupid is perhaps the most popular website in D.C. It’s a great fit for an online dating newbie and it’s free! Although you can purchase a subscription, most website functions will work without one. You can browse the site’s members by desired physical description or personality traits. You can upload more than one photo and message as much or as little as desired. It also features a rating system. If you rate someone four stars or above, and she or he gives you a high rating as well (and the system thinks you’re a good fit together) then you will receive an automated message encouraging you to message each other.
Match.com
Match.com is another extremely popular site. Match also features a rating system, similar to that of OKCupid. With Match, you receive daily matches to your inbox and profile. The site also offers other features such as favorites, winks and likes as well as the typical messaging capability. However, most features are completely unavailable unless you purchase a subscription. Although not one of my personal favorites, it is worth trying as it has a very high success rate.
eHarmony
eHarmony is a little different from the typical dating site. Communication does not start with a message but rather a series of set back and forth questions. The first three sets of communications include “make or breaks” that help to easily view what the other person values most. Like Match, eHarmony is also very difficult to use unless you purchase a subscription.
Do Your Research
Although these are currently the most popular sites, there are other options such as Plenty of Fish, Tinder, SinglesNet.com and Chemistry.com. Browse the web and do your research, especially before committing to a subscription. Online dating can be somewhat expensive, depending on the site, and if you are not careful, you may end up paying too much for little results.
