Online Dating Sites Overview

For those of you just beginning online dating, I will give you a brief introduction to the types of sites available and some comments about each type. If you are online dating savvy, this information will be very basic for you. But, don’t get insulted, it is designed for beginners. Additional information is included in “Get That Girlfriend” as well as on the home page.

Free Online Dating Sites

There are actually very few totally free online dating sites that offer you a complete dating experience. There is a free site that does have thousands of visitors a day and boasts of thousands of dates with their members. I recommend that you examine the population that uses the site, the age of the average members, their true relationship status, and motivation  for a serious relationship. Try it yourself. I have not found the site to be very effective and appears to have a large number of  members  seeking casual dating experiences.

Paid and Subscription Online Dating Sites (often advertised as free)

We all know the names of the large sites. Often, you can register, place a profile and search free of charge.  But on most sites  you cannot chat or send emails to non paying members. With experience, however, you will learn that many of the desirable women are not paying members! On some of these sites, you can receive email as a basic member but can not send an email unless you are contacted by them first.  It is somewhat complicated and the sites have many variations; you can receive a message but not reply, send but not read reply, not chat, or not see the full profile, and every variation of this you can possibly think of. Remember, these establishments are businesses and they give you some free benefits, but to really experience the site, you must pay for a full membership. Most of them have a one month option which is what I used in preparing “Get That Girlfriend”.   Because of the fact that there are many more men on the sites than women, some sites have different membership rules for attractive women. It can be more dishonest than you think. One friend of mine showed me a letter she received from a site. It was an offer of “employment” where she would get a commission if a guy upgraded his membership just after viewing her profile! This may be the reason many woman drop you after you upgrade! These are really the sharks in the waters and you must be aware. But still, all things aside, you can find a nice date on the sites and countless men have developed  relationships and marriages from the sites. Others find the techniques such as in pick up women, successful.

Foreign Online Dating Sites

Foreign sites come in all flavors and varieties. There are dedicated sites to almost every nationality you can imagine. The foreign sites offer an option for many men to find a more desirable woman than they would otherwise be able to get on the strictly American sites. Many educated woman in the other nations are seeking to make a better life for themselves and their families, and are very motivated. The common wisdom is that they are only seeking a green card and will divorce you as soon as they receive their card. The data, however, is not conclusive on this notion and the divorce literature has opinions on both sides of the topic. If you do go in this direction, you must be totally motivated to learn the language of your girlfriend or you will have big troubles. Just exercise caution, learn some of the language, and you have a good chance at a high quality and exciting relationship.

Special Contract Sites

Some sites are not online dating sites at all. The website just serves as an entry into their business. A number of these sites will find screened, and character referenced people for you to meet. They may even arrange a dating place for you.  My favorite is actually “It’s Just Lunch.” Prior to them setting up a date for you, they will require that you and your date verify your credentials. For a busy professional this is an excellent option. The first time you get burned by someone who presents themselves as a high achiever, only to find out 6 months later they were lying, you will feel that paying for verification is well worth every penny.