But that was before when Anna, suddenly tired of constantly having to leave work early and preparing for a possibly dull evening or a date that will have her split the bill, subscribed to an online dating site. Now she says she’s having the time of her life meeting new people she never thought she would in her small social circle.

Anna’s story is one of the better online dating stories. The internet, aside from offering you the possibility of true love could also scam you out of thousands of dollars and may even get you the possibility of being prey to perverts and sexual offenders. Picking a good online dating site becomes paramount. Here’s a mini guideline in making sure you get the best out of the online dating scene.

1. Make sure it’s legit. There are dozens, if not hundreds of dating sites that are actually operating illegally, meaning they’re just out to get your money, or worse, your identity. Identity theft has been a constant horror in the internet and dating sites, with their comprehensive “questionnaires” often lead to people suddenly racking up thousands in credit card debt without ever applying for one.

Choose the more established online dating sites and its better if any of your friends had actually used the service before. It may be a little obsessive but if you can check the site with the Better Business Bureau, the better. Also, be sure never to give personal information such as social security number, mother’s maiden name or business and home phone numbers.

2. Take advantage of the freebie. You can pick from thousands of online dating sites that offer free services. Some sites offer free online dating services without a trial period but if you want to upgrade to more features such as live video and audio chat, you can upgrade to a higher subscription package by paying with a credit card.

3. Feature-packed. Some sites have more features than others and more value for your time and money. The more common features include personalized profiles, photo uploads, automatic matches with other members and messaging options to other members. Upgraded accounts would include features such as live video and audio chat and secured emails. Other dating sites employ safety features by screening their applicants if they have previous criminal records or their true marital status.

4. Pick specialized sites. There are online dating sites that specialized in matching people of the same preferences, age, location or ethnicity. If you are Asian or want an Asian partner, you can find dozens of dating sites with this purpose. Other dating sites limit their members in certain age groups while some matches people only in a certain country or city. Whatever online dating site you choose, make sure your information is secure and cross your fingers that you will finally meet your match.

One very important thing to consider is to write a headline that will not only catch a potential date’s attention but will certainly grab his attention. With over millions of people looking for a friend, partner or spouse online, the internet has become a very competitive social hub.  Diane Allred, columnist for a dating online magazine says that profiles and photos are secondary only to headlines.

“You never can tell what a member wants from other members until you see their headlines,” Allred says. “If they want a lasting relationship, they’ll probably advertise that, and if they want nothing more than a fleeting romance, you can also tell with their personals headlines,” she remarks. She has put in a few suggestions on how to write a winning personals headline.

1. Highlight what’s attractive. It’s the basic marketing ploy and you need to sell yourself. Think of your most valuable asset (whether physical or mental) and add that to your headline. It could also be a characteristic or virtue that will make you more appealing to like-minded persons.
2. Be specific. Be specific with what you want. If you like to meet an artsy, romantic person, then say so. If you are looking for a short term relationship that or activity partners more than a long-lasting relationship, then place that in your headline. It can help attract the specific persons you’d like to meet.
3. Never be brash about or rude in your headline. We know that you have had a terrible experience with online dating before but that’s no reason to say, “Jerks not welcomed!” or something that includes expletives. On the flip side, this could attract attention from people who might think of you as a sassy girl but the attention could be for the wrong reasons.
4. Show your humor. A sense of humor is one of the most attractive characteristics that anyone could possess. What better way to advertise your funny bone than in your personals headline. So crack a joke or relay a funny incident. Nobody can resist a good laugh.
5. Be yourself. This might sound so redundant but this is the actually the best way to meet someone that will fulfill the compatibility test. A winning personal headline will consist of something honest and uniquely you. Create a headline that spells out your personality and something that will lead a prospective date to your door.

Online dating has become a way of life for a large percentage of people. Currently, there are almost 40 million people in the United States alone who subscribe to online dating sites. This number is not so surprisingly considering the many advantages that you can get from online dating.

•    Convenience
It is one of the most convenient means of meeting new people and friends. Any one from any part of the world can log into a PC or laptop and in minutes, talk to a person with the same interests. More importantly, you don’t have to drive to a specific place or get dressed. Online dating can be done in the comforts of your home and in your pjs at that.

•    It’s Free!
Most online dating sites are actually free. You can register, create your own profile, upload pictures and see your matches in a matter of minutes. Other online dating sites have free trial periods that can expire in a week or a month and subscribe to the service in a monthly or annual basis. Some sites keep their basic features free but require subscription fee for higher feature packages such as video and audio chat and personal emailing service.

•    Cast a Wider Net
You can meet people not only in your native Texas but the whole world if you want. Online dating sites are available to people from all parts of the globe and if you always dreamed of dating a French native, you can simply log on and search online. But if you want to meet someone closer to home, you might just find your next date living a few blocks from your apartment never meeting if not for the online dating site.

•    Hassle-free Dating
Online dating is so popular because you don’t have to dress up and worry about shaving your legs before the big date. You can meet people, talk to them and even see them online without having to spend on restaurant bills or bar drinks. If you don’t hit it off, just log off. You don’t need to sit and smile miserably while your date rattles on and on about himself and his ex-girlfriend.

•    Finding the Perfect Mate
Call it cheesy but you have a higher chance of meeting your soulmate online than you would in the real world. With online dating, a lot of negative characteristics that you are avoiding can easily be checked off without having to go through the painful process of actual dating. However, online daters are always advised of the dangers of scammers and perverts online so always be smart when it comes to finding love on the net.

Here are some easy ways to tell where this first encounter will take you:

1. Eye Contact – How does she look at you? Are her eyes actually looking at you, or is she diverted by other things around you? Eye contact is important, essentially by telling you if she is trying to learn more about. Unlike most mens grazing eye contact in trying to size up a woman, most women aren’t only sizing you up physically when they are looking at you but trying to figure out more about you as a person.
2. Smiles – A smile says volumes. It tells about whether you are actually engaging in a conversation or boring her. If you can get eye contact and a smile things are looking good that there is a mutual attraction.
3. Flirting – How does she respond to flirting? Is it brushed off or is it acknowledged. Be careful with this one and don’t give up too easily, if she isn’t responding to your flirting it could be because you are coming across too strong, or not getting your point across at all. Try to look at how your coming across and don’t use a lot of ‘corny’ humor.
4. Touch – notice this says touch, and not grope. Start with something simple, putting your hand over hers, putting your hand on her shoulder. Instant stiffening = not good reaction, staying relaxed is again another sign that you are on the same page.

If you have registered for free online dating services, then a dating profile is not new to you. For those who have yet to sign up, you might get exasperated with the number of questions that you are made to answer. Like how is religion related to finding your soulmate? Dating profiles actually require you to answer the most nitty-gritty things about yourself because they want to narrow down the search for your potential matches from the thousands of members online.

You might think that religious belief doesn’t matter at first but when you are faced with a date that requires you to hear mass three times a day you’ll see the need for the requirement. If you are serious about searching for partners, or even friends that share the same interests as you, then you need to be serious about creating an online dating profile that can lead you straight to them. Here are a few tips that can help you get started.

1. Sell Yourself. Putting your best foot forward is the mantra in online dating. You need to be pro-active when it comes to your profile and use words that will help sell yourself. Remember that there are approximately tens of thousands of members in just one online dating site alone. If you do not project a positive and vibrant personality through your profile, then it would be like a needle stuck in a haystack that nobody is even trying to look for.For example, instead of saying “I’m a fun person”, make it vivid with phrases like “I love to go bungee jumping” or “nothing beats mojitos, Mexican sombreros and great friends to laugh with”. Make sure that the reader will get a picture of what type of person you through words in your profile.
2. But be honest. Let’s face it, majority (if not all) of the online dating profiles you see on the net are not 100% accurate. This is a fact. It’s okay to add a little white lie here and there (shaving a year off your age or a pound off your weight) but creating a totally fictitious person through your profile is pointless.If you are matched to another person, the results will probably turn up people you are incompatible with. They may have some of the qualities you want but in the end, the whole thing will just be a fruitless effort. Let it all hang there, nobody’s perfect. If you are a little worried about your weight, there are sites that can find you matches for people who like their women large and proud.
3. Say it with pictures. Maybe you find it difficult to write eloquently about your travels and your passion for it. Why not post your pictures scuba-diving in the Great Barrier Reef or your climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro? You can easily show what you cannot say in your online dating profile.Pictures should preferably be close up so that if potential matches like what they see, they can contact you. It’s also best to add fun captions to your pictures and even accompanying blog-type descriptions of the photos. It helps your personality shine through even more.

Dating a married woman can be an exciting, fulfilling way to have some great fun. What can you expect when you date a married woman though?

Married Dating statistics show that one third of women are having sexual relationships outside their marriage – why shouldn’t you enjoy some of that action. Married women come with experience – they know what they want when they are in bed and enjoy sharing it with their partner. She wants nothing from you other than sex, no worries about taking out the trash in the morning.

Even in you are not a rich man, dating a married woman is easy on the pocket book. Buying lavish, expensive gifts is a not cool when you are dating a married woman. Even if you are able to afford them, don’t do it, it puts her in a very bad place. If you are going to spend money chose a nicer hotel or a finer restaurant if there is the time.

Here are a few hints and tips to keep you in line with what you can expect:

• Make sure you are man enough to handle hot, hard sex for long periods of time, many married women don’t get enough at home and is one of the top reasons they are looking for a little extra on the side.
• Don’t take it personally if it doesn’t become a relationship where she wants to know all about you
• Enjoy every moment you have together – time is sacred
• Plan what you are going to do – don’t waste your time trying to find something to do at the last minute
• Be flexible – don’t be upset if dates are cancelled at the last minute

The best expectation to have when dating a married woman is to have no expectations, go with it and just enjoy.

There is always the possibility that the date will go uneventful with an amicable parting of ways without the possibility of a second date. It could be incompatibility or plain lack of spark. But before you go on and think an awesome first date is nothing more but a myth, think again.

1. Pull out all the stops.
This is a cardinal rule in first dates: look your best. Even if you are not in the mood, try to put your best foot forward. An evening can be determined by first impressions. If you’re a guy, changing into a nice clean shirt wouldn’t hurt and for women, a sexy black dress can spell the difference. Looking good is a must if you want an awesome first date.

2. Check your expectations at the front door.
This applies for both male and female. Don’t expect that you will be met at the door with a hot, red-blooded female or a guy bearing a gold and diamond bracelet. This is after all your getting-to-know-you stage. Approach the date with an anything-goes attitude and if you do get that sexy blonde or that bracelet, well and good.

3. Stop thinking long-term.
So you’re forty-two and your mom, aunt and grandmother is nagging you to get married already. It doesn’t mean that you can approach each date with a potential-husband-in-the-horizon mindset. Never ask questions like, “How many kids do you want?” or “Would you like a two-bedroom apartment in the city or a house in the suburbs?” That will leave your date “Check please!”

4. Fun and flirty.
Think fun and flirty. Great conversational topics include hobbies and interests. Don’t broach the subject of family squabbles, ex-girlfriends/ex boyfriends and work into the picture. It will not do anything but cloud the whole date. Also, a whiner is never a great date. Talk about your plans to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro or go scuba-diving in the Bahamas. Flirt your date a bit. Nobody can resist that combination.

5. Be yourself.
When on a first date, treat the whole evening with the hopes of gaining a new friend. If you have lots of things in common, that could mean a more lasting and meaningful relationship. Or it could just be that you will end up good friends. Be positive about the experience. Be sincere. And it may be quite a cliché but it also helps being yourself, at your best of course.