The survey found that over 17 per cent of people who married over the last three years met through online dating sites, making it the third more effective method of introduction, behind meeting at work or school or by being introduced through a mutual acquaintance.

The study was carried out by top research firm Chadwick Marin Bailey, and shows’ how online dating is revolutionising the way people meet potential partners and what’s more astonishing is that the industry has only been around for less than two decades!

Results of the survey also found that one in five singletons had dated someone whom they had met through an online dating agency. The survey also found that amongst the newlyweds who had met online, 30 per cent of them were members of Match.com.

Greg Blatt, chief executive of Match  attributes the success of the online dating industry and its rapid growth on the rise of technology and the changes in society that have made it harder to meet new partners through traditional methods. People nowadays tend to work long hours which means they may not have time to meet people in bars or clubs. They also tend to live further from family members which reduces the odds of introductions through family friends. Laptops and internet connections fill this void and allow people to meet other singles in a convenient manner.

Blatt’s continues, “It’s no different meeting on Match than it is meeting at a party, or at a restaurant or on a subway. . . . Once you’ve met, it’s real life; you either fall for each other or you don’t. You either have a great romance or you don’t”

For those of you fortunate enough this might just be a case of jumping in the Porsche and away you go, for the rest of us it could either mean one of three things, 1)  you will end up picking her up in a rusty old motor which is has been around longer than your gran,  2) you get a lift from your mum, or  3) you take public transport – all of which is a disaster if you are looking to make that all important, first impression.

But fear not, there is a solution which is guaranteed to impress your first date – simply hire a nice car! This will put you behind the wheel of a brand spanking new motor at a snip of the price of actually owning one.  When selecting a hire car you want to choose one which makes you look suave, sophisticated and wealthy, consider a BMW Z4 or perhaps the Porsche Carrera GT.

Renting a car for your first date is a great move that is bound to go down well – just remember to hide all that nice car hire documentation!

The Compatibility Test

Both sites compatibility tests have been designed by expert psychologists who specialise in the dynamics of human relationships.

eHarmony offers a comprehensive questionnaire based on 29 dimensions of compatibility that is scientifically proven to predict happier, healthier long-term relationships.

The affinity test is based on around hundred questions designed to explore your personality across 71 different psychological criteria such as your views on life, family, love and money.

Price

Both sites allow you to register and take the compatibility test for free. They also allow you to see your personality report and see suggest matches. Dating Direct Affinity also lets you send your first message for free!

If you are looking for unrestricted access, Affinity has a range of subscription options to choose from. The minimum subscription term is 3 months and costs £29.00 per month. If you decide to go for a 6 month package then it costs £19.00 and a whole year is just £14.00.

eHarmony is cheaper than Dating Direct Affinity.  A one month subscription costs £34.95. Three months costs just £19.95 a month. If you go for the six month package it only costs £14.95 and an entire year is just £9.95 a month.

Both sites require you to pay for the months in advance and renew automatically at the end of the subscription term. Join eHarmony now..

Reason 1:  Free to sign-up

Unlike other dating websites, Dating Direct is confident enough to allow you to sign up free of charge so you can get a feel for the site before subscribing. You can take a peek at the members on the site to see if any take your fancy without having to pay a penny!  The free membership allows you to create a profile, use Dating Direct ‘s basic search tools and view profiles of other members.

Reason 2:  Secure and Safe

Dating Direct have a dedicate teams of customer service agents who are responsible for monitoring and controlling the site. The website is dedicated to keeping their members safe and secure. If you experience any inappropriate behaviour from another member it’s simply a case of clicking a link to ‘let the moderation team know’.

The Dating Direct team investigate every report and if the behaviours is deemed inappropriate, the member will be removed from site – giving you peace of mind that dating on Dating Direct is totally safe and secure.

Reason 3: Easy-to-use

The user interface is superb, making navigation easy. Everything is clearly laid out and searching for members is a breeze thanks to Dating Direct innovative ‘1-click’  search feature which makes finding a potential partner just ‘1 click’ away.

Reason 4:  Great Features

Dating Direct is crammed full of great features to make dating more interesting and exciting. The site has instant messaging features as well as video chat so you can actually see the person you are talking too.  You can also access the site on the move using the mobile dating feature.

Reason 5: Find Love Guarantee

If you don’t find love within 12 months of joining up, Dating Direct will reimburse you your subscription costs – Risk free dating! Join now…

Specialist vs. General Dating

Some online dating sites cater for everyone; others are more specialised, catering for certain groups of people with common interests or lifestyles such as Married Dating sites like Ashley Madison. If your religion, location, sexual preference, profession or hobby is an important factor in your dating preferences then consider choosing a site which is specifically aimed at a particular group.  It should be noted, that specialist sites have a fairly limited number of registered users, and you may find just as many people who share the same interests or passions on a general dating site like Dating Direct or Social Network like Faceparty.

Information

How much do you want to know about a potential partner? Online dating sites vary as to how much information they ask from members.  Some sites only ask for very basic details such as age, location and looks. Other sites ask detailed questions and aim to match, and only allow members to register once they have filled in all the questions with an adequate amount of information. Some dating sites even have psychological tests to help you find suitable matches.  Bare this in mind when choosing an online dating site; also consider how much information you’re prepared to give before meeting a potential partner.

Shop Around

The majority of online dating sites allow you to sign up free of charge before subscribing to the paid-for functionality. Shop around and trial a few sites before parting with your cash. Check out the sites functionality, some even allow you to search through members profiles before paying!

Tip 1: Selecting a Site

Online dating is a numbers game, the more exposure your profile gets there better. Select a site which has lots of active members such as Dating Direct or eHarmony; don’t get off on the wrong foot by registering with a site that doesn’t have numbers to start with.  Join up as a free member before committing to a paid-for subscription.

Tip 2:  Create the perfect profile

Once you have found a dating site which has lots of potential partners, the next step is to create a profile that makes the most of your attributes. Include a clear photo; people tend to avoid members who don’t display an image of themselves. Don’t forget to tell people about yourself and your interests.

Tip 3: Make the first move

Don’t just set up your online dating profile, sit back and wait for people to get in touch. Be brave and make the first move, take an active approach in searching for potential dates. Remember it’s a number game, the more people you contact the more likely it is you will find the perfect partner.

Tip 4: Review your progress

If you are struggling to connect with people on the site, or still haven’t found that special one than take an objective look at the replies you are getting. It could be that your profile needs to be adjusted. It may even be worth trying a new online dating site if you’re not meeting the right people.

Once you have started talking to someone, learn how to handle your first date.

Tip 1: Location, Location, Location.

to find many millionaires in your local nightclub, cafe of restaurant. You need to expand your travels into new territories. Think yacht clubs, art galleries, polo matches and exclusive hotel lobby bars.

The rich and famous tend to cluster, so a holiday spent at one their favoured haunts is a very efficient way of meeting the wealthy. Popular playgrounds for millionaire include the Seychelles, Monte Carlo, Barbados and the French Riviera.

Tip 2: Join a Millionaire Dating Service

If you don’t have the time or money to jet of to the Med on the hunt for a millionaire, or struggling to find a wealthy partner, than an online dating service is a no brainer. Thanks to increasing popularity of millionaire dating sites, itís now easier than ever to find yourself a wealthy partner.

Millionaire dating websites are similar to your standard relationship sites like Dating Direct, the sites act as a matchmaker between millionaires and those who want to date or marry them. Many of these wealthy men and women are ready to share the benefits of their lifestyle with a stylish and sophisticated partner.

Although competition among people looking for a wealthy partner has increased, the great news is that the number of male and female millionaires is on rise.

Millionaire Dating sites are mainly for rich and wealthy people seeking long-lasting, loving relationships, so why not join up and find yourself a millionaire!

Dating is never easy; perhaps you have a hard time meeting women who are suitable and single. Maybe you work unsociable hours which means you never have time to date. Whatever your situation, the first step is take action.

Forget traditional methods of trawling through bars and clubs to find a potential partner, the chances of finding a women to date from such establishments are far and few between. Fear not, there is much simpler way to date women which yields great results. The 21st century has brought a whole new life to the world of dating; all you need is a computer with an internet connection. If you want to date women the best place to look is in fact online dating sites.

Over the last ten years the online dating industry has boomed, thousands of people everyday are dating women they have met online. If you don’t have the time to find a date, simply sign up to Dating Direct or eHarmony and have instant access to thousands of single women in your local area.

Once signed up, browse through the profiles, you can generally search by location which makes things easier if you are looking to date women who are close to home. Once you have found a lady you want to take on a date, simply contact them through their profile and await their response. Very soon, you may find that you have arrange not just one but many dates.

Online dating is a great and convenient way to date women, no more standing in bars brainstorming opening lines, just easy and relaxed dating, whenever you want!

“Happy Girl” photo from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Finding a date is never easy, but by taking a methodical approach to dating men, it can be relatively painless and actually quite enjoyable. The biggest problem when it comes to dating is actually finding someone you wish to spend time with. Locating a potential partner is the first hurdle you will come across in the world of dating.

How do I find a man to date? I hear you ask. Firstly try your local area, is there any men in your social circles that are single and that you get on well with? Often many people complain they are single because no one has asked them out on a date. Itís no longer a social faux pas for a woman to ask the man on a date, bit the bullet and go for it.

If, however, you are struggling to find a potential suitor then check out the world of online dating. Once considered an embarrassing social stigma, online dating agencies, such as Dating Direct or eHarmony are now the number one place to go if you want to find the ideal man. The beauty of using a dating site is that it allows you access to thousands of men at the click of a button, you can browse through pictures and profiles until you see someone who takes your fancy.

Practice makes perfect, and the same can be applied to dating. Online dating makes finding dates easy, the more you go on the more experienced you will become and the more likely it is you will find Mr Right.

Romantic Waterfall image from FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Do this regularly with someone you only know online and you are for all intents and purposes a flirt. And flirting can be fun and cool and sexy. But you can easily send out the wrong signals and make the wrong moves if you don’t watch your step.

We hope you find flirting around with online partners to be a fun and rewarding experience, and to help you avoid some of the pitfalls, we present a short list of things you can do to keep yourself safe and the conversation flowing easily.

1. Always ask “open” questions – if you ask someone a question that has a simple yes or no answer, it can bring your conversation to a very abrupt halt. When the conversation is flowing freely you want to keep that back and forth going as long as you can. Breaking the conversation is therefore bad and unless you have a witty reply to hand in event of a flat ‘no’ to a question then you can find yourself floundering to get going again.
2. Mock yourself before you mock the other person - people who appear confident and funny in chat might actually be a mass of neuroses. They’re putting on their best front for you, so until you know them very well don’t start taking the mick out of them. Instead, mocking yourself will put your chat partner at ease and, perversely, make you appear more confident and relaxed.
3. If you want to ask a personal question, get permission – it might be critical for your relationship that you know something about somebody’s past. It’s entirely fair to ask those questions, but make sure you phrase them in a way that is non-invasive. Even in the relaxed environment of the internet a little politeness goes a long way. So couch your question by asking something like: “May I ask if you’ve ever been married?” You’re still asking for the same information, but you give them an opportunity to decline a request. 9 times out of 10, they won’t – but they will feel easier answering it.
4. Don’t ask questions about personal appearance right off the bat – few people are lucky enough to be super-confident in their appearance. If you plunge in to ask their height, bra-size or eye colour you could inadvertently be touching a very raw nerve. You’ll know when the time is right, and you might even find that when you know their personality first, it matters less to you. And that makes for a much happier chance of a healthy relationship.
5. Don’t pressurise for commitment – being realistic, it’s possible for people to juggle many internet relationships. This doesn’t make them a bad person or a terrible slut. It just means that they’re keeping their options open. If you start to threaten their options, you’ll very quickly turn from being a great online chat partner to being a burden. Far from gaining their commitment, you’ll be running the risk of seeming a little bit controlling. And there’s not many folk are looking to be controlled.
6. Don’t be too easy – let’s not beat about the bush here. You could be having cybersex. That’s fine – and it can be great fun – but don’t make it the be-all end-all of your chats. Sexual tension and erotic exchanges are exciting, but can also take the air out of other conversations. If it happens, fine. But don’t feel you have to push for it or even respond to it if it’s not your thing. Even online, you’ve got to keep to your own boundaries.