If the claims of dating companies are to be believed, we are moving towards an age where meeting your significant other from behind a computer screen (or a mobile phone) is the norm rather than the exception! Facts and figures about the success of online dating services are not in short supply. For instance, EHarmony now claims credit for 5% percent of all new marriages in the US. Their main competitor, Match.com, together with research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey conducted a study which indicated that one in six marriages (17%) over the past three years was between couples who met via a dating website.

Just to put that into perspective, the findings of the Match.com study showed that twice as many marriages in the US took place between people who met online, than in bars, clubs and social events combined. Meanwhile, the world’s largest free site, Plentyoffish claims on its home page that 20,000 new singles are joining the site every day.

But just how realistic are these statistics?

Dating companies clearly have a vested interest in advertising the success and popularity of online dating. So just how realistic are these claims? Independent estimates of the numbers of visitors to online dating sites certainly seem to confirm them. With several thousand online dating sites in operation in 2011, and over 200 million active personal profiles, this means that about 1 in 5 (20%) of today’s internet users have a dating profile (excluding social networking sites which can also be used for dating).

However people have different motivations for joining a dating site. Not all are looking for a committed relationship, as a significant proportion of dating profiles are posted on adult oriented sites. Others sign-up because knowing other people still find them desirable makes them feel good about themselves. Even taking these cases into account, the findings of the dating companies do seem to be entirely plausible.

While internet dating is clearly a popular and growing phenomenon, we’ll have to wait a few more years yet before we find out how successful online marriages are in the long-term.

News & Views Dating Business, eHarmony, Marriage, Match.com, PlentyOfFish.com

It’s pretty hard to find a reputable dating site that doesn’t charge some sort of fee to its users. Of course, for most of these sites the fee is for “premium” membership, whatever that means. The question in my mind has always been “is it worth it?”

The answer to this question depends on a whole lot of other factors beyond just the cost itself (which is important, given the tough economy and the fact that most people don’t have nearly as much extra money sitting around as they did before). Before you take the plunge and type in your credit card information, think for a moment about a) what you’re really getting for the money, and b) whether or not you really need whatever it is you’re going to get.

For instance, does the extra fee give you extra access to more potential matches? Does it make your own profile stand out more on the website? Is it necessary in order for you to be able to contact members? Or is there some other real benefit to forking over more of your hard earned money?

If you’re going to pay, my advice is to start with the minimum subscription period that is offered. Also make sure you read the small print carefully (make a copy of the terms), and pay special attention to any auto-renewals clauses. You want to make sure your card is not going to be auto-billed once your subscription expires. This way, if your credit card does get auto billed when your membership ends, you’ll have legitimate grounds to dispute the transaction with your credit card company. If it’s in the terms and conditions, there’s not much you can do.

Of course the dating site will make it sound like a terrific deal, but you need to determine this for yourself. They’ll also push really hard to sign you up for long term fees by dangling a big discount in front of you. My advice is to avoid the long term fees whenever possible because you simply won’t know if you’re getting your money’s worth until you pay the money and start using the site; by the time you figure out if it’s money well spent or not it’s too late to get any back.

Here are some of the pros and cons of free vs. pay dating sites for you to consider.

The pros of free dating services

• You’ve nothing to lose – you can simply leave if you don’t like it.
• Your credit card won’t get hit with unsuspected automatic subscription renewals.
• There are now plenty of great free sites to choose from.

The cons

• Free dating sites tend be over populated with men, often with questionable motives for being there.
• Free sites often fall short on user support and customer care.
• Since there’s no payment record, it’s much easier for people to remain completely anonymous and untraceable.
• Many have distracting and annoying advertisements.

To fee or not to fee… that is the question. What’s the best answer for your budget and your needs?

News & Views, Safety Free vs. Pay Dating, Metrodate.com, Mingle2.com, Money, PlentyOfFish.com

Let’s face it – we’re all cutting costs wherever we can. We’re cutting back our cellular phone plans, our dinners out, and even our online dating memberships.

But is this any way to find love in the digital age? No.

The good news is that there are plenty of online dating sites which don’t make you pay – and yes, they’re good sites too. With these sites, you can stay in the single mix, meeting fun and exciting people who want to learn more about you too.

And since everyone’s in the financial mess together, you already have something to talk about.

Try going to sites like:

PlentyofFish.com
Metrodate.com
OKCupid.com

And these are just the tip of the dating iceberg – there are plenty of others for different sexualities, fetishes, and more.

You don’t have to pay to date, after all. In this time of cutting back and making sure that you’re spending as little as possible, you don’t have to cut out love or dating.

All you need to do is to cut out the high priced dating sites that don’t really offer you anything more than the free sites. Free sites might have more advertisements, but they also allow you to mingle on the cheap – and sometimes, that’s really all you want and all you can afford.

News & Views Economy, Free, Metrodate.com, Money, OkCupid.com, PlentyOfFish.com