In a nutshell
Websites men and women visit to find a future partner.
Advantages
If you are fussy, shy, short of time, or just want to cut to the chase, online dating is the ideal place to conduct a more specific search for your knight in shining armour.
A whopping 17% of UK couples who married recently met online.
Disadvantages
You have to come to grips with the facts that your picture and WLTM desires will be up for scrutiny from complete strangers.
People may post a profile picture that resembles George Clooney, when they really are more Bruce Forsyth-esque.
Facts
• Globally, one in five relationships now starts online
• 7 million UK singletons are registered for online dating
• The number of men outweighs women on dating sites
• Halle Berry, Chace Crawford and Jennifer Aniston are all said to have had a go at cyber-love
Popular dating sites
Match.com claims to be the number one destination for online dating with ‘more dates, more relationships, & more marriages than any other site’.
eHarmony was designed specifically to match singletons looking for long-term relationships. It uses a relationship research facility and matches suitors based on character, intellect and values.
Zoosk is a site that originated through Facebook and combines social networking and online dating. It is targeted at younger users aged 25-35.
Singleparentmatch.com is aimed at divorced or single users with children.
My Single Friend is great for shy, retiring types who need their mate to do the sales-ey talk for them.
JDate is the biggest Jewish online dating service, which takes a comical approach to the art of match making.
Muddy Matches is for the more wellie-clad Romeo and Juliet types.
Gay.com provides a platform for gay men and women to meet, as well as keeping up-to-date with the latest news, travel and politics.
Closer dating is our very own haven to find your happy ever after.
Tips
Relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam advises:
The site you use, your profile and photo all need to be chosen to suit the partner and partnership you're looking for. So before you ever go online, think carefully through your wants, needs, deal breakers.
Don't sell – invite. Writing your profile shouldn't be a marketing exercise. In fact, research suggests the more you major on "I", the more you'll actively put people off. Instead, welcome in prospective partners by writing warmly about the relationship you'd love to have with them.
Choose a welcoming photo not a mug shot. Get a friend or a professional photographer to take hundreds of photos of you smiling and laughing.
Safety comes first- always meet in a public place and let a friend know who, when and where you are meeting.