Dating tips and advice http://www.dating-service.com/blog In this part of the site, we share with you news and views on online dating, dating experiences, reviews of new dating and personals sites, and any other topics of interest. You are welcome to to contribute by using the form to comment on any of the posts. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:34:29 +0000 en hourly 1 Matchmakers For Millionaires http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/3VfSJ9pTKgI/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/964/matchmakers-for-millionaires/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:09:00 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=964

One of the things most singles dream about at some point is finding that perfect match and finding out he or she is a millionaire. Wouldn’t it be fun to date someone for whom money is no object? Someone who will “spoil” you and treat you to dating adventures and experiences others simply can’t match?

Just as there are online dating sites for all sorts of specialty groups and audiences, so too are there online dating sites that focus on meeting the online dating needs of millionaires. So what, exactly, does it take to get introduced to millionaires via some of these specialty online dating sites?

Keep in mind that these sites are selective about the singles (men and women) accepted into their programs. In most cases the millionaires are the ones paying hefty fees to join and the “regular” singles are the ones facing the most detailed and specific selection processes. If you aren’t a millionaire and are interested in being considered for matchmaking on one of these sites you’ll need to meet their often very exacting standards.

Some examples of typical requirements include:

Age – Anywhere from 20’s to 40’s in most cases, with some accepting older singles in select cases

Characteristics – Complainers, whiners, and gold-diggers need not apply! These types of sites are looking for single that are attractive, articulate, classy, and emotionally balanced and secure.

Occupation – Mostly looking for educated, professional types who have a steady employment background; this is important to many millionaires because they are not interested in dating someone who is after their money or has shown erratic behaviors in the past.

Here are a few of the better known Millionaire sites we’ve reviewed, though there are many others to choose from:

To combat the problem of fraudsters, the more established Millionaire sites have introduced certification procedures in which members are required to submit proof of their income and their “Net Worth”! At the very least, members should expect to have thier photos and identity verified.

In the end, if you choose to apply to one of the online dating sites catering to millionaires you should not be surprised if you are rejected. Most of these web sites only accept a very small percentage (often less than .5%) of people who are not millionaire clients. With that said, though, don’t let the overall odds scare you off. You’ll never know what could happen until you give it a try!

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/964/matchmakers-for-millionaires/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/964/matchmakers-for-millionaires/ Battling The Winter Dating Blahs http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/SchE4ZWXPag/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/961/battling-the-winter-dating-blahs/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:25:43 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=961

You’ve made it through the holiday season and into the New Year, a period of time that is often quite difficult for singles and online daters. All of that pressure to “find someone special” can make what are supposed to be happy times into depressed and unpleasant times.

But now it’s February and those dismal, depressed times should be long gone, right? Wrong! Just because the holidays are over does not mean online daters aren’t still feeling the winter blahs. It’s still getting dark early, the weather is still pretty crummy, and it’s still hard sometimes to find yourself looking for dates and feeling quite alone.

So what can you do to overcome these winter dating blahs? As it turns out, plenty!

Keep to a routine – Establish a routine and stick to it because this kind of structure has a positive effect on your mood. The best routines include regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and getting enough sleep each night.

Keep your friends close – The winter blahs are all about feeling a lack of energy, so fight them off by keeping in contact with your friends who energize you. Talk regularly on the phone, set up regular coffee or lunch dates, and make sure you have regular contact with those people who are most energizing and fun to be around.

Practice optimism – It’s easy to get “stuck” in negativity during the winter months; it’s too hard to find dates, the weather is too ugly to go outside, and the like. Remember, though, that the power of positive thinking and optimism are real. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of what you’re feeling and experiencing, make a point of paying attention to the positive aspects of your life. It sounds silly, but it really does work.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/961/battling-the-winter-dating-blahs/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/961/battling-the-winter-dating-blahs/ Growth In the Online Dating Industry http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/1UXzJnRfIfw/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/958/growth-in-the-online-dating-industry/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:36:30 +0000 blog http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=958

Recession. Unemployment. Home foreclosures. It seems everywhere you turn these days, the news is filled with stories about how tough the economy is across all income levels, locations, and professions. And while there’s no doubt that it’s a terribly tough time for those who are out of work, a small glimmer of good news is coming out of the online dating industry.

Online dating is one of the few really strong growth industries around; by some estimates, it’s poised to expand as much as 20% to even 30% in the next one to two years. With all of this tremendous growth, then, it’s not too surprising that the online dating industry is one sector that has experienced (and continues to experience) steady job growth.

What most people don’t stop to think about is all of the “behind the scenes” stuff that goes on at an online dating website. From programmers to customer relations to marketing to web designers and more, there are lots and lots of jobs available for those who are interested in pursuing them. In most cases the jobs are clustered in whatever city or location is the headquarters (or major regional hub) of the dating site itself, but in some cases you may be able to work remotely.

For instance, Match.com and Chemistry.com have a number of jobs posted for their Dallas, Texas, location, while eHarmony.com lists several diverse types of jobs for their Pasadena, California, location. There are even a number of international online dating sites with plenty of job openings, including DatingDirect.com (France), Shaadi.com (India), Lavalife.com (Canada), and FriendScout24.com (Germany).

So if you’re looking for a job and feeling frustrated, it might be a good idea to check out job postings at a variety of online dating websites.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/958/growth-in-the-online-dating-industry/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/958/growth-in-the-online-dating-industry/ Things To Do In A Snowstorm http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/R9fkqpoGMP0/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/953/things-to-do-in-a-snowstorm/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:45:04 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=953

It’s a well known phenomenon that during the cold winter months, people tend to have sex more often; just take a look at the number of babies typically born in August, September, and October, and you’ll see how true this is. But what about all of those singles out there who aren’t involved in a relationship? What do they do when a raging snowstorm keeps them inside for days on end?

Turns out, they go online and join online dating sites. From Australia to the United Kingdom to the United States, online dating services report significant surges in website visitors and new members during the winter months. This has been especially true during the winter of 2009/2010 so far because it has been such a tremendously cold and wintry season.

For instance, in the UK there are reports from MySingleFriend.com and Singles365.com that their visitor tallies were up from 27% to as much as 55% during the recent plunge in temperatures and piles of snow. And it’s not just the snowbound in the UK turning to online dating sites, either; in the United States the adultery online website AshleyMadison.com reports it gained as many as 10,000 new members each day during the recent spate of snowstorms and frigid temperatures.

So the next time you’re trapped inside by cold temperatures, snow, ice, or the like, why not take a look at an online dating site? With all of those new members signing up you’re more likely than ever to find someone special online!

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/953/things-to-do-in-a-snowstorm/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/953/things-to-do-in-a-snowstorm/ Beware The Bawdy Bankers http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/xXGdG2Liz1k/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/948/beware-the-bawdy-bankers/#comments Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:20:41 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=948

When you picture a banker in your mind, what does it look like? I see a person (man or woman) in a conservative suit, with a calm and disciplined demeanor, and a face that cries out “trust me with your money”. Okay, I know, that’s a stereotype, but you have to admit that most people involved in the banking industry tend to be more conservative, disciplined, and structured. And that’s a good thing, really, because after all you wouldn’t want somebody wild and crazy handling your financial stuff, right? (Those kinds of people are on Wall Street in the big financial firms, but that’s a topic for a different blog entry!)

Well, you can throw that stereotype of typical banking types out the window, because one of the leading web sites devoted to helping people arrange to have affairs (IllicitEncounters.com) is reporting a sharp spike in bankers and other financial workers joining the site in search of affairs. Why? The answers might not be all that surprising, when you think about it:

  1. To feel as if someone loves them
  2. Because their life at home has undergone a great deal of stress
  3. To boost their ego
  4. To enjoy the thrill of great sex without the burden of a relationship

I’d like to think that these kinds of bawdy bankers have enough smarts to go trolling for encounters at web sites set up just for those seeking affairs and the like, but I suspect that isn’t necessarily the case. There are probably plenty of them who opt for the more mainstream dating sites rather than the affair-specific sites.

So the next time you find yourself connecting with a single whose profession is listed as “banker”, be sure to exercise a bit of extra caution. You don’t want to get caught up in much more than you bargained for!

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/948/beware-the-bawdy-bankers/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/948/beware-the-bawdy-bankers/ It’s The Most Lonely Time Of The Year http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/CZZusZn-boM/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/944/most-lonely-time-of-year/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:22:03 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=944

Colorful lights. Tinsel and wrapping paper. Endless advertising showing happy couples sharing meaningful moments together. And of course, those sickeningly sweet, sappy, cheerful Christmas songs playing over and over and over again, everywhere you go. Yes, it’s Christmas once again, and for many singles it’s the most lonely time of the year.

If you find yourself feeling sad, lonely, or depressed during this “season of good cheer” the most important thing to remember is that you’re not alone. The picture-perfect holidays featuring close knit families and large circles of vivacious friends are not real, but rather a deliberate creation of those who want to sell you something.

Instead of watching and listening to this kind of stuff over and over, why not take a different approach to this holiday season? You might:

  • Spend a day volunteering with Habitat for Humanity
  • Turn off the TV and the radio, and spend an evening reading a good book
  • Visit your local senior center or a nursing home to play cards, help with bingo, or simply listen to the wonderful stories most older folks love to share
  • Choose things to do that you want to do, not what others expect you to do
  • Take a walk outside to get some fresh air and get away from the holiday bustle

None of these ideas will get rid of loneliness completely, of course, but they are a great way to re-focus your mind onto activities and pursuits that get you away from the unrealistic expectations of Christmas. You just might find that once you turn your attention elsewhere, you start feeling a whole lot better!

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/944/most-lonely-time-of-year/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/944/most-lonely-time-of-year/ Nearly Everything Can Be Outsourced http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/qef2vvfwKpI/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/941/nearly-everything-can-be-outsourced/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:15:19 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=941

One of the best things about modern technology is that it makes it so simple to outsource just about any and every part of your life. Don’t want to go to the grocery store? Go online and order your groceries to be delivered. Hate to spend time running those annoying errands to the cleaners, the pharmacy, the bank, and the like? No problem, just hire a virtual errand service to take care of all of those things for you.

Now you can even outsourced your dating activities. No, really, you can. Virtual Dating Assistants has been offering its services to men since the early part of 2009, and they have recently announced an expansion of services targeted at women. For just under $500 per month, anybody who is too busy to look for high quality dates via online dating sites can hire a set of professional virtual assistants to take care of this task for them.

No more spending hours writing the perfect custom messages to your potential matches, and no more worrying about whether your own profiles are up to date and well suited to attracting the kinds of singles you’re interested in meeting. With your own virtual dating assistants working on your behalf it’s easy to just sit back and let someone else do all of the work for you. The company even “guarantees” they’ll arrange at least 2 suitable dates per month for you.

It just goes to show that nearly everything can be outsourced, even your search for someone to date. What a wonderful world!

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/941/nearly-everything-can-be-outsourced/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/941/nearly-everything-can-be-outsourced/ Most Important Compatibility Factors http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/MUaHUd-SWow/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/933/most-important-compatibility-factors/#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:44:57 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=933

You’ve seen all of the commercials promoting certain online dating sites and their supposedly “advanced” matching of singles based on a large number of compatibility factors. These same dating sites show lots of examples of couples matched up through their programs that have gone on to get married, the idea being to convince you to spend your hard earned money to join their site.

While these kinds of online dating services, such as eHarmony and PerfectMatch do have a lot of success matching singles up for dating, the evidence on whether or not those matches actually end up creating lasting and stable marriages is somewhat murky. It turns out that some areas of compatibility are more important than others, having a much larger influence on the long term success of a relationship.

Age – Although some online dating sites will tell you age alone is not important, recent research tells us otherwise. It turns out that large differences in age (greater than three to five years) is a major factor in whether or not a long term relationship and/or marriage will survive.

Drinking – Whether or not either person drinks alcohol also has a major influence on long term relationship success. If one person drinks and the other does not, the chances of that relationship ending in divorce more than doubles.

Smoking – Smoking is also a major factor on relationship success; if one partner smokes and the other doesn’t, research tells us the chances of that relationship ending in divorce more than triples.

So what’s the lesson here? Certainly there is a lot of value to matching up with other singles whose values and other preferences parallel your own, so from that perspective it can be helpful to use an online dating site that looks at those things. However, those same web sites very likely don’t have success rates that are dramatically higher than if you were to pay attention to critical compatibility factors on your own.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/933/most-important-compatibility-factors/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/933/most-important-compatibility-factors/ Watch Out For Online Dating Scams http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/0sw1P56-aYo/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/920/watch-out-for-dating-scams/#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:03:58 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=920

You’ve probably heard over and over again about the huge number of internet scams out there, and if you’re like most people you think it could never happen to you. Unfortunately, though, it most certainly CAN happen to you. More and more people are falling victim to scams involving online dating, so I think it’s worth taking a few moments to let you know about a couple of the most common scams out there right now.

Mobile Online Dating – I wrote a previous blog entry about the huge growth in online dating applications for your mobile phone, which of course means there are plenty of scammers out there who want to take advantage of this surge in popularity for their own dark purposes. One of the scams we’re seeing more and more often is scammers who are aggressively promoting mobile online dating applications that serve only to trick you into entering personal information in the application.

If you’re interested in using your mobile phone for online dating functions, be sure to check out available applications ahead of time using your regular computer. Look for apps that are put out by reputable online dating sites only, and only download those apps directly from the legitimate web site of those companies.

Phony Online Dating Web Sites – There are lots of phishing scams floating around out there right now, particularly in the area of online dating sites. The same rules apply to this type of scam as to any other phishing scam; never respond to an email and give out your personal information, and remember that no legitimate online dating web sites will ever send you an email asking you to confirm your password, credit card, phone number, or other vital information. If you receive a phishing email like this delete it right away, without clicking on any links or responding to the sender in any way.

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]]> http://www.dating-service.com/blog/920/watch-out-for-dating-scams/feed/ 0 http://www.dating-service.com/blog/920/watch-out-for-dating-scams/ Online Dating Goes Mobile #2 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DatingTipsDatingServicecom/~3/oadFXbqEjXw/ http://www.dating-service.com/blog/915/online-dating-goes-mobile-2/#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 12:54:02 +0000 Alison http://www.dating-service.com/blog/?p=915

Sometimes I think the whole world is possessed with smartphones, mobile browsing, and building thousands upon thousands of applications to make it easier to stay connected to just about anything via your mobile phone. It should come as no surprise, then, that online dating has “gone mobile” enthusiastically and deliberately. Mobile applications are the hottest ticket around and online dating sites are not about to be left behind.

Any online dating site that wants to compete in the marketplace absolutely must have a mobile “app” available for its users, and just about every major online dating service does indeed have one. SpeedDate, Skout, Radaroo, DateCheck, and Zoosk are a few examples of these rapidly growing and expanding types of services. Even the more mainstream dating sites like Match.com are getting in on the act, putting out apps designed to enhance the experience of their members.

But don’t for a moment think that these companies are doing all of this just to be nice; no, there is a huge amount of money to be made from mobile online dating. In 2007 the mobile dating market was valued at about $330 million, while in 2008 that number jumped to a whopping $550 million; the projection for 2013 is for the value to increase to approximately $1.3 billion. It’s no wonder, then, that online dating services are jumping headfirst into the mobile marketplace.

What does this mean for you? In general, the explosive growth of mobile online dating options works in your favor because it allows you even greater choice and access when it comes to dating. Where you need to be careful, though, is in the added costs. Some sites offer their mobile services for free, while others charge a fee; additionally, depending on your service plan you may get hit with big overage charges for the extra data usage you’ll rack up using these kinds of apps.

The best approach is to read the fine print on the service you’re interested in, check with your mobile phone company regarding your data usage plan, and then start taking advantage of the flexibility and fun of using online mobile dating apps!

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