These days, there are a lot of great ways to meet new people for a romantic encounter or to start a relationship; online dating sites, Internet chat rooms and speed dating events have been added to the more traditional ways of meeting a potential mate such as bars, vacations, work and through introductions from friends.



However, meeting someone new is just half the battle. Doing a little homework now could mean the difference between romantic bliss and getting stuck with the relationship equivalent of a lemon.

Here are 8 questions to ask yourself:

Question 1: Do you excite each other physically? It is important that you feel physically attracted to one another. Reason: some people who are feeling desperate to find a mate might resort getting serious with someone who seems to be a ?great person? but for whom they lack any attraction. Big mistake!

Question 2: Is it easy to keep a conversation going? After a couple of years have passed, most couples report a cooling off in their sex life. It is at this point that it becomes particularly important that you actually find each other interesting to be around, not just nice looking or good in bed.

Question 3: Do you have similar standards of hygiene and cleanliness? Maybe your mate looks well-groomed in public, while their workplace or home remains a perpetual pigsty. If this is so and you are someone who prefers things to be spot-free, you could be heading for trouble.

Question 4: Are you accepting of each other's religious beliefs? As the world gets smaller, people are increasingly marrying outside of their faith. While it is not important that you agree on all things religious, it is important that both of you are accepting of any differences of belief you have.

Question 5: Do you feel comfortable around each other's families and friends? When you get into a serious relationship with another person, you have little choice but to link into their family and friend network. When you do, stay in tune with how you feel when around them.

Question 6: Are you on the same page financially? Money can be one of the biggest sources of anxiety for people in relationships. Some people tend to be savers, while others tend to spend. Neither way is inherently wrong, but it is helpful if the two of you manage money in a similar way.

Question 7: Do you hold similar views about the importance of having children? If the female member of your relationship is still of a child-bearing age, you owe it to yourselves to have a talk about how each of you feels about having kids; you want to avoid finding yourself at an impasse on this issue down the road.

Question 8: Are you able to accept the other person's political views? Some couples are able to peacefully ignore any political differences between them: after all, do any two people on the planet see exactly eye to eye on all things political? Be cautious, however, if you are not accepting of each other's views.

Okay, go ahead and tally up your ?yes? answers and check the chart below to see how you did.

8 Yeses: Stop what you are doing and book a trip to Vegas right now!

6-7 Yeses: You have a very good thing going on here. Be sure to keep your eyes open for any potential deal-breakers and, meanwhile, have fun with it!

3-5 Yeses: Proceed with caution. Sure, things could work out with this person, but why chance it? Stay open to the possibility that there is someone even more suited to you out there.

0-2 Yeses: Run away while you still can and do not look back.

Is it wise to trust the future of your love life to a quiz you found online? You know better than that. But, before you discount the results, think again. Most people who have been in relationships that have lasted for more than a few months will tell you that there are certain things that just have to be right for the relationship to last.