Here are 6 tips to use:

1. What are you hoping to find?

There are thousands of sites, many of which cater to very specific singles.

- Are you looking for friendship, a serious relationship, or are you just looking for a good time?
- Heterosexual or homosexual site?
- Are you looking for someone who is similar to you (i.e. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, African American, Italian, French, German, Overweight, Disabled, Single parent, etc.)? You have to go shopping in the right place to find the thing you're looking for.

2. Does the site offer a free trial membership?

All reputable sites will offer you a free trial membership. This is a great sales tool, because it gives you a chance to see what the site has to offer before you pay any money. One thing to be aware of, you will have very limited access with a free membership. You may not be able to preview many profiles, and you won't be able to instigate communication with other profiles until you upgrade to a paid membership.

3. What tools/technology does the site offer?

Online dating has come a long way over the past few years, and there are countless tools you can use to communicate with other suitors. Check to see what tools a site uses to promote this communication. Some of the most common tools are: email, chat, private chat, instant messaging, audio introductions, web chat, blogs, interactive magazines, and groups.

4. How secure is your information?

Make sure that the service you are planning to use protects all of your personal information. Most services offer both email and chat through an internal mailbox. What that means is the person you are communicating with never has access to your actual email address unless you give it to them. Another nice feature to look for is the ability to block a specific member from communicating with you. There's nothing worse than having a stalker.

5. How many members in your local area?

This is a very important point to look at. How many people are interested in starting a relationship with someone who lives 500+ miles away? It just isn't convenient to meet them in person. It's much easier to meet someone who lives within 40 minutes of your house over a cup of coffee or a quick lunch.

6. How much does it cost?

As much as we don't like to admit it, money is always a factor. To find a quality single, you are going to have to whip out your credit card and pay for a membership. Paid sites offer one valuable thing, and that's the fact that their members have a vested interest in being there, and as a result they are serious about looking for others. Look for a site that gives you the best bang for your dollar.

Once you feel comfortable with the features a site offers, focus your efforts on setting up the best profile you can. After that's completed, sit back and enjoy meeting all of the quality singles these sites have to offer. Enjoy!!