In theory, online dating is the ideal way to meet your 'perfect match', yet a surprisingly small percentage of members are actually successful in finding what they seek online. There are, however, some simple guidelines, which if implemented, will greatly increase your chances of success in the online dating arena.

1. Firstly, it is important that you choose the ideal dating website to suit your particular interest. There are now many niche areas in online dating, for example single parent dating or sports dating and you should use the search engines to find a selection of dating websites where you consider you are most likely to find your ideal date.

2. Once you have located websites in the niche area of online dating that suit you most, always visit a handful of them and look for the administrator contact link. Send an email to the admin of each website, and enquire as to how many full paying members they have in their database. A well administered dating website should reply to your email within a couple of hours. Admin is all important, and will be 24/7 on a quality dating site.

3. Never join a free dating website if you are serious about finding a mate. 'Free For All' dating sites are very often littered with incomplete profiles, and rarely taken seriously by their membership. A free trial period is good, but before making your choice of website to join, check out the member facilities. Do they have a chat room, video chat, a forum, instant messenger etc. Be wary of dating sites that do not allow you to search members before joining.

4. One last thing before you decide on your ideal dating site. Many dating sites are being infiltrated by scammers often from Africa, Ghana, Nigeria or Singapore. The IP addresses from these areas can always be blocked by any dating site as a means to save genuine members from being inconvenienced. A good dating site will use these blocking tactics, and it's worth asking the question.

5. Once you make your choice and register with a dating website, you need to create a profile. Keep to the truth, but make yourself come across as interesting as possible, and be reasonably accurate in describing the type of partner you seek. Including a photograph will certainly increase your chances of being noticed.

6. When sending emails to other members, always be polite and courteous, especially in the first contact email. First impressions are very important. Always reply to every email you receive from other members, even if it's only to inform them that you are not interested.

7. Never, under any circumstances, give out your bank account or social security details to anyone. Do not be fooled by requests for money from people you just met no matter how convincing their story is or how beautiful or handsome their photos appear. Be aware that the photos are almost certainly not really their own at all but merely photos of models downloaded from the Internet. The moment you are asked for money, cease all conversations with that member and report the scam to the administrators.

8. Once you open up contact with a member who you think may interest you, take your time in getting to know them well. You now have the opportunity to exchange relevant details about each other, and exchange photographs. However, in the early communications, don't believe all you are told. Trust will come in time.

9. Photographs often display the date on which they were taken, but be aware that some members will use old photographs in an effort to make themselves appear younger than they actually are. If your dating site has video cam facilities, you can get to see each other in real time which is useful in determining your prospective mate's current appearance.

10. If you do decide to meet another member for real, it is prudent to arrange to meet in a busy area, and keep the first meeting short. Chemistry is something you just cannot measure through the Internet.

It wouldn't be much fun spending a weekend with someone who you shared no chemistry with.

So these are just a few simple but important guidelines which hopefully will make your online dating experience a pleasant one. Remember that they are only guidelines and not rules. Everyone is different and you will need to explore together in order to discover the higher ground..