One of the most popular sites on the internet is Match.com. Match.com has been an online dating service since 1995. It has members in 6 different continents and it available in 18 languages. Match.com is so popular because they have so many members to choose from. One of the greatest benefits to Match.com is that it allows you to see when a member last logged on; this is beneficial because you can determine if the web site is popular in your geographical area. Several people like Match.com because they can narrow down their search results to be within a mile of their area.

When you sign up for Match.com, you can view profiles in their entirety without paying a dime. You can search for members with keywords. Match.com is actually the only dating web site that allows you to use keywords. The cost to join Match.com breaks down as follows:

• 1 month - $19.95, first 3 days are free
  
• 3 months - $39.95, first 3 days are free
  
• 6 months - $59.95, first 3 days are free

One of the biggest downsides to Match.com is that it does not allow non-members to reply to a members email for free. You have to sign up for additional costs in order to do that. You should expect to pay about $30.00 a month for Match.com because you have additional costs associated with the online dating site. It is an extra $8 a month to join the "Mind, Find, Bind" program endorsed by Dr. Phil, $5 for video's, and $5 for voicemail services. Perhaps Match.com is so pricey because they are endorsed by Dr. Phil and he markets on their web site. You will also get a membership magazine, "Happen" when you join Match.com. "Happen" is an online magazine that is geared toward Match.com members. There are relationship advice articles, a chat board, and instant messaging programs with Match.com.

As you are browsing through membership profiles, you need to be aware of advertisements. Match.com is the only online dating service that has ads throughout its site. Match.com is an affiliate of the IAC family. This affiliation has over 60 brands including, Ask.com, Ticketmaster, Evite, Gifts.com. Citysearch, and LendingTree. All of the affiliates are allowed to post advertisements on Match.com and your personal information will be shared with them, so you should expect to see e-mails from LendingTree, Gifts.com, and several other companies.

When you search on Match.com, you will be provided with at least 10 results on each page. Match.com is well-organized so it is easy to understand. The results return with a picture of the person, their username, age, location, description, subject header, and a description of the person they are seeking and their age. From the results page, you can  send an e-mail chat (if they are online), wink at them, leave a voicemail for them, or add them to your favorites queue.

With the search feature, you have the option of stating the age range of who you are seeking. Having an age range filter will help to filter out unwanted members, like a 60 year old male, if you are a 20 year old female who wants to date someone in their twenties.

When you send an email to another member, a user-friendly email screen pops up and it shows a picture of the individual you are emailing. The screen even says a little bit about that person so it will help you write your email. It also provides you with 7 "ice breakers" you can use when you are writing the email. The ice breakers are simply phrases and questions you can use to talk to that person. Once you email that person, Match.com will show you different profiles that are similar to the individual you just emailed.

If you would like to search for members by keywords, you simply type in a word or interest and the system will automatically search different matches where the other person mentioned similar things in their profile. Use quotes if you are typing in more than one word so you get the search results you are looking for. You can also search for people by age range, location range, and if you want only results with photos. The nice thing about the search feature is that it allows you to connect with people who share your interests. For example, you could type in "football" or "hip-hop music" and you will automatically get search results of people who enjoy those same interests.

Match.com also has quizzes and personality surveys that allow members to get to know one another better. The quizzes are designed to help you get to know yourself better. Some of the quizzes include such topics as; "are you a snob?" or "are you high maintenance?"

One of the biggest complaints from members about Match.com is that some members use Match.com to SPAM you. Messages come from members who are simply sending SPAM mail to others. Some messages include information about winning a free trip or going on a vacation with another member where you will win a lot of money. Delete the SPAM mail as soon as you get it. If you attempt to look up the person's profile, it will probably be hidden so you won't be able to find any information about them. Never email the person back because they will obtain your email address and begin sending more SPAM mail. You should forward the message to Match.com's abuse department so they can probably handle the situation.

Another complaint from members of Match.com is all the hidden fees. You will sign up and pay your monthly cost, but then it cost's extra to view another person's video. You also do not have control over the winks you send to people. If you receive a wink, you can delete it, but anyone you send one too will remain in Match.com's database so if you try to wink again at a later time, Match.com will tell you that you already winked at that person. The winks are really slow too, if you send a wink to a person, it may be 3 or 4 days before they receive it.

You only get 15 minutes of voicemail time a month as well, unless you pay an additional $4.95 a month. It also costs another $5.00 a month if you allow people to send text messages to your phone. The advertising on Match.com is also confusing. You will see an ad that looks like a recommendation of another user's profile and you end up clicking on an advertisement for flowers. While it is usually a benefit to have more people on a dating site, this is the one example where it is not. Too many people are on Match.com so it is crowded and only the "models" seem to get the attention. The average-looking person may find it harder to talk to someone who actually wants to build a relationship.

Here is a brief breakdown of the pros and cons of Match.com:

Pros:

• The most popular of all the dating sites
  
• Excellent personality matching
  
• Keyword searching
  
• Quizzes and personality tests

Cons:

• Overcrowded
  
• Extra fees for practically everything
  
• Must sign up to respond to emails
  
• Affiliate marketing

Find out for yourself if Match.com is right for you. Since there are so many dating web sites out there, you need to make a list of things that are important to you. Do you want a dating web site that has a lot of members to choose from? Do you want to have a dating web site with only a few "perfect matches"? Whatever you decide, always be weary of scammers who are only out there to take advantage of you. Here are some reviews by actual members of Match.com:

"My experience on Match was a mixed bag of tricks, lol! I've met a lot of nice men, as well as a few jerks. My biggest piece of advice is take your time. Don't be in a hurry and really DATE. It's easy to get caught up in it, because if you don't think it's working out there are 15 other emails waiting for you to go out with them. Too much of a good thing. People also tend to see their dates as disposable because there are so many people on Match. Common courtesy has flown out the window for a lot of people. No matter how uncomfortable it is to tell someone you just aren't feeling it, you should always be honest. It's only fair and right." -Female, Indiana.

"I agree with nearly all of the detractors. I went in with nothing and came out with nothing after several months. Match took my money and didn't do anything. By far the BIGGEST problem is that either none of the women are actually on there or are so stuck up and picky they contradictory to their profile. They are not as open as forthcoming and compassionate as they say they are. I got so fed up at having to write (not just wink) personalized hellos and making specific references to their profiles and them not even having the courtesy to write or wink back." - Martin R., Virginia