Your Guide to Understanding Match.com

Online dating using Match.com is different from traditional dating and relationships. It is important that if you want to succeed at meeting the right person online, that you understand the rules and what is acceptable for men and lady-like for women in the world of dating online. Dating online requires an investment of time, energy, and dedication but the results are that you will meet a wonderful life partner that is based on qualities that you determine. If you have any questions or want to share your dating experiences online, definitely leave comments below or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mrshadeed

What Do I Get with a Free Subscription:

• Ability to create a viewable, searchable profile
• Ability to upload and post photos to your profile
• Search for potential matches in a database of over 15 million people
• Send and receive "Winks" (Winks will be discussed in detail in this article)
• Delivery of potential love connections by Match.com "Matching System"
• Access to Match.com via its Mobile site. Search for love directly from your phone!

Why Should I Sign Up for a Paid Subscription to Match.com? Free subscriptions help you become familiar with the overall site and how it works. In order to make actual connections, you will need to subscribe to one of the main packages that are available. Here are a few of the benefits:

• Send and receive messages to other Match.com subscribers
• Directly contact Match.com members that you show an interest in
• Utilize Match.com Instant Messaging system
• Inboxes for Email, Who has viewed your profile, Winks, and Favorite Match.com members
• The ability to permanently remove members you're not interested in from your Search (These members are replaced by new members)

Here are the basic functions of Match.com and I've provided my viewpoint on best usage of each:

Wink: The Wink feature is intended to let members show interest in another member. Online dating does not change traditional dating roles. It is considered good practice for women to use the wink feature to show she is interested and the men to follow up with an email or even Instant Message. Guys: Do NOT use the Wink feature. Take the time to send a quick email to show interest ensuring that you read her profile to find common or interesting points to mention.

Email: The Email feature allows you to send a targeted message to members. The person that you send a message to does not need to be online at the time. The message will also be forwarded to the recipient's personal email that they used to sign up for Match.com. Here's a few tips for emailing:

• Don't lose hope if every message you send isn't replied to. Sending messages is a paid subscriber feature.
• Read the person's profile before sending an email. Generic emails will decrease your response.
• Keep initial emails brief.
• Men should definitely email and avoid Winks on first contact.

IM (Instant Messaging) - Similar to popular chats such as Yahoo and GChat, Match.com has a IM feature that allows you to send quick messages to members that you find interesting. Instant Messaging is an effective way to quickly contact a person and find out their interests and general outlook on life. I recommend using the IM feature whenever possible and moving communication to phone thereafter if a connection is established.

• Members must have Instant Messaging enabled on their profile
• Instant Messages are saved on Match.com profile after a member logs off.

Knowing the basics rules of Match.com will ensure that your online dating experience is a good one. Follow me on Twitter.com/mrshadeed to discuss in greater detail.
What is your experience with Match.com? Leave your comments on your online dating experience!

Photo credit: jakub76 under Creative Commons license