The current worldwide recession has left no sector of the economy untouched. From the auto industry to banking, and on through the housing market to even the supermarket, there is virtually no area of most people’s day-to-day lives that has been left unaffected. Thankfully, not only did the “Depression” that many doomsayers predicted at the start of the difficulties fail to materialize, but during the last six months, the economy has actually begun to turn around. Things are beginning to stabilize, and even those hardest hit at the start are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

As with every other sector of the economy, the world of online dating and online dating services has been forced to adapt to the changes both in people’s financial situations, and what they can charge versus what they offer. Where once the ease, relative security, and convenient access to online dating services was enough for most companies to keep a constant customer base happy, today things have changed in the industry. Consumers are more conscious of not only how much they spend, but what they are actually getting for their money. As the various members of the industry scramble to get a share of what has become a far more elusive customer dollar than ever before, one clear winner emerges from the plethora of special offers, ad campaigns, incentives, bonuses, and price wars.

That winner is the customer.

There has never been a time in the ten-plus year history of the online dating industry, as it exists today, when the customer has been able to get as much for his money. In order to survive, online dating sites have been forced not only to lower their prices and extend special – and in some cases – free offers, but many have been compelled to upgrade their services as well. Whereas once many of these services took a rather hefty up-front payment and then left their clients to pretty much sink or swim on their own, today those services that want to still be in business six months from now have had to adapt not only how they charge their customers, but also how they treat their customers. As can be seen throughout the industry, those sites who have adapted themselves to offer good value for money continue to thrive, whereas those which have failed to adapt, find their customers looking elsewhere.

Perhaps the most important change for the customer of online dating services today is the end (at least on sites that are likely to survive) of the “one size fits all” approach to online dating. In the past, on many sites, individuals paid their start-up fees, filled out a “personality inventory”, and waited for the site’s computer to match them up with a pre-determined number of people based on geographic, economic, and personal interest criteria. The customer, for the most part, was left completely out of the loop, and had no actual say in the process – often times not even having access to a picture of the people selected as their “love matches” until they had gone a considerable amount of the way through the process. The services, of course, offered no guarantees that the person a customer was “connected” with would be of any interest to them whatsoever. When a pre-determined number of unsuccessful connections had been made, the service re-billed the customer’s credit card and started the expensive, time consuming and very frustrating cycle all over again – with the customer still having very little, if any, control over their own fate. While sites that do business in this manner continue to remain on the internet, many other sites have chosen to adapt the way they do business to provide their customers with a greater level of customer service, as well as more choice when it comes to what types of services they can purchase.

Some things to look for when shopping for the right online dating service include:

• FREE INTRODUCTORY TRIAL –Particularly in these tough economic times, it is important not only to get what you pay for, but also to make certain that you don’t pay for what you don’t want. Additionally, just as you wouldn’t consider buying a car without test driving it, it is not a good idea to sign a six month or one year contract with a dating service without at least giving it a try first. Many services these days offer a short, free introductory trial period, which allows prospective customers to take a look around at what the service has to offer without risk or obligation. A good question to keep in mind when shopping for a dating service is this: If the service doesn’t offer a free trial, what are they trying to hide?

• ACCESS – While many large, expensive online dating services claim to represent hundreds of thousands of people, customers very often times find themselves frustrated by the lack of access the service actually provides them to all of these other people. While security is usually sited as the reason for this lack of access, personal safety is not compromised by providing access to online profiles, pictures and even email addresses that exist only through the service (i.e. hotlady@dating.com). Additionally, many dating services have begun to provide more personal services such as introductory videos, real-time live chat and video streaming, through the service. The technology to provide these services securely, while certainly not cheap, is readily available; and those dating sites that wish to compete have incorporated them into their list of services.

• FLEXIBLE PRICING – One of the most irritating things in life – and in the world of online dating specifically – is having to pay for services that you don’t want and will probably never use. While many sites will advertise that these services are “free” with your membership, in actuality they account for a significant percentage of the price of your membership. In some cases, while customers end up paying for services they don’t want, the services that they do want are either non-existent, or cost extra. Many online dating sites, however, offer flexible pricing options which are based on “points” or “credits”. With these types of plans, the customer purchases a number of credits, which he is then able to “spend” on the site, purchasing those services that he is interested in, while not being compelled to spend money on things he will never use. Aside from providing the customer with the ability to control what services he pays for, this type of flexible pricing system also gives the customer more control over how much he is spending, and makes it easier to budget his online dating expenditures.

Today, as never before in our lifetime, it is important to not only watch every dollar but to make certain that those dollars we do spend actually get us what we want. In the world of online dating, the ability to check a site out for free before committing yourself to a membership allows you to search for the access and flexible pricing options that will allow you to make the most of your dating dollars. Don’t be afraid to try multiple sites, and don’t be afraid to try something new. There are a lot of options out there. Take some time, and find the one that is best for you!

tim zelmer is the public relations manager for http://www.dream-marriage.com, one of the largest marriage and dating services for men seeking relationships with russian women on the internet. he has published several articles providing tips on international online dating services.

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