Perhaps you’ve just come out of a relationship. Perhaps you’re the type who prefers to take things at their own pace before dating someone for the first time. Or just perhaps you’re at a total loss when it comes to meeting someone new face to face. These, and many more, could just be the reason why online dating is an ideal solution for you.

So how do you go about finding an online dating service that’s right for you? First off, you might want to consider the number of registered members who are looking for a date, whether it be for friendship, love or marriage. Is the community large enough to offer you a broad spectrum of singles? And if possible, try and check the general profile of the members. Is the majority college educated professionals? Where do they live?

Next, what services does the site offer? How easy–or difficult–is it to make contact with a potential dating partner? Does the service feature instant messaging, chat, emailing? How about sending video greetings and customized searches? Can you get expert advice on how best to make that first move?

Well, I know for a fact that a lot many of my readers out there are singles, so I did my homework before making this post. I compared five online dating sites for six parameters and finally zeroed in on date.com.

Why date.com? The site offers all the features I mentioned above, and more. Joining is free and ultra simple–you just need to select from a list who you’re looking for, enter your date of birth and email, create a username and password… and you’re on!

Once you join, you can create your basic profile with a catchy headline and it’s recommended that you upload a photo. (Profiles with photos attract 15x more interests and emails!) You may then begin your search from date.com’s database of millions of singles. You can narrow down your search to age, location, interests and personal preferences and also choose to view only profiles with photos.

If you’re captivated–or intrigued–by any profile that you see, you may show your interest by clicking a button, and that member will be automatically notified of your interest. Similarly, when someone views your profile, date.com instantly informs you about it via an email.

When you decide to make personal contact, that is just the time you’ll just need to upgrade your membership to a Gold Membership and that’s when you can communicate with any of the over two million sigles via IM, email or chat, and even get in touch with date.com’s leading experts with your questions about relationships. Gold members are also on priority to appear on top of search results.

A specialty feature at the service is the toolbar which can be downloaded free and built into your browser. It will flash instant alerts each time a member shows an interest in you or you get an email or an IM. With Yahoo search built in, you can do your Web searches as well and keep tabs on who’s online and your favorites.

Date.com also assists you with its date.info, its webzine and weekly newsletter, to create a great profile, interact with their advisors, read some superb dating articles and even get advice for how to move from your first email to your first date.

The online service prides itself in the quality of its members. Date.com claims that their single members are professional, educated, and the very fact that they’re willing to pay a small fee to make contact means they’re serious about finding a healthy, happy relationship.

So are you ready to move ahead in your social circle and live a fulfilling love life… yet?