Online dating websites and apps are now hugely popular and big business for those in the industry.  A market that used to be just seen as something for older people has had a massive resurgence and people of all ages are finding that they can make dating websites work for them. But even with all of this popularity, there are still a lot of misconceptions about online dating and the people that use it. You wouldn’t think that something that gets such a positive spin in the media would have negative feedback – but there are still wildly hilarious misconceptions about online dating.

People that use online dating are all weirdos

I am a weirdo and I dabble in online dating but alas, the two are not connected. Online dating really isn’t just reserved for strange people that have an inability to meet a partner in real life. A lot of people turn to online dating because they just simply do not have time to go out and meet people in social situations. We are in a time where people work long hours and have to commute over large distances to get to work – so logging on to a computer is the perfect solution. Remember, ‘normal’ is something that is defined differently for everyone (very differently for people like me). There is now an abundance of niche dating sites that cater for things like interests and ages, like over 50’s dating.  So if you are a weirdo – get out there and find someone else who is a weirdo too.

Everyone who uses online dating is only after one thing

Yes, you do get some people who are looking for a fling or a bit on the side of their existing relationship, but it isn’t all like that. Since niche websites that cater specifically for adult dating have popped up there are less people on the normal ones who have no interest in taking things further. Of course, you will still get some people who use regular dating websites just to collect numbers of girls they can text at 3am saying “come mine”, but there are genuine people as well. Just be careful who you give your number to on online dating websites or indeed your snapchat, unless, like me, you want thousands of unsolicited genitalia pictures send to you every day (just FYI boys this is now a running joke between me and a large number of people I socialise with – so if you are going to send it, it WILL be seen and laughed at by loads of people).

I’m gay, bi, or live in an unknown area, or  so I’ll never find anyone on a dating app

It shouldn’t be any harder for one person over another to find love on a dating app, but if the conventional ones do give you challenges then there are plenty of websites that are either niche websites, or normal dating websites that have niche area. Looking for love in certain locations is hard. Obviously something like gay dating in London is easier by default because there is a huge population in the city whereas something like lesbian dating in Watford is a bit more tricky to navigate. Don’t give up though, just keep searching for websites that are based in your area and you’ll soon be on an awkward first date with no one speaking or eating!

You never get any responses/messages on online dating sites

In online marketing there is something called CTR which stands for ‘click through rate’. This is how many people who see the online advert actually click through it. So if you find that you don’t get any messages or responses on online dating websites, do something about it! Think about how you can increase the click through rate of your profile. Is there anything on there that may make people not want to click? Is there anything you can add that really gives people the drive to send you the message? Change it up and constantly try to better your profile and you will yield the results in no time.

The free sites don’t work – online dating only works if you pay

Some people can afford to pay for the premium versions of dating websites – and that’s great. But that doesn’t mean that they have any more chance of finding that special someone than anyone else. Many people have found love and even got married using free dating websites, so keep at it! 

We Love Dates is a dating website that caters to many different niches. We Love Dates is free and gives people the opportunity to find likeminded people in their age range and location.