As a senior you are not going to want to join just any online dating site, especially since many of them will not have any or many other seniors to choose from. So, choose an online dating site geared to your age group.

Senior Friend Finder, at www.SeniorFriendFinder.com is a great site for anyone who is looking to meet other seniors. It has nearly 500,000 members, which is awesome. It claims to be the largest senior dating service on the Internet, and while hard to prove, it seems to be so. Either way, it is generally considered one of the best. One of the reasons it is such a great online dating site for seniors is that it is well-organized and very user friendly, so even the least internet savvy seniors can manage using this site to create a profile, and meet and greet other seniors. It is fairly inexpensive, about $20-$30 a month. They have great customer service for those who need help using the site, as well as an informative help section that answers more of the frequently asked questions.

Senior People Meet, at www.SeniorPeopleMeet.com is another good service for seniors who want to start dating. It is inexpensive, has a lot of members, and is fairly easy to use.

Sites to avoid are simply those that are geared to the younger generation, or that are extremely expensive and do not show that they have a large group of senior members.

Creating your profile

Once you choose a site you will need to create an online dating profile. This is what other members use to get to know you and to decide if they want to get to know you any better. This is the best place to lay out who you are and what you are looking for in other single seniors. So, you are going to list things like your likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. so you can find other single seniors that you are compatible with.

Be sure to include the following when creating your dating profile:

The basics: age, gender, ethnicity and religion. These are important because if you are 97, you may not want to date a 57 year old. However, remember you do not have to be super specific. You can put "In my 60's" if you want, or "Christian" etc. Do not put your exact birth date, as this can make you vulnerable to online predators.

Give details about your hobbies and interests: This is where you explain what it is you like to do, and what makes you who you are. If you love to quilt, this is where you put it. If you are still really active, this is where you put it. If your favorite thing to do is watch Jeopardy, put it here.

State what you are looking for in a partner: You want to include age range, smoker or nonsmoker and if you have a preference for a specific race or religion. You can then include other preferences as well such as "Someone who enjoys being outside." Just remember, the more specific you are, the fewer options you are going to have, but the more likely you will be to find someone you are compatible with. Start by just listing your absolute essentials, such as religion.

Other things you need to understand is that there are online predators and scammers, so in addition to what you do list there are also things that you do not want to have included in your profile. For example, do not list your full name, address or anything too personal. This is not biography about you, it is some highlights.

Keep it relatively short. People are intimidated by large, wordy profiles, and many seniors have a hard time reading text on the computer if there is too much of it, as it runs together. So, short, simple, yet informative is the best way to go.

Pictures are a must for online dating. People like to see who they are talking to. Use an up to date photo that is casual, not a portrait. Also, check to ensure that there is nothing in the photo that might tell someone where you live, or give away anything too personal. For example, if you are in front of your car, make sure the license plate is not showing.

Safety

While senior dating is a great option, many times scammers target seniors because in general they are less aware of common internet scams, and in many cases are in better financial positions then other naïve users. As a senior who is looking to use online dating, your safety should be your number one priority. The following is some simple to use advice to keep you safe online.

Chatting: While chat rooms are great senior dating tools, they can lead to you divulging too personal of information if you are not careful. For example, someone may say they are attending their 50th class reunion, and you might say, "I went to mine last year." By saying that you have now given someone the date you graduated high school. This can help them figure out birth year, etc. which can be used for identity theft, etc. So, just be careful. And never give out bank or credit card information online.

Know that online dating sites do not collect credit card information via email. If you get an email asking for it, ignore it, it is false.

Know that there are scam artists out there who are in the business of telling you tragic stories and soliciting you for money. They may invest months of time chatting with you and emailing you, and then one day ask you for monetary help. No matter how convincing their pleas are, it is 90% of the time a scam, and not true. Just say no. Advise that they get help from friends, family, or someone they know better than a person they met online.

Don't be too trusting. It is easy to want to trust people, especially if you are trying to date them, but remember, it is far easier to lie to someone when you are using a computer screen and a user name rather than real information. Listen to your gut. If someone asks you too personal of questions, or is asking leading questions to glean personal information, stop talking to them and find someone else on the database.

Don't reveal your contact information. If you decide to speak with someone on the phone, ask for their number and block yours before making the call. It may sound paranoid, but it really is the safest way to protect yourself. Reverse look-up of phone numbers can provide someone with your full name and address.

When you decide to meet up with someone, pick a public place and go during the day. You should also make sure that your friends or family know of your plans, where you will be, and when you are expected home so that they can be on the look-out for any problems.

Never invite someone to your home until you've met with them in person on a number of occasions in public places, and do not choose public places to close to your home. In addition to that, before returning home after meeting someone in a public place, run a few errands. It can be easy to follow you home if you go straight there.

Never go to someone's house until you get to know them better. You do not have to believe horror stories, but you should exercise caution.

Online dating is a wonderful way for seniors to make friends with other seniors, and to date. However, if you are not careful it can turn into a nightmare. So, be wise when choosing your sites. Create your profile with safety in mind. Do not be too embarrassed to let others know you are dating online, as often an outside perspective on someone can help you avoid being scammed. Lastly, have fun. Dating is a great thing, and is tons of fun, so take advantage of this great way to widen your dating pool and meet other senior singles.