Today, online dating has become a huge, highly developed industry. If you haven't tried it recently, you might be in for quite a surprise at how sophisticated and effective certain online dating services have now become.

And one company in particular, Match.com has grown to become the pre-eminant online dating service.

So, why are so many intelligent, successful singles meeting other great singles online today?

Firstly, online dating lets you get to know the basics about someone before deciding if you want to invest any time in them. And, studies have proven that communicating online before meeting someone face-to-face significantly reduces the stress involved in your first meeting, leading to more great first dates.

The online dating process also lets people spot potential red flags before they set up a date. It sure beats getting involved with someone and then discovering something that’s a real deal-breaker for you.

And, contrary to what some may think, research has also shown that people are generally honest about themselves online. Most people know they will have to expose themselves at some point, so they choose to be honest, rather than disingenuous, when creating their online profiles.

Industry leader Match.com, which was launched in 1995, specializes in creating romantic opportunities so that singles are more likely to find someone special. Over the years, they’ve continued to refine their tools in order to take the lottery out of love.