If you watched the CNBC online dating documentary, Love at First Byte, hosted by NBC news and Today Show Correspondent Amy Robach, you learned that there are over 1500 sites in the digital dating world. Amy featured niche sites such as Farmers Only and Equestrian Singles, but there are so many more. Some sites are wacky, others are serious.

The Miami Herald reports, “Dating sites become more mainstream, and focus on more niche markets.” From pet lovers and Gothic fanatics to Harley Davidson enthusiasts and those with pre-existing medical conditions, there?s a site for you. Are you ready to jump on board? Here are 14 sites to consider trying this Valentine’s.

1. Stache Passions – Tagline: Oh Yeah, it’s All About the ‘Stache!

There’s a constant debate as to whether women like men with facial hair. To shave, or not to shave? On this free dating site, men post their bearded look and the women who love them will jump on board.

2. We Waited – Do you dream of waiting staying a virgin until your wedding night? If so, We Waited is your site. Created by a couple, who did just that, this is a niche site with rules.

3. Harley Connect – Tagline: Where Single Harley Riders Meet.

Would you like to share your passion with other single bikers? If you’re looking for a guy with a Road King or a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail, this site is for you. Get ready to ride into the sunset with your helmets a-tow.

4. Geek 2 Geek – Tagline: The best place on the net to meet Geeks.

While online dating was in its infancy, most of the members were technology geeks. Now that it’s become mainstream, you’ll want to easily connect with another Geek, who won’t have problems remembering the url of GK2GK.

5. Date My Pet – Tagline: Date me. Date my Pet.

I say love me, love my pet. For those with severe allergies, I suggest you go elsewhere. For the guys who insist on having their primary online dating photo with their puppy, here’s a place where you’ll be welcome. Added bonus: Terrific pet advice.

6. Gothic Match – Tagline: #1 Online Dating Community for Gothic Singles and Friends.

Are you ready to share that tattoo or commiserate over its removal? Find like-minded singles you can relate to.

7. Sparkology – Tagline: An invite only luxury site for young professionals.

To join, guys will need to have graduated from one of the Top 50 schools, and women need to just have a college degree and well, have a great photo. The site was launched less than four months ago in New York, but they have plans to expand to other metropolitan cites. Would you change your zip code to meet one of these Ivy League guys?

8. Veggie Date – Tagline: Winner of the 2010 Veg News Veggie Awards for Best Dating Site.

This site lets you sign up for 2 free weeks, so you can dine without beef together with a vegan of your choice. Was there competition? Yes, you can also check out Vegetarian Connections, the site where Vegetarians connect.

9. Dating 4 Disabled – Tagline: Where friendship and romance are only a click away

Online dating gives hope to singles, but many with medical issues and disabilities do feel hopeless. Created to empower the disabled community, this dating and social networking site allows their members to blog about how they are coping with their medical condition.

10. Fitness Singles – Tagline: Where Relationships Workout. You?re active.

You like to hike and bike and would like to share these activities with your date. This is the world?s largest online dating community for sports and fitness enthusiasts. I sat next to a couple at a Super Bowl party who met on this site and have been happily married for 5 years.

11. Women Behind Bars – Tagline: In Search of a Better Life.

Providing an inmate search and pictures for prison women who are looking for penpals while incarcerated. Should those with a criminal record be able to date? You won’t find them accepted on most mainstream sites, but It must get lonely in prison.

12.? Pink Sofa – Tagline:Connecting Lesbians.

You can find a date or a friend on the world’s biggest lesbian meeting place. Liz James created this site 12 years ago as an online community and spoke at last year’s Internet Dating Conference in Beverly Hills.

13. Christian Mingle – Tagline: Find God’s Match for You.

From the people that brought you JDate, the largest Jewish online dating site, Christian Mingle now boasts 5 million users with a winning formula that works.

14. Our Time  –Tagline: The Place Where Over 50 Meet.

While the site name might be new, Our Time was rebranded last year from People Media’s Senior People Meet to help singles 50+ find love on the Internet. The CNBC documentary showed that the 55+ singles market has increased by 40% since 2008. Some studies show that the over 60 crowd is the fastest growing demographic. This is great news for those who felt their digital shelf-life might have expired. Hint. Kids, sign your parents up if they’re alone.

Honorable mention: Facebook. – Facebook isn’t just the world’s largest social network. Singles are chatting with friends-of-friends and glancing at photos resulting in many a Facebook marriage. With over 1 billion members, by default even if even a fraction of Facebook’s singles started dating, it would make them the world’s largest dating site.

Most sites do let you sign up for free. Check out some of our Favorite Dating Sites as well.

Julie Spira is an online dating expert and founder of CyberDatingExpert.com. She creates irresistible profiles for singles on the dating scene and is the bestselling author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Follow @JulieSpira on Twitter and her like her at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert for dating advice.

By now you?ve probably heard the good news. Online Dating has officially lost its stigma and now ranks second in the U.S. for matchmaking.? Whether you?ve met your dream date or spouse by answering 250 questions on eHarmony or answered some intimate questions on OkCupid, one thing?s for sure, online dating is no longer for the socially challenged. It?s here to stay and is now residing primarily on your mobile phone or iPad.

A group of 5 researchers collected data on the subject to be published in the February issue of the Journal for the Association of Psychological Science. These experts claim that these dating algorithms are nonsense. The report claims that online dating encourages a ?shopping mentality? and that singles are getting too picky with too many choices. Do you agree? Is it just the luck of the draw, or is there some magic to the proprietary methods Internet dating sites use to keep you engaged and active on their site?

Dating algorithms and scientific matching were a subject of heated panel at the recent Internet Dating Conference in Miami, where Dr. Eli J. Finkel, the study?s lead author and an associate professor of social psychology at Northwestern University, said there was no science behind the algorithms. OkCupid?s CEO and co-founder Sam Yagan and Dr. Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the University of Washington in Seattle, who created the Personality Profiler for online dating site Perfect Match, vehemently disagreed. The sites stood by their list of questions to help singles meet better matches, whether through math or science.

At the end of the digital day, online dating has become social dating, and it?s not going away anytime soon.

How do you feel about personality profiles on Chemistry, Perfect Match, and eHarmony.com? Do you believe you?ll get better matches? Are you finding it hard to commit with too many choices in your inbox?

Your comments are welcome and appreciated.

Julie Spira is an online dating expert and bestselling author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating.? Visit her at CyberDatingExpert.com for dating advice and follow Julie on Twitter @JulieSpira and at Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert

How digital is your love life??Come to the Digital LA – Love Goes Digital panel on February 13, 2012, ?where we’ll be talking about online and social dating.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 31, 2012 — Los Angeles, CA — Julie Spira, bestselling author of ?The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online? and a frequent media guest on the subject of online and social dating will be a featured panelist on the first-ever “Love Goes Digital” panel, hosted by Digital LA on February 13, 2012.

Julie will discuss social dating trends, how she helps singles by creating their online dating profiles, and about how she successfully used social media strategies to help her online dating book become a bestseller.

?For our pre-Valentine?s Day Digital LA ? Loves Goes Digital panel, we want to celebrate by getting LA?s experts in online dating and love together, to share tips, trends, and success stories in building dating/love related blogs and businesses,? said Kevin Winston, Digital LA founder. ?It?s the first time we know of that local dating and love experts have been gathered on a panel in Los Angeles.?

The event will be held at Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica, CA.

Follow @JulieSpira

Follow @DigitalLA

Full release @1888pressrelease.com

with Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Gary Kremen

You might have your favorite online dating site, but did you know the Internet dating industry actually has their own awards ceremony, similar to the Academy Awards?

iDate Conference organizer Marc Lesnick emceed the 3^rd Annual iDate Awards ceremony along with Mark Brooks from Online Personals Watch. It was an honor and privilege to also be a presenter at the event held in Miami Beach on January 24, 2012.

The Internet Dating Executive Alliance and dating site members and users had the opportunity to vote.for their favorites in 12 categories.

OkCupid walked away with 3 iDate awards, received by Sam Yagan, CEO and co-founder of the site. Gary Kremen, known for creating online dating back in 1993 by being the original creator of Match.com received a well-deserved special Lifetime Achievement Award. Gary?was a Keynote speaker earlier in the day,

The complete list of winners are?.

Best Dating Site – OkCupid

Best Dating Site Design ? OkCupid

Best Dating Software Provider – White Label Dating

Best Mobile Dating App ? Grindr

Best Dating Coach ? Evan Marc Katz

Most Innovative Company ? OkCupid

Best New Technology ? Grindr

Best Up-And-Coming Dating Site ? How About We

Best Marketing Campaign ? Match.com

Best Affiliate Program ? FriendFinder

Best Payment System ? Paymentwall.com

Best Matchmaker ? Julie Ferman, Cupids Coach/eLove

We’ll be posting video highlights from the conference with the latest in online dating safety, mobile dating, and letting you know about some of the new niche sites that might help while looking for love online.

Julie Spira is an online dating expert and founder of CyberDatingExpert.com. Follow Julie on Twitter @JulieSpira for dating advice and on Facebook.com/CyberDatingExpert

Matchmaker of the Year Julie Ferman and Julie Spira

It was a pleasure attending the 8th Annual Internet Dating Conference in Miami again, where I had the honor to speak on Web Dating 2.0: Using Social Media to Create Brand Loyalty on January 20, 2011.

Several hundred people attended the session on day 2 of the 3-day conference.

Going Mobile

In my presentation, I shared the exciting news that both Zoosk Mobile and SpeedDate Mobile apps have each had more than 2 million downloads.? OkCupid’s mobile app has over 1 million mobile users. eHarmony says their mobile apps account for approximately 20% of global site visits. Consumers now look at eHarmony profiles more than 16,000 times per hour while using mobile devices.? Their mobile app was launched in August, 2009 in conjunction with their 10th anniversary. Match says mobile users are twice as engaged as those who log onto the site on their desktop, so we are definitely going mobile.

Record Highs

We learned from Online Personals Watch Publisher Mark Brooks that online dating hit a record high in December 2010 with 116 million members worldwide visiting online dating sites. Over 20 million visits were from U.S. members. The folks from Google shared that 35 hours of video content is uploaded on YouTube every minute of the day. Online dating is a 1.3 billion dollar industry now according to Jupiter Research.

iDate Awards

One of the highlights of the conference was the 2nd annual iDate Awards. This year OkCupid won 4 iDate Awards including Best Dating Site, Best Dating Site Design, Most Innovative Company, and Best Up and Coming Dating Site. Congratulations to OkCupid for winning in every category that they were nominated in and matching the number of Golden Globe Awards received as The Social Network film. My friend Julie Ferman won the Best Matchmaker Award for the second year in a row and it was certainly well deserved.

Getting Social

It was terrific spending time with Sherri Langburt from Single Edition, Ravit Abelman from Omnidate,? Julie Ferman from Cupid’s Coach, and eLove’s Paul Falzone while catching up with Sam Yagan from OkCupid and Kate Billenki from Plenty of Fish. All have been featured guests on Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show. Dating blogger Simone Grant came to iDate for her first time and we brainstormed about dating, blogging, and social media.

The Final Debate

The conference ended with the Final Panel Debate curated by Marc Lesnick, Conference Organizer and included Mark McMaster from Google, Mark Brooks from Online Personals Watch, Michael McQuown from Thunder Road, Jonathan Crutchley from Manhunt, Mark Harrison from Dating Factory, Joel Simkhal from Grindr, Markus Frind from Plenty of Fish, Sam Yagan from OkCupid, Ty from Elite Global Dating and Dan Winchester from FreeDating.co.uk. At the end of the annual end of conference panel, the majority of the panelists felt that online dating would continue to grow in 2011.

Free Versus Paid

The hot topic this year was Free versus Paid online dating sites. Free sites have been rising in popularity and have made a small dent in the paid online dating services. Compared to the cost of high-end matchmakers, paid online dating sites are still a bargain.

To view my presentation, visit SocialMediaMore.com/idate

Have you ever gone out on a date with someone you believed was single and available only to find out their divorce wasn’t final?

Every week, I hear stories of members of online dating sites claiming to be single, when in fact they either haven’t filed for divorce yet or their divorce isn’t final. Technically and legally, these people are still married. Sure, they may know for sure there’s no chance of reconciliation. ?They also know they’ll have a better chance of meeting someone if their status does not say “Separated” on their online dating profile. Perhaps they will utilize the Facebook relationship status category of “It’s Complicated.” I believe they should state from the onset, “Separated, Divorce Pending.”

Recently I wrote an article about this epidemic on Huffington Post called, “Is Your New Beau Separated, Divorce Pending?” ?This status of “Separated, Divorce Pending” does not exist on any of the online dating sites and I invite and challenge the Internet dating industry that permit separated individuals as members to add this status. Let’s see who jumps in first to add it on their menu. If you have experienced this phenomenon, I’d like to hear from you. Now, onto the original article from Huffington Post.

It?s becoming an epidemic is appears. Profiles of singles on online dating sites with the status of ?Divorced,? when in reality they are ?Separated, Divorce Pending.?

It?s not just happening online. A recent friend of mine was set up on a date with an attorney. During dinner he mentioned his ex-wife in the conversation. When she innocently questioned him about how long he had been divorced, there was a moment or two of silence, followed by, ?Well, I?m, um, well, not really divorced.? He added, ?It?s complicated. A financial matter, but we?re not getting back together.?? A week later another date with a man she met online also admitted over dinner that his divorce was not final. When she asked him, ?Why don?t you state your status as ?Separated?? he replied, ?Because no one will go out with me if I say I?m ?Separated.?

In coaching men and women who are in that in between stage that I call, ?Separated, Divorce Pending,? I tell them to be honest. State you are ?Separated.? If your divorce is almost final, add that into the body of your online dating profile so a potential date or mate will know that there?s truth-in-advertising before responding to your email introduction.

More often than not, someone who is separated might need to have a transition person, that one very important relationship in between his or her marriage or long term relationship which typically runs its course and ends. Not all transition relationships end, but if you start out with honesty, you?ll have a greater chance of success regardless of the length of your relationship.

As one who also experienced the ?Separated, Divorce Pending? phenomenon with a man I met online, I personally know what it feels like to find out that an apparently available and compatible single ended up being ?Separated? instead of ?Divorced.? On our fourth date when it looked like the relationship could go somewhere, I said, ?I have a feeling that the ink is barely dry on your divorce papers.? My date back peddled and said he hadn?t filed yet, even though they were separated for over a year. My heart sank and I wished he had told me the truth from the beginning.

So I encourage those in transition to be authentic in representing your relationship status. And I challenge the online dating sites to create a new category for the relationship status of ?Separated, Divorce Pending.? It sounds better than ?It?s Complicated? and with the large amount of singles in dating in transition; I believe it deserves a category of its own.

Can you relate? We’d like to hear your stories.

Labor Day weekend is almost here.? Starting tonight at midnight, our friends at eHarmony have a special weekend that I highly recommend.

Goodbye, Summer. Hello, Love. Connect on eHarmony FREE 9/3-6!

With summer relationships winding down, many singles will be looking for love online. If you’re ready to start dating, here’s my advice on how to make this weekend work the best for you during their 4-day event.

1. You can take advantage of their offer by signing up now and creating your profile so it’s ready to go tonight at midnight. Their in-depth questionnaire is really targeted to those who are looking for serious relationships and marriage.

2. If you need help with your irresistible online dating profile, at Cyber-Dating Expert, we work with singles to make the process easier and more enjoyable.

3. Make sure you carve out the time to get organized and spend several hours a day reviewing the matches that eHarmony sends to you.

4. Respond in a timely manner to those who start the communication process with you.

5. If you’re ready to communicate, jump over to their fast-track where you can send emails to your matches.

I know that eHarmony works. I was with dozens of their success couples in New York during their 10th anniversary celebration earlier this month. Their online dating site is now responsible for over 500 people getting married every day.

Don?t Labor Over Finding Love?Connect on eHarmony FREE 9/3-6! Let us know if you meet that someone special!

Welcome to 2010. For those who have the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions, I have some dating advice to add to your list.

Bah humbug? No, not really. I met several singles over the holidays who dreaded this time of the year and were looking forward to a new beginning. January is the single largest month for new subscriptions to online dating services. When they discussed their frustrations with online dating, I asked why it wasn’t working for them.

The number one reason was FEAR. Yes fear. Fear has caused many singles to lie about their age to fit into a search. This isn’t new. So, when a 59 year old fairly attractive male told me he said he was 55 in his profile and he wasn’t planning on changing that number, I asked him,? “Will you still be 55 when you are 60?”? He had to think about the answer.

Most of us look in the mirror and think we look younger than we are. We see photos on Facebook from high school and college friends and they always look older than we do, or at least we think so.

I continued my discussion with the almost 60-year old man. He was concerned that only older women would write to him. Maybe some will. When I convinced him that he didn’t have to go out with every woman who wrote to him,? especially those that didn’t fit into his search, he eased up for a minute.? When I was positive that he wasn’t going to tell the truth about his age, I asked him how he’d feel if a woman lied about her age and said she was 5-10 years younger. Although it’s a common trend in cyberdating,? he said it’s a turn-off to him.

Finally, I asked him to make a New Year’s resolution to update his profile. He was not going to say he was 59 as fear of turning 60 made him panic.? He did reluctantly agree to adding a “disclaimer” in his profile saying that he was really 59 but looked and felt much younger and wanted to fit into a search.? I asked him to be honest about his age. He said he’d try it. After all, he hadn’t been successful in lying on his online dating profile in the 3 years he has been on multiple Internet dating sites.

It’s a New Year. 2009 was difficult for many with the economic turbulence. The desire for singles to couple-up is at an all time high. Wouldn’t you want someone to be honest with you from the beginning?

Make it your New Year’s resolution to live your life with authenticity –Online, offline, and where ever you may roam.

If you need some help in getting started with your online dating profile, contact us and we’ll help you create that IRRESISTIBLE Profile to help you stand out among the millions of online daters.

Julie Spira is a dating coach and author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Visit her at CyberDatingExpert.com

It’s not just about watching Cougar Town on television this week. On Friday, November 6, 2009 Cougar Women will flock to Beverly Hills for the National Cougar Convention.

The first-ever conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and cougars throughout California will be competing for the title of Miss Cougar California.

The Keynote Address will be given by Lucia, The Queen of the Cougar Jungle and host of the radio show, The Art of Love.

Several online dating sites have popped up focusing on Cougar Women and it’s a hot topic now.

To be eligible to win the crown, Cougar women must be over 40 to register and legally be single. Doors open at 7pm, and Miss California Cougar will be crowned at approximately 11:00pm. I’ll be there with my camera in tow, and will post photos on the CyberDatingExpert site.

The cost of the event is $30. Visit CougarEvents.com for more information.

Women complain about the men they meet in online dating sites who only want to have casual flings and hook-up. It appears the tables have turned and now some men aren’t happy about it either.

Read my answer to this question, along with dating advice for the woman with Facebook status woes in DateDaily.