Why could online relationships last longer?

Turning to the web to find the perfect partner might not have always been common, but it is now considered by many to be the best way of meeting up with Mr or Miss Right.

The Daily Telegraph spoke to Anna Wilkinson about her experiences and she said that joining an online dating site was the turning point in her quest to have a family.

At 33, Ms Wilkinson had broken up with her boyfriend and admitted she was starting to think that she would never be able to settle down and have children. Indeed, she confessed to usually being attracted to "mavericks", who would make it clear they had no interest in family life after a year or so together.

"Although I felt a bit of a loser, I joined an online dating agency. I filled out forms about my interests, my opinions and my personal goals – which was having a family – something I'd been too frightened to mention to my exes in the early days for fear of scaring them off," she explained.

She went on to reveal from that moment on the matches she was provided with were only men who shared her ambitions.

This made it much easier for Ms Wilkinson to find people who were suited to her, as from the very first moment they were "on the same page".

Surveys quoted by the newspaper suggest one in five relationships in the UK now begin online and almost half of singletons have used the internet at some point in their quest for love.

By filling in as much data as possible about themselves and what they are looking for, people can boost their chances of finding the ideal partner.

It has worked for Ms Wilkinson and it will work for many more people who take advantage of the very best online dating sites.