On Valentine's Day, some singles may be inspired to step up their dating game. Amy Giberson, now 34, was reluctant to try internet dating again but she decided to give it one more shot in 2014. There are a slew of sites and apps to help singles find love and, for the most part, they work, according to Consumer Reports.

She downloaded the Match app and connected with Justin Pounders, also 34, almost immediately. Nearly half, or 44 percent, of those who tried online dating said it led to a serious long-term relationship or marriage, the magazine found.

Most services offer digital messaging, while others provide additional services such as webcasts, online chat, telephone chat (VOIP), and message boards.

Members can constrain their interactions to the online space, or they can arrange a date to meet in person.

To explore this topic, I pulled aside two individuals who I knew were hunting for a long-term relationship using online dating websites, and asked them about their experiences with the services.

Months after their first date, the couple discovered they had been classmates in preschool, and one year into their relationship Justin arranged to have the young students from their former school hold up signs that asked, "Will you marry me? How to boost the odds with a better profile: Use recent pictures (taken within the past year) and at least one good close-up headshot.The general trend now is towards location-based matching, so you'll be matched with people in your area and often who also close to your age.To do any more advanced matching, users have to answer more questions about themselves and also what they're looking for - and matching can be done based on this.Most services also encourage members to add photos or videos to their profile.Once a profile has been created, members can view the profiles of other members of the service, using the visible profile information to decide whether or not to initiate contact.Show that you're humble through a joke, a self-effacing story or a humorous anecdote. To make a strong first impression, use anecdotes instead of a string of adjectives describing yourself.Never lie about your age or what you do for a living.