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Women should leave their jobs and spend their time raising the kids to keep her man happy, suggests a comprehensive household survey. Reuters

Online dating has gone beyond creating an account, setting up a profile and choosing a photo. Apps like Tinder have made finding someone online as easy as a one-finger swipe. That wasn't the case when Match.com launched on April 21, 1995, a time when AOL was just beginning its ascent and users connected to the Internet with a dial-up modem. The very first website had been created only four years earlier, but by the time Match launched, there were around 23,000 sites. But while a lot has changed in 20 years, finding love online remains popular.

Electric Classifieds Inc. launched Match.com as a novel way to use the Internet to connect singles. Todd Krieger's Wired profile from September 1995 is a lovely look at what life was like on the Web. "Cyberlove and chat room couplings are as much a part of online lore as hacker fiends and wild viruses. So, connecting and tracking these millions of plugged-in lonely hearts is a prime business opportunity," Krieger writes at the start of the article. The backstory of Match wouldn't be too out of place in 2015. A 31-year-old sees untapped potential, goes to Silicon Valley and raises some capital. For CEO Gary Kremen and partner Peng Tsin Ong, the sum was $1.7 million. There would be a fee for using Match.com, but it would be cheaper than placing a personal ad in your local newspaper.

Kremen knew he was on the right track because no one really understood how to do online dating in 1995. "I had a sense that online dating would be big because I felt what was being done with dating back then was inefficient," he told International Business Times. "I always felt if I could come up with a way that someone could meet Mr. or Ms. Right, we would be in business."

One of the biggest early obstacles that Match.com faced is one that many companies are faced with today: safety and security. "The biggest challenge was to get people to realize it was OK to put a profile online. Especially women. I talked to maybe 100 women and I found, universally, the responses were 'I wonder if it's safe,' 'I wonder if it's secure' or 'I wonder if it's private,' " Kremen said. "One of our key successes was we built a product that focused on and respected women's concerns. That was the biggest hurdle, people putting their heart online."

Match.com is no longer a startup competing with personal ads in newspapers; it's the largest dating website on the planet. IAC purchased Match in 1999 and leads the company's empire of dating sites, including OkCupid, Chemistry.com and Tinder. Kremen feels proud of his creation and remains bullish on the idea of online dating. He believes apps and mobile-friendly services are the future.

The Pew Research Center conducted a survey about online dating in 2013 and found 22 percent of people between the ages of 25 and 34 used dating sites and apps. The online options are popular, but they're not for everyone. Of the American adults surveyed who used online dating, 33 percent said they have never gone on a date. Just 5 percent of married couples said they met through dating sites.

While your Tinder relationship may not be doomed, many people are still finding love offline.

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