I have found that online dating is a great way to get past the initial stage of meeting someone and get to know them if you are shy. This way if you meet someone through an online dating site you can be upfront with your shyness and take your time and build a relationship at your own speed and by the time you meet they will have a good understanding of who you are. Sometimes if you are really shy it is hard to get past the first stages of meeting. Here is an article that I read before I started online dating that gave me some helpful hints on getting started.
"How to Succeed in Online Dating" This article is located on a Dating Websites Blog.