Online Dating Tips:
1.-Determine what type of service is best for you.
There are five different types of online dating services that you have to select from. Make sure you select the ones that match up with your goals.
The first are General Online Dating Services. These are services that provide you with the ability to view everyone who has posted a profile and are generally aimed at dating. Such services include: Match.com, LavaLife, and FriendFinder.
The second are Relationship Services. These are services that match you with others based on compatibility testing and are generally for those more serious about a relationship or marriage. Such services include eHarmony and Chemistry.com.
The third are Social Network Services. These are free sites that allow you to build your base of friends and potentially find someone to date in the process. Such services include MySpace, Friendster and Orkut.
The fourth are Niche Dating Services. These are services aimed at bringing together people, to date, who share a specific common passion or desire. Such services include Green Friends (vegetarians), Equestrian Cupid (horse lovers), Millionaire Match (rich singles), Age Match (Intergenerational Dating), and Senior Match (older singles).
The fifth are Merging Online Dating Services. These services combine online dating with offline applications. For example, Peek a Bio and Chick n Chit allow you to post a profile then hand out specially printed cards to people you meet in everyday life who you are interested in. Using the card, these people can access your hidden profile to learn more about you.
Decide which service(s) best meet your need, then pursue it!
2.-Follow important online dating safety tips.
From the time you sign up for a service through the time you meet on a date, it's important to be safe. Read Online Dating Magazine's Online Dating Safety Tips article for specific things you should and shouldn't do. In a nutshell: never give out too much personal information; never give a home phone number; always meet in a public place for the first date; ask for a recent photo (or how old posted photos are); and trust your gut instinct. Read the article for more safety tips and full descriptions.
3.- Build a winning profile.
Your profile is one of the two key elements that will determine if a person emails you on an online dating service (the other is photo - see next tip). Thus it's important to make sure that your profile is lively, fun, and positive. Avoid negatives (I'm lonely, I can't believe I'm doing this) at all costs. Examine other profiles and determine what about it makes you more interested or less interested. Read Online Dating Magazine's Profile Tips article for more advice. If a person finds your profile interesting and not generic then you have increased your chances of someone showing interest in you. Make yours interesting!
4.- Post great recent photos.
Face it - when doing a search on an online dating service the first thing that grabs your attention is the photo. This is the single most important element to getting people to view that great profile you've written (see last tip). These days, generic photos won't cut it. You need to determine what colors look best on you, dress nice, be clean cut, and have someone take various photos of you that are fun and lively. When I changed my photo from a posed shot to a shot of me with an Orangutan, the number of people emailing me or showing an interest quadrupled. It also provided a great ice breaker and talking point when someone emailed me. Read Online Dating Magazine's Creating a Better Online Dating Photo article for some excellent tips.
6.- Learn effective communication techniques.
Your first email to someone you're interested in is the most important one you'll ever write because it will help determine whether or not they write back. It's important to personalize your introductory email and spend more time asking questions (based on the other person's profile) than providing information about yourself. Throwing a compliment in doesn't hurt either (i.e. "I love your smile" or "your profile is one of the best I've read").
More tips about dating coming soon. Stay tuned.
