Online Dating Success

With numerous dating websites in existence, more and more people have been turning to online dating as a means of finding a partner. If you feel as if you’re profile isn’t getting results, fret not! Just follow our six steps to ensure your message inbox starts filling up fast!

Upload a picture. If your profile image is still that shadowy gray figure with a question mark, upload a picture of yourself now! People tend to click on profiles with images, so up that click quotient. If you don’t have any pictures of yourself that you want to post for the entire world to see, grab some friends and hold an impromptu photo shoot! You could go the professional route, but doing an informal session with friends will ensure the pics look casual and that your smile is genuine. Also, be sure to only post pictures of yourself solo; you don’t want any potential candidate to actually fall for one of your friends instead!

Be positive. When filling out your profile with information about yourself and your interests, be sure to have a positive attitude towards everything. If you have a strong dislike for indie and country music, don’t say so; you may offend potential dates—just write about how much you enjoy rap and hip-hop instead. Also, don’t be negative about the reasons you’re looking online for love: “I’ve been jilted by many jerks in the past, so I hope to find someone better here” may not be the ideal line.

Be active. Some online dating sites have messaging forums and groups, so be sure to remain active every once in a while and chat with any potential dates. You can find a guy with similar interests as you, and this will allow men to see how knowledgeable you are in various topics, so be sure to bring your opinions!

Take initiative. Sometimes, it’s easy to create a profile and just wait for the magic to happen. It’ll take a bit of extra effort on your part to get results, so instead of waiting for someone to send you a private message, why not send a message to a guy whose profile piques your interest? This will show him that you are confident, and any guy will find that irresistible.

Don’t be nervous. So he responded to your message, you’ve exchanged a few e-mails, and now he’s asked you to meet up in person. Don’t say “no” for fear he won’t like what he’ll see; he’s clearly interested if he did the asking. If you’re just nervous about meeting a stranger off the internet (which is a common feeling), be sure to meet during the daytime in a crowded place, such as a café or bistro, and let at least two friends know where you’ll be.

Don’t lose heart. Usually, nothing happens quickly or easily. If you send a message to a guy and he doesn’t respond, don’t take it personally or give up on online dating altogether; perhaps you just weren’t his type. If you went out once and he never called you again, well, sometimes people just don’t click. Jump back in there and keep on looking; there’s bound to be someone right for you!