With the advances of technology and the increase of people who use computers, online dating has practically exploded. It has become an quite an effective way of organizing a date and can be an excellent way to meet that special someone, if you know what you’re doing.
There are many online dating websites you can try. I honestly suggest the free ones, because the paid ones don’t actually have any additional benefits, despite what they try selling you on TV. They make big claims and back them up with one-in-a-million stories that make their services seem more legit. Honestly, been there, done that. Save your money.
There’s more to it than slapping a profile together though. The keys are having a good picture and a good profile. You must communicate your positive traits to others if you want a good response rate. You don’t need to tell everyone your life story though, keep some of it for later. Tell people what activities you like to take part in because this makes going on dates a little easier, especially if you can both connect doing something you like.
Be active. Send messages, reply to messages and start conversations. You should be prepared to ask questions that are designed to help you find the person you are looking for. And FLIRT! By God, FLIRT! Dating is supposed to be fun and it can get boring in front of a computer pretty quickly, so when you come across someone who can flirt it immediately catches your attention.
The point of online dating is to actually meet up with somebody. If you’re not trying to meet up with someone in real life, you’re doing it wrong. There are two things that will prevent you from getting dates. The first is being too picky and the second is not asking for dates. You need to lead the interaction into reality. It can be very easy for people to have these amazing, but fantasy, conversations with one another. This is why it is best to have a little bit of conversation before meeting up, as opposed to a lot of conversation. Keep the interaction moving forward.
Many people have continued their relationships and even been married through online methods, so it’s practical to give it a shot. It doesn’t always work out, but when it doesn’t it is a learning experience. You have to learn from mistakes and improve your strategy. This might mean being a little bit selective next time, or changing what you’ve written in your profile to attract a more suitable partner. And when it doesn’t work out, hey, maybe you’ve met a new friend.
Both men and women need to be concerned about safety. The Internet is not always what it seems and people are not always honest with everything about themselves. Plus, there are just as many stalker-ish women out there as there are stalker-ish men (take it from, I’ve been stalked. I’ve done some stalking too. Hahaha, just kidding. Or am I? lol). Don’t just throw your phone number out there randomly. Talk to people first to make sure they’re cool enough to have it.
You should be sure when you go on your first date you are somewhere you feel comfortable with and be sure to protect yourself at all times. A public place is best. Let someone know where you’re going, or have someone accompany you. This is really just in case you want a quick exit, the chances of any physical harm coming to you is less than the chance of being struck by lightening. And how many of have ever been struck by lightening? I don’t see any hands going up. Hahahaha. 😀
~Matt Adams