Online dating dos and don’ts

Whether you are a seasoned online dating professional or a nervous newcomer, these must read tips on how to easily freshen up your profile will make sure you’ll start to see even more messages come flooding in.

Do update your profile regularly

People will often check your profile a few times before they get in touch so if you’re constantly updating your profile with interesting things about your life, they’ll not only realise that you use the site regularly, they’ll also know what a fascinating person you are too!

Do make sure you have a photo

Statistically speaking you’re ten times more likely to be contacted by another Member if you have a photo, but in reality a good photo can be the difference between having a date every night of the week and having an inbox full of rejections!

Don’t talk about previous relationships

When you talk about past troubles, you come across as a negative person. When you have just started getting to know someone you don’t want to sound negative or resentful. At the same time there is also no need to talk about how great your ex partner was as this could make the person you are interested in feel inadequate and insecure. Save these discussions for a more advanced stage of a relationship.

Do try not to take each contact too seriously

Unfortunately you’re going to get rejected from time to time, but try to remember that it just means they weren’t the right person for you. Also, just because you are talking to one person does not mean you can’t talk to others. Part of online dating is to meet new people and get chatting and find people you get on with and connect with. Try not to rush into making things serious, let a relationship develop naturally. It is also good to bear in mind that if you find people who are not romantically right for you this does not mean you cannot be friends.

Do take a break

Even if you bought several months worth of membership, don’t plan to become a dating demon by being online without a break in the action. Having too many choices or too many unsuccessful contacts can make your brain glaze over, and you may lose your will to date. If you chose to take the long subscription, the lower price will allow you to take several breaks over a few months.

Don’t think it’s just about a photo

Online dating allows you to chat to people and really get to know someone before you start dating them, so take advantage of this. You may find someone perfect for you physically but once you get to know them they have unattractive personality traits or you just don’t click with them. If you are seriously looking for a lasting relationship it is important that the person you find is truly a good match rather than just an attractive photo.

Do reconsider your must have criteria

Online dating is unique because it allows you to select what you are looking for when you start. You may have a list of ‘must haves’ when considering what you are looking for, however you should take time to consider which of these factors are really important. If you are finding that no one lives up to your high standards maybe you should reconsider your must have criteria.

Do fill in all your details

If you leave out any details from your characteristics ‘tick boxes’ then other Members might wonder what you’re trying to hide. They’ll find out eventually so be honest from the word go – the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!!!

Don’t make it too long – or too short!

Obviously the more information you can give other Members the better, but if someone looking at your details is faced with line after line of your life history they might get bored and move on to someone else. And you need to leave something to tell them when they contact you.

Do stand out from the crowd & avoid cliches

Try to mark yourself out from the crowd by mentioning some of your more quirky traits and characteristics. Not everyone is going to want to go white-water rafting with you but it makes an interesting point of conversation when you start chatting.
DVDs, bottles of wine, cuddles on sofas – we all know how nice it is and we’ve all read it a thousand times on other people’s profiles so if you must mention this, please say something else too!

We hope all this will help you to make a better impression on other Members, and will speed up the process of you finding your perfect partner. Even if your profile is up to scratch, why not have another look at it and see if there’s anything from this little lot that you could add in to make you really stand out from the crowd.

Good luck!