5 Tips for Online Dating Success

From waking up to smartphone alarms to shopping on devices, it seems the whole world has gone digital. So it makes sense that millions of people are turning to online dating sites for their love life.

With so many apps available, looking for a relationship has never been more straightforward — or more complex.

The stigma of putting yourself out there with an online profile for others to peruse and swipe is gone. Now, it’s almost an accepted, natural part of being single. It’s not a question of if you’re on a dating site; it’s a matter of which one you choose.

From Tinder to Bumble and beyond, there are almost too many choices for one to make. If you’re entering the online dating arena, you must start by dipping your toes in, not jumping in headfirst. 

Use these five tips to make the most of your digital dating experience. Set yourself up for love by learning from the mistakes and successes of others!

1. Explore the Dating Site Options

Social media is not an all-encompassing, one-size-fits-all entertainment venue. Everyone is looking for something different. When you come across someone with potential, but their goals don’t align with yours, it isn’t very reassuring.

To prevent this as much as possible, make sure you know what you’re looking for in a relationship. Are you trying to pass the time while you build a career and life? Are you already comfortable with yourself and ready to create a healthy relationship?

Know precisely what you’re looking for and be upfront about it. Doing so can save a lot of time and heartache on both sides. It also helps you narrow down the right site to use.

There are many different dating apps, and each one specializes in a niche. Make sure you use the one geared toward what you’re looking for. Or else you’re going to match with many people searching for a different type of relationship.

2. Invest Time in Your Profile

Ahh, the dreaded profile section. It’s the part of online dating that strikes fear into the most confident of people. But look at it as your chance to weed out the frogs and catfish. 

Sure, you want your profile to get attention. But you don’t want to spend your time chatting with random strangers with whom you have zero things in common. Use the app’s “About Me” section to avoid this.

Go beyond the basic hobbies and interests. What is it that you absolutely must-have in your relationship? Include those factors in your profile, even if it seems like you’re searching for a needle in a haystack. It’s better to scare off those who don’t meet your standards ahead of time.

Consider your profile picture carefully, too. Maybe it’s your favorite because you look terrific, but does it tell the other person what you’re really like? 

For instance, if the photo is from a ball game you went to against your will, it looks like you enjoy sports. This could be a huge draw to many people, but you have to explain later that no, you actually don’t enjoy going to games.

Use your profile to do the hard work for you by only reeling in those who might be keepers.

3. Be Your Authentic Self

When you start talking to someone, they have no idea who you are. It’s a clean slate and the chance for the other person to get to know the real you.

False personas upfront are eventually unmasked. Why pretend to be someone you’re not to hook someone you don’t know? 

There is someone out there who is into you for exactly who you are. If your ultimate hope is to spend the rest of your life with this other person, it’s better to know upfront what you’re both getting into.

That doesn’t mean you have to give them your entire life story right away. But if you notice you’re starting to be less than your true self, consider that a red flag. There’s no one better to be than precisely who you are.

4. Grow a Thick Skin

Hidden behind a screen, people can be cruel. If you don’t have thick skin, the online dating world is often painful.

No matter how gorgeous you are, you aren’t going to be everyone’s type. You may be trolled, ghosted, or love-bombed. Any number of dating disasters can befall you. 

Even when something seems to be going well, and you both feel the connection, take it slow. It’s easy to get blown away and lose your common sense within the first few weeks of getting to know each other. 

Online dating often seems to go faster than in-person meets. You’re talking a lot, and you have so much in common! Obviously, it’s your forever soul mate. 

But it’s as easy for them to pretend to be someone they’re not as it is for you. Put the brakes on and go slow and steady until you know you’re both on the same page.

Remember, it’s essential not to take any bad experiences personally. Consider yourself lucky to have dodged a bullet and move on.

Look at them this way. You’ve got great stories to laugh at down the road!

5. Use Dating Common Sense

If you’re a nice person at heart, you’re going to want to respond to every conversation invitation you get. This is not necessary. 

If you’re not interested in their profile or initial “Hi” (no effort put in at all), don’t engage!

When you do end up in discourse, slowly build up to a phone call and then a video chat, before meeting in person. These avenues will weed out incompatibilities early.

Conclusion

For millions of people, love is no longer “in the air.” It’s in cyberspace.

There are so many matches made through online dating. It can be a popular and proficient way of meeting Mr. or Ms. Right. By following these five tips, you and your eventual significant other will also be a virtual dating success story!