How To Date Online
Tips for a successful online date
| Updated March 02, 2021
There is no magic trick to dating online. It's a gamble, but it's one that could lead you to the love of your life. You might not even know where to start. Don't let online dating sites scare you. You can figure how to get a date online. We have all you need to know about how to date online and how to be successful in finding a mate.
Your profile photo is your secret weapon
A profile photo is like the cover of a book. You might not even open the book if there is no photo or you aren't interested in the photo. Think about the people scrolling on a site. They might be overwhelmed with messages. They don't want to go through every single message. You need to stand out. One look at your profile photo may have them clicking into your profile. You should always post the best photograph of yourself. Don't put a million filters on it. Just be you.
Stay away from naughty shots. It doesn't put your best foot forward. Don't post blurry images. You just need to simply post a photo of you that looks nice. Once the person clicks on your photo, they will then see your entire profile. You're simply luring them into your site. This is the first impression you're making on someone else. Consider this one of the most important online dating tips because this is all about first impressions. It doesn't matter if you don't find yourself physically attractive. Someone may love your eyes or fall in love with your smile.
Be an open book, but not too open
One of the best online dating tips you'll ever receive is about your actual profile. Your profile is like a tiny book about your life. You should let that book open, but don't let the pages fly everywhere. Be truthful on your profile. Don't throw out all of your opinions at first glance. This might scare someone away. You can seem funny, but not sarcastic. Don't be too serious either. Let your profile read like your life. People will like the real person.
You can mention something funny as an icebreaker. Make a joke about your favorite team. If you seem too arrogant, you might lose a love interest. It's a thin line to walk as you try to describe yourself without being too arrogant, but also being yourself. Let your best friends read the profile before you make it public. They'll give you the honest feedback you need to move forward.
How to search for matches
The scariest thing for many people is to go through matches and send a message. You may post your profile and suddenly have a few hits. You may start seeing interest signals popping up in a few minutes. It'll give you those fun butterflies in your stomach as you're nervous and excited to meet new people.
Make sure to reply to each message even if you're not so sure at first. This person might be your perfect match, so don't turn them away at first glance. You should also reach out to other people if they interest you. You can often like or wink at other users. This is the best time to throw out your shy card. Be confident and search for matches with intensity.
You can search for certain matches using filters. If you are looking for a certain type of person, you can use filters to find these matches. Reach out to the ones that interest you without thinking too much about it. Dive in and have fun.
Slide into a message with ease
The first message you send to a love interest could be a deal-breaker if you don't do it the right way. When you're trying to figure out how to online date, your first message is huge. Don't ever copy and paste messages. It's totally obvious. Watch your spelling and grammar. A person notices these little details.
It's complicated for some people to sound flirty, yet leave an impression without sound like a jerk. You should check out someone's profile and stand out by mentioning something interesting. If you're general, you're just like every other person. Make them feel like the only person on the site. Share interests with them and talk about the things you may have in common. Say something witty to break the ice.
The trick to your first message is to sound interesting and interested at the same time.
Take your time
You may want to find a match yesterday, but it doesn't always happen that way. One rule of how to do online dating is to take your time. It takes time to build a relationship. There is nothing wrong with going slow. It will take time to talk and trust one another. You might find a match quickly, but that's very rare.
You can improve your conversation skills as you get to know someone. You may even find things out about yourself. It's simply important to take the time to make sure this is right before you fold all your cards.
Patience pays off. You may realize after a while that the person you thought was amazing is a dud. You may find the person you thought was a dud is amazing. It all takes time to figure it out.
Don't talk too much at first
Online dating would be great if someone could just give you a book on their life. The truth is that you're never going to learn everything about someone else online. At some point, you'll want to meet in person. Until then, keep your messages short and sweet. Don't bore the other person with a million thoughts about your day. You might scare them away.
Some people say the magic time frame is to chit-chat online for about two weeks before you meet in person. This can only happen when you're totally sure the person is legit, too. If you're seeing red flags in your conversation, go ahead and leave it.
These first messages shouldn't be too deep. You're getting to know a person. This is the time to dig into the little things before you start to analyze their every thought. You don't need a documentary on each other's lives until you're ready to explore more of the relationship. Keep these first messages light-hearted and short until you're ready to truly see if this can go somewhere.
Matchmaking and personality tests
Many dating sites will put you through matchmaking and personality tests. These are for your own good. They will help match you with potential mates that should fit your lifestyle. You may not know how to approach online dating, but you will know how to jump into your own personality test.
Extensive personality tests help align your interests and your heart with other people. This will help ensure you aren't wasting your time. You can match with someone that you already have common interests with instead of beating around the bush to figure it out with a million different users. You'll be thankful to use these tests when you're matched with someone that seems perfect.
There are instances where you fall in love with someone that doesn't match your personality. This does happen, but the odds are boosted when you're matched with someone that fits your profile.
Use common sense
Online dating is another world full of all kinds of people. You have to use common sense. One of our most important tips for online dating includes being on the lookout when you're on the site. Don't ever give someone money. Think about if this were in the real world. Would you ever hand someone a few hundred dollars just because they gave you attention?
Check out the person's photographs and profile to ensure they are real. If you cannot find them on any other social media site, this could be a red flag. They may not be a social media person, but it's important to dig a little deeper. You can ask for more photos without sounding like a weirdo.
Don't ever agree to meet anyone unless you've talked for a good amount of time. Always do your research before going any further with a person. There are a million wonderful people out there looking for love, but there are also a few bad apples. It's sad and scary at the same time. Always be on guard. Always use common sense.
Moving to a personal platform
You don't have to do all of your chatting on an online dating platform. You can move it to text, e-mail, and phone at some point. This can happen when you have a good relationship with the person and have built some trust. Don't give out your personal digits until you're sure of this person.
This gives you a chance to dig deeper into the relationship to see if it is worth the pursuit. You can exchange messages easily whenever you feel. It starts on the dating app, but ends up in real life if it's successful.
Time to meet
If you're still wondering how does online dating work, you know it works when you finally get to meet in real life. This is a huge step. When you want to take things to the next level, you step out from behind the screen into life.
You should always meet in a public place. You should meet where you can talk freely. Remember, always look for red flags. You want to have a great experience with this person, so it's better to have a casual meeting at first. Don't dive into going to the movies or a fancy dinner yet.
You may feel scared to death, but know this is an exciting step towards the next chapter. This could mean everything. Meeting in person connects you in another way. It's okay to be nervous like a teenager meeting their crush in person for the first time.
Don't lose hope
It's a big sea out there. Don't lose motivation in finding the love of your life. You might meet a few frogs before you meet the "one." Don't be sad if you fall on your face trying to find your other half. It's important to learn from each experience and move on to the next.
You may be perfect on paper, but might not connect in person. This is just fine. Cast a wider net so you can find the one that truly fits you. Don't give up because the love of your life may be at the next click.
Be open minded
If you set your filters so tight that hardly anyone can get through them, you might be selling yourself short. Keep an open mind about your dating choices. Someone may not look exactly like the person you want in your head, they may not have the interests that you want them to have, or they may even have different political beliefs than you. You should set standards, but don't push every single person away because they aren't perfect to you.
If you aren't open minded, you could be losing out on a really special person. You might not be the perfect person in someone else's mind either, but you're probably really unique. Long-term relationships work when we're able to polish each other. Everyone shines in their own way. Don't write them off before you even give them a chance.
Have fun
The best way to date online is to remember to have fun. Online dating should never feel like work. You're working to find a mate, but you can have fun while you do this. Check in with yourself, and ask yourself if it feels like a chore. You'll come off as uninterested if you aren't having any fun. If you start feeling bad, step away for a while. You can always take a break and then dive back in.
Final thoughts
Does online dating work? That's the million-dollar question. If you approach online dating with class and ease, it will work. If you seem like a creep only out to bring partners home for a night, it probably won't work. Take your time and have fun. You might find the love of your life with the click of a button.