Internet Online Dating Services

If one thing is true of internet online dating services today, it’s that you’ve got to pay up if you really want to play. Gone are the days of the free personals accounts with premium-level features. Fair or not, you almost always have to pay for a subscription now just to contact other members through an Internet dating site.

The fees at most internet dating service sites are reasonable. Joining won’t break your budget if you sign up with just one or two sites and it’s usually worth it to do so. You’ll have full access to the dating service’s matching capabilities, and you’ll be able to contact any member you choose.

However, you’re still forking out hard-earned cash, so it’s important that you know how to get the most out of your membership. There’s a strategy to working the system if you want to succeed. So, make sure you’ve got the following steps covered before you sign up and pay.

A majority of people who browse through the personals will look at your photo before anything else. While you aren’t going to be everyone’s type, it is important that your photo shows off your best features to anyone who definitely is attracted to your ‘type’.

Make sure your photo is clear and crisp, and that you are facing the camera. This doesn’t have to be a full-body image, but a good head shot is a must. Also, don’t forget to smile! People are generally more attracted to others who look happy and upbeat.

Put effort into your internet online dating profile

Your photo and headline will be the elements that draw people into reading the rest of your profile. Think of them as the ‘attention grabbers’. Once you’ve got someone’s attention, though, you must also keep and further their interest. This is the primary job of your profile.

You’ve got to make the effort to create an exciting and interesting profile. There’s nothing worse than a profile that is half-filled out, or filled all the way up with boring generalities. This is your chance to show off your unique self, so do it!  Share your talents and dreams and everything else that makes you special.

Spice up your language a bit to make the humdrum things sounds more exciting. For example, instead of saying “I like long walks in the park”, say something like “I’d love to stroll with someone special on a balmy spring day while we plan out our next great adventure!”

One of the mistakes made by Internet dating newbies is going for the in-person meeting too soon.  Remember, even if it’s just coffee, you’re investing time and money into meeting up with someone for small talk, and this is not the most efficient approach.

Instead of meeting up so soon, take a week or more to do the ‘small talk’ via email. This way, you’ll be able to determine if your match is worth pursuing further, and you’ll save yourself time and money on what would’ve otherwise been a ‘wasted’ date.

Writing a Great Online Dating Profile

Let's talk about writing a great online profile, for women.


OK…the time has come. You have joined an online dating service or two. Now you must write that all-important profile… the one that will attract attention and reel in the man of your dreams… but where to start? Maybe writing isn’t even something you think you do all that well. Even so, you can do this.

The first thing is to be absolutely honest about yourself. You are looking for that man who will like…maybe someday love…YOU….THE REAL YOU! Examine past relationships and list the things that you liked and the things you did not like. If he smoked in the house and you hated it, you won’t like it any better the next time. If you love cats and will always want to own one or more, say that you are an animal lover and want indoor pets. Someone who hates cats or is allergic to them is not the guy for you.

Accent the things that make you unique. If you play the piano well, you really want Mr. Right to appreciate it. If you run in marathons, a couch potato is not a good match. If you love art, you really don’t want a man who thinks Picasso is an ice cream flavor.

Describe the things that are vital in your life. If volunteering is the one thing that makes you feel useful and worthwhile, you want someone who would, at the very least, support you if not join you in your volunteer projects. When you get beyond superficial things, you will attract men who share your values.

Invest in your online profile by hiring a professional photographer for your first online picture. This is so important. The picture is the FIRST thing men see. The second thing is that they read what you have written about yourself. Some online dating sites even provide you with a list of photographers in your area that specialize in online dating site photos.

Online Dating Or Blind Date

Which one is better? Internet online dating or blind date?

Your friend has decided that you need help with your social life so she sets you up with a blind date….a friend of a friend of a friend. You, foolishly, accept. Now there you are. It’s less than one hour since you were introduced. You are sitting in a Thai restaurant and you hate Thai food. The entrée has not yet been served. His idea of enlightened conversation is who will be in the final four…you aren’t into sports. He knows the weekly TV schedule verbatim….you haven’t sat through a movie in months because you run marathons and volunteer at the local food bank. He says, “Volunteering is a waste of time because you can’t help ‘those people’ anyway.” You look at your watch; see that it’s only been 10 minutes since you last looked at it the last time and wonder how long it is before you can gracefully remove yourself from the situation. Been there?

Now imagine a date with someone you met through internet dating and have been chatting online with and exchanging emails with for quite some time. First, you don’t need to be introduced. You already know this man. You are sitting in an Italian restaurant enjoying a delightful meal because you both know that the other’s favorite is Italian. The conversation flows easily as you discuss common interests. He runs marathons and loves history just like you do. You happily discuss the volunteer work that each of you is involved in. You look at your watch and discover that it is late…very late…where Has the time gone.

There is a big difference between a well-intentioned friend “setting you up” and choosing a man for yourself who shares your interests and tastes, isn’t there? Now which one would you rather have?

Internet Online Dating For The Older Single Woman

Let's talk about internet online dating for the older single woman.  Let's say, women in their thirties.

Life isn’t fair. Men get all the breaks. You’ve devoted all of your 20’s to getting your career off the ground. Not that you haven’t been dating…you have, but not seriously. Now here you are…30 something and there is no long term relationship in sight. You can actually hear your biological clock ticking. You have a precious few years to find a man to fall in love with, make him fall in love with you, get married, and have a baby or its lights out. You already know all of the men in your social circle. Not that they aren’t nice guys…some of them…but none of them are your soul mate. What’s a girl to do?

Consider online dating. You have the opportunity to read hundreds of profiles and look at hundreds of pictures in search of that “someone” that will be right for you. Maybe he will live in the same city you do…maybe he will live across the country or even in another country altogether. You aren’t limited to only those men that you come in contact with personally. The possibilities are almost endless.

“Is online dating safe”, you ask. “Aren’t the online dating sites made up entirely of perverts, sexual predators and weirdoes in assorted shapes and sizes?” the answer is, no they aren’t. Not anymore anyway. That was true when online dating first came on the scene but now it is mainstream. It’s as safe as you make it using common sense and sound judgment. Use the same caution that you would when meeting any stranger. Don’t give your real name, address or phone number until you feel safe doing so. Don’t rush into a face-to-face meeting until you are confident and then make the first meeting in a public place and during daylight hours. Give it a try…Mr. Right might be a few mouse clicks away.