Here Are the Essentials
In 2015, online dating became a two-billion-dollar business with one in 10 Americans reporting they’d used a dating website or an app. Of these people, 25 percent said that they’d found their spouse online.
Today, online dating is even bigger, but some people are still not making the most of it.
What does it take to make online dating work for you? That’s the question we’ll ask today in an attempt to identify the approaches that yield the best results.
Know What You’re Looking for
Before signing up for an online dating service, you’ll need to have an honest conversation with yourself.
What are you trying to accomplish?
Are you just curious, are you lonely, are you looking for a casual fling or a long-term partner? If you know what your objective is, you can cut through the noise and communicate with people who have similar priorities.
There’s nothing wrong about being just curious. Still, you need to be honest and upfront about it in order to make the most of the opportunity.
Choose the Right Dating Platform
Online dating has become so diversified that you will come across dozens of platforms and apps that cater to the needs of different audiences. You can choose a person based on religious affiliation, interest, professions and body type preferences.
DoULike.com is one of the most popular dating websites and it appeals to those who don’t have a strict set of criteria and who’d like to communicate with more people. There are also specific options like senior dating or local dating if you have some preferences about that.
If you know that what you’re looking for is very niche and specific, you should definitely look into an opportunity that’s developed to address the preferences of similar-minded individuals.
Be Selective about the People You Contact
Sending messages to someone or chatting with them online demands emotional involvement.
You need to be selective about the people you decide to communicate with more thoroughly.
If you initiate a chat session with every individual that messages you, it’s likely that you’ll get burned out very fast.
Stick to people that you like and are genuinely curious about. Ask yourself a simple question – do I want to learn more about them? If the answer is no, you should definitely move on and attempt to find a connection with somebody else.
Don’t Use a Selfie as a Profile Picture
While we’d all want to be deeper, the truth of the matter is that we’re generally shallow and we’re drawn to appearances.
Hence, profile photos matter a lot in the online dating realm.
Scientific research suggests that the best profile photos are the ones that start a conversation. Thus, you should forget about the selfie. You should also be starting the right conversation, so no photos with your ex!
Choose a photo that speaks a bit more about who you are. It could be you engaging in a favorite activity. It could be you at a favorite place that you’ve traveled to. It could be you surrounded by your pets.
Show a part of your world online and you’ll be rewarded for the honesty.
Learn How to Message People You Like
What are the characteristics of a great message? It’s original, it’s flirty and it’s fun. Accomplishing these goals is incredibly difficult.
The number one rule of online dating communication is stay away from the clichés. If possible, refer to something you’ve seen on their profile. This approach demonstrates attention to detail and an interest in learning a bit more about the other person.
Being flirty is perfectly fine, asking for nudes is not. There’s a fine line between being sexy and being creepy. If you think that you’re taking it too far, you probably are. Tone it down a little until you find out what the other person is comfortable with.
Finally, remember that humor is a subjective thing. Keep it mild and innocent until you get to experience the other person’s sense of what’s funny and what’s not.
Online dating gives you a chance to learn through trial and error. Don’t take it too seriously and remember to have fun. It’s not the end of the world if you’re rejected by someone. There will be many other opportunities to explore.
