Find a Date Online

Not long ago, many people shunned Refine Your Online Dating Profile thinking the only kinds of people they could meet online were super-shy or physically less-than-desirable. Now just about everyone has friends who have successfully met normal desirable people online, and many know one or more married couples who met online as well. Here are the steps to take to safely meet quality people online.

Easy, you can go on any chat and seek out whatever you specify.

Steps

  1. Decide what type of online dating site best suits the type of people you are looking to meet as well as your budget. If you are looking to meet a broad spectrum of people, you might try a large public site like Match.com or Yahoo! personals. If you are looking to meet a specific type of person you might try a more niche-focused site like JDate or AsianFriendFinder.com.
  2. Subscribe. Keep in mind, there is a broad range of prices for online dating sites. More expensive sites can charge as much as $50 per month. Most sites offer discounts for multiple months purchased at one time. When you are just starting, you should probably buy just one month and see how well you like that site. If you do and want to continue, you can re-subscribe for a larger number of months at a lower monthly rate. Many sites (like EZDate 123 and Plenty of Fish) also have free trials.
  3. Take (at least) one good picture. Whether you are a male or female, having at least one flattering, recent photo will dramatically increase your chances for success. Profiles with good pics usually get as much as 10 to 20 times as many e-mails. If you get an overwhelming number of e-mails (often happens for especially attractive females), you can always choose to hide your pic later. If you don't have a good recent pic, some sites offer links to professional photographers. But usually just a digital camera with some decent lighting will do the trick.
  4. Create your profile. Each site asks for slightly different information and/or essays. Try to keep it simple, but if you're witty, let that show. Your opening line is important and usually what will set you apart from others. The best advice is to just be yourself, since you will find it is very difficult to be convincing acting like someone else. Even still, you definitely want to put your best foot forward. No need to disclose that you're still hurting from your recent break-up or you visit a therapist 5 times per week here. There will be time for that later once someone gets to see the fun, easy-going, more attractive side of you.
  5. Identify people you would like to meet. Now for the fun part, browse through profiles or search by keywords to find the people you think you might like to meet. Women, don't feel like you have to wait for men to contact you. It is perfectly acceptable to make the first contact with a man, and you will often have excellent results when you do.
  6. Check for reviews about them. Before you meet someone online, or even before you contact them, you should check to see if other people who have met them have entered reviews regarding the truthfulness of their profile. Do this by visiting a review site like and entering the correct dating site and profile ID for the person in question. If you date the person yourself, you can also enter a review yourself to help future people who will meet them.
  7. Contact them. Send them an email or if you prefer, IM them. Be natural, be conversational, mention a detail from their profile so they know you really read it, and make a little joke. Humor is great for breaking the ice and starting the conversation.
  8. Talk by phone. After you've traded enough emails to feel comfortable, the next step is usually to talk by phone. This gives you a chance to get to know the other person a little better and get a feel for whether you will have chemistry in person. Don't feel obligated to meet someone in person just because you have talked to them by phone. If you feel uncomfortable or not attracted, you can tell them, "It's been great talking with you. I'm busy the rest of this week. Why don't we talk again next week." This way you can harmlessly end the call without an outright rejection, and if you find you change your mind you can always call them or accept their call next week.



Tips

  • Keep in mind, not everyone on online dating sites is always telling the truth. Some people use old, out-of-date photos, neglect to disclose key information like the fact that they're married, or stretch the truth on physical attributes like their height, weight, or amount of hair. Always maintain a healthy level of skepticism that anyone you meet might not be telling the whole truth.
  • Be honest! Why tell someone a falsehood that will soon be discovered if you meet. Even if it’s not an obvious lie, if you do get together it will eventually come out. Have fun with who you are. Ever hear of people being rejected for being honest or funny about themselves? Say exactly who you are and what you want. Better 1 response from someone perfect than 10 almost-perfects.
  • Some pictures however, are directly from public figures' websites, but ask for proof of the person's authenticity.
  • Be sure to use your gut feeling when deciding if you are ready to meet the person.
  • Be sure to tell a friend where you are going and have them call you on your cell phone sometime during the date to see how you are doing.
  • You should meet during the day and in a public place. Have your own transportation. A coffee shop is a great place to meet. If you do not hit it off you can excuse yourself after one cup of coffee. If you are having fun you can always order another cup or move on to a restaurant.
  • Don't date on pet sites like Neopets or Webkinz, or wherever kids go.
  • Never be pressured into doing anything you don't want to do.
  • Consider using online social networking sites to find dates. This is a site where you meet to go dancing specifically.

Warnings

  • Be careful not to become too emotionally attached to someone that you have never met, and might never meet. Just because it's online, does not mean the pain is different when it's over.
  • Don't wait too long before meeting personally. You want to save some of the questions, comments and secrets for the first few live dates. Trust me, there is nothing worse than meeting someone for the first time and having nothing to talk about in the awkward moments with your new date.
  • It is important to stay safe when meeting people online. While the vast majority of people online are normal, healthy people looking to find a mate, there are some less savory types out there you want to stay away from. Always require photos before you meet online, always check for reviews about the person on a review site like True Dater, always meet in a public place for the first one or more meetings, and never ever give out personally identifying information like your last name, address, or work address until you feel totally comfortable with the person.
  • Before meeting in person you should use Skype or another video call service. They are free. If the other person does not want to do video calling then move on. They are hiding something. It does not cost anything to use and any computer can be used. There are all types of excuses for not wanting to use Skype. The fact is they do not want their live-in boyfriend or husband to know about you.

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Find_a_Date_Online&oldid=355123"