So, you have read every book from “The Relationship Handbook” to “He’s Just Not That Into You”. You are not alone. Online dating has become one of the easiest ways to meet someone quickly. We have foregone the “Blind Date” and dabbled with “Speed Dating”, if only for a minute, to simply find out we are back to square one. However, with online dating we can keep the curlers in girls, wear our exes t-shirts still lingering with the faint smell of the concoction he called cologne, I know I know the one that you never washed because the smell (although irritating) reminds you of him, and begin a new search. Before we dive into this vast sea of internet relationships and online dating I have some advice that will help you familiarize yourself on your journey into the unknown.

The Account

E-mail accounts. We all have them and some of us have several. I strongly suggest you set up a personal online dating account and use it for this purpose only. There is nothing worse than having the boss or a co-worker look over your shoulder only to see that “Brawny123” has just sent you an e-mail. In addition, should you forego online dating after finding your match and decide to correspond with him on your own you may find that after several e-mails he is not right for you. By setting up a separate online dating e-mail account you are able to monitor your accounts safely and you make the rules!

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

One of the most important aspects of online dating are the pictures that you will use to represent yourself. The number one rule is to make sure they are of you! I had a date with someone who I had met online. His picture was beyond gorgeous. After meeting him at a restaurant (public place of course)  I quickly found out that the picture was not him. He told me that “It was a picture of his cousin and if he put his own picture on the online dating site that he would never get a date” This date ended abruptly after hours of primping and outfit changing on my behalf! Be creative and  take action pictures that show your personality. Have a friend come over and blow up the digital camera with fun things you like to do. Change your outfits and use these photos to regularly change out your picture. Make sure you always use a current picture, and ladies please no 80’s hair! But by all means, don’t make your picture look better than you are in person.

The First E-mail

When you are interested in someone the first impression in an online dating e-mail can be critical. Do not use a standard e-mail and change the name of the people you send it to. Ask questions about their profile. For example, if he states that he enjoys hiking or camping, ask him where his favorite places are to explore. This will surely let him know that you are interested. In addition, make sure that you “Be what you are” when corresponding. If you let him know you like long walks on the beach but you leave in the heart of the city he will know something is up. Stand out by avoiding clichés and just be your self.

Username

You may think your username is just your way to log in to your online dating service, but this isn’t the case. Your username is one of the first things that someone will read about you and a good username can mean the difference between a profile view and a profile pass up. A common technique is to go with the traditional anonymous username like “Kelly123” but why miss out on a key opportunity to catch someone’s attention or reveal a bit about yourself? Make your username original make it say a little something about your personality. Pick “TerrificTennis” if your hobby is tennis. Your clever username will not only share a little bit about your personality or interests, but can also attract people with the same interests. But be careful not to give the wrong impression. Just because you interpret the username “Ready4Lovin” to mean you are ready to love someone, the person viewing your profile may think “Ready4Lovin” means you are looking for some  lovin’ right now, if you know what I mean.

Have a Chat

Have a chat before meeting someone after online dating. There is no time to think when you are chatting with someone on the phone and therefore the reaction from your potential date it immediate. It is much easier to be comfortable while you are typing your heart out on the computer. This is a sure fire way to be able to find out if there is a connection. Go with your gut on this one ladies!

Remember, just because you have a profile up, doesn’t necessarily mean you will immediately get responses. These five tips will certainly help, but play around with the contents of your profile until you start getting the results you want. If no one is responding to your list of interests, put up some new ones. Switch your photos every once in a while to see what sort of response you receive. As you experiment with your online dating profile, you will hopefully begin to find the responses you have been looking for.