Dating Techniques

If the research done by OnlineSchools is accurate, that’s just one of the many interesting facts that has come out of their online dating study.  Some of the others that jumped out at me were:

• The average age of the online dating user in the US is 48
• China has almost 4 times the amount of online dating users compared to the US
• 10% of the US population is currently using an online dating site
• Customer visiting dating sites spend an average of $239 a year!
• 1 out of 10 sex offenders use online dating to find a mate. (seemed kind of low to me?)

These types of studies are always interesting because they not only show how human beings are adapting to the online age, but they can expose some less flattering facts as well.  I could go over the whole infographic since almost everything seemed to surprise me in one way or another, but I’ll stop here so you can read the graph yourself and hopefully we can continue the discussion in the comments.

Online dating can no longer be considered a fad.  It’s now a widely used, reliable source to find possible companions so I thought it would be a good idea to give our readers a few quick tips to help them get started. These are really basic tips, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Don’t Tell Lies – None. 0. It can ruin the experience for you and also for anybody thinking they’ve found the perfect mate.  It might seem like a great idea to get more attention, and to attract better looking candidates, but it will result in a lot of anxiety when you know the person on the other end of the computer will eventually find out.  Unneeded anxiety like that can ruin the whole experience and ultimately drive you away from something that could be great for your love life.

Find The Right Picture – Your picture can tell a lot about you, and that’s never more apparent than on a dating site.  As we just mentioned, you want to be honest so uploading a picture of yourself that makes you look like model may not always be the best idea, but you should put some serious thought into it.  If you’re a happy person, don’t put up a dark, serious picture.  The picture should be clear, well lit, and try to put up a few pictures if it’s allowed.

Don’t Skimp On The Profile – Similar concept to the picture, your dating profile deserves a lot of attention.  It’s your second impression after they see your picture, and it usually makes the difference between someone contacting you, or moving on to the next profile. The more you tell about yourself, the better the chances that you’ll actually find someone you’ll have a good time with.  Remember not to be too serious, dating should be fun so let your profile reflect that.

Show Yourself – The most important part of the whole process is to be yourself and to not try to imitate what you think girls or guys are trying to find.  Having the perfect picture and profile will get you a ton of e-mails, but it defeats the purpose if you’re actually looking for a long term relationship.  If you’re looking for a fling, that’s a whole different story but we’ll get into that in other articles.

Have fun with your online dating journey.  It can be stressful at first, but once you get the hang of it you’ll probably wonder why you ever tried to pick somebody up at the local bar.  Make sure you check out more Dating Tips.