
Online Dating: Dive Right In
Remember the first time you went off the high dive? You thought everyone was watching you as you stood there, your toes gripping the edge of the board, trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge. Well, we know that online dating can be a similar situation. And we’re here to tell you to dive right in! But first, we’d like to teach you how to swim in the online dating pool.
Choosing the Right Online Dating Service
There’s a wide range of different services that cater to your personality and goals- Match, eHarmony, OKCupid, Singlesnet, True, and yes, AdultFriendFinder all offer different things for their users (to find the right one, we recommend checking out our own online dating reviews). Learn more about the possibilities and give a new site a try. In fact, most of these services provide free trials, and some like OKCupid are always free. These services want you to dip a toe in the water, so go ahead, sign up, and find the ones that are right for you.
Personality Matching: How You Find Potential Dates
Obviously, each site is different- eHarmony will give you a complex compatibility test, while Singlesnet will get you signed up withing 30 seconds (here’s our primer on online dating questionnaires). But, basically, all the sites mash up the hard facts with your unique personality. You’ll be shown people who are your preferred age, gender, and location no matter what. Then it gets interesting. Personality matching will help pair you with the type of person that you might have fun with. It’s both a science and an art- and it’s up to you to experiment and find the person that works for you.
My Profile: Making A Great First Impression
When you’re online, you’ll create a representation of yourself (check out our tips for creating a great online dating profile). It’s a rundown of what you’re like, who you are, and who you’re looking for. Potential dates will look at it to get a feel for your personality and to see if you’re a Match. It’s important to keep your profile fun, flirty, and most importantly, honest. This is your first impression for a potential date, so you want it to be an honest one.
Messaging: What’s a Wink?
Each dating site will provide a mix of different ways to start flirting. Some use “winks”, others have live chatting, and some even have video. The differences between services aren’t important, however- the key thing to remember is that you’re here to flirt and have fun. Messaging is a way to reach out and show a new person how cool you are- have fun doing it!
There are a couple of tips to remember as you get started. First, keep it casual- messaging too much could be too aggressive for potential dates. So always have a laid back approach to your replies (just as you would with a phone call). Secondly, be careful with your real contact information (e-mail, phone, etc). You should give that info out eventually, but don’t open with it- you have to make sure you’re speaking to a cool, safe person first (You can also check out our tips to read more about how to learn to flirt online).
That First Cup of Coffee: Meeting In the Real World
If there are sparks, you’ll want to leave the keyboard for your first real date.
How do you set up the big first date? Simple- just ask. Once you determine a time for you and your date to meet, you’ll be set. A public place is best for that first interlude. Meet and then, once you’ve gotten to know the person better, decide where to go from there. You’re well on your way to finding a new relationship.
The Rest of It: What To Do Now?
After that first date, it’s all up to you. You may want to reunite for a second date, find a new person, or even try a different service. Whatever you do, you’ve done the hardest part- you’ve jumped off the high dive. And you can go ahead and admit it- now that you’ve taken the plunge, it feels pretty good.
Tags: adultfriendfinder, beginners, eharmony, introductions, match, okcupid, online dating tips, singlesnet, true