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New to online dating?
10:51 (GMT+2), Wed, 09 May 2012

You could find love online...

LIFESTYLE NEWS - Want to try online dating but not sure it's the right choice for you...?

In the last decade, the online dating world has exploded with a myriad of websites that cater for all tastes.

It is also safe to say that the stigma surrounding online dating has been well and truly washed away with millions of people across the world now using dating sites to meet potential partners.

As with all new innovations though, there are still some guidelines to observe and pitfalls to avoid.

Before you think about joining a dating site for the first time, it is worth browsing the website for a while to see if the profiles are to your liking.

Most will allow you to browse without ha-ving to pay as a member, although full access and the ability to message other users won't be provided unless you subscribe. This en-ables you to gauge whether the profiles are to your liking and perhaps more importantly, whether there are enough within your own geographic parameters for you to feel that contacting them will be worthwhile. Even if you don't subscribe, some sites will allow you to receive and read messages, so if subscribing isn't quite on your radar yet, you can monitor interest in your profile without paying.

If you decide to subscribe, then you'll need to put some effort into creating your profile.

The number of people involved with online dating has made it much more competitive in recent years and describing yourself has gone beyond just putting up a few words and a photo you took of yourself.

Standing out is the key, so try to combine elements of your personality, your interests and what you're looking for in a succinct manner.

Try to avoid obvious statements such as "I have a good sense of humour" or "I'm kind and considerate" as well as activities such as "eating out". These are givens and we expect virtually all people to be like this. It's a common habit for people when creating a profile for the first time to try and appear as rounded as possible i.e "I'm just as happy doing x as I am y". The fact is that one of the key elements of success with online dating is standing out from the crowd.

With the advent of high quality camera technology on phones and the like, it's now very easy to put a great photo on your profile. Take as many photos as possible, including a full-length body shot and keep some in reserve to upload later as this is often a good "boost" to your profile.

Once you've got your profile and photos sorted, the next step is to start contacting people.

Many users are often hesitant when sen-ding messages for the first time, sometimes for fear of saying the wrong things or appea-ring "too forward". One of the most important lessons of online dating is learning to grow a second skin, because it is inevitable that some people won't respond. The best way to overcome this is just to send another message to someone else. Ultimately, the more proactive a user is with online dating, the much more likely they are to be successful.
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