Online Dating Guide & Blog

A reader recently wrote in with the following question after she had received a large number of emails after signing up for online dating:

The challenge that I have is that when I go online, I get so many views, flirts, im and email requests that it is impossible to finish my profile, search or anything else.

I did hide my profile for now so that I can work on my profile. Thanks. Is there a strategy for handling all [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Photo by The Welsh Poppy
Writing online dating messages can be frustrating. Spending the time to write the “perfect” email only to receive no response can cause many of us to ask if we’re doing something wrong.

Below are some online dating message tips, most of which I also cover in my online dating guide. Hopefully these will help you with communicating on online dating services and might even help you realize that a problem you think you have isn’t a [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

I recently read an article AskMen.com that covered five mistakes men make early on that scare women away. I think this article is well worth reading regardless of how you are meeting women. I also wanted to offer my take in this area, but specifically for online dating.

Most of my thoughts revolve around one idea: not coming off as strange or the stalker-type. Appearing strange or appearing like someone who might stalk the woman is [...]

Filed under: dating advice

This is a guest post by Lior

Isn’t this an age-old question? Irrespective of whether you are face-to-face, on the phone or on a dating site, saying the right thing to a woman you think you might like is always tricky.

It all comes down to forgetting the nerves and being yourself. Some guys can do this easily. They happily churn out happy one-liners and crafty jokes while the ladies lap it up, laugh and beg for more. Though these guys may [...]

Filed under: dating advice

This is a guest post by Kate Houston of trysweettalk.com

Millions of singles are dating online. There are so many people to choose from that no one can rely on looks alone. So how do you get attention and keep it? Easy – apply the same rules to your profile that successful brands apply to their ads. As an ad writer with over 20 years experience, I guarantee that good ads get noticed and get replies. The same can [...]

Filed under: dating advice

This is a guest post by Kate Houston of trysweettalk.com

10. Bald spot camouflage.
If you’re going bald don’t hide the fact under a cap. It’s not a character flaw and there’s no reason to be embarrassed by it. Besides, bald is the new sexy. So show skin with pride.

9. Saying you’re young at heart.
Generally only people over 40 years old say this and often it’s to compensate for being older. Age is not a defect. Just pick someone you can be [...]

Filed under: dating advice

This is a guest post by Kate Houston of trysweettalk.com

I had a client whose original profile asserted, I love to cook. As a professional dating profile writer, I can tell you that about 80% of the profiles I read say the very same thing.

Eventually I learned this client not only loved to cook, she loved it so much she collected antique cookbooks. I also learned she was a truly unconventional woman in many respects. So, rather than keep, I love [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Love, Sex & Deception is a book that provides online dating advice with a unique approach: instead of listing rules and guidelines they offer advice through the telling of others’ online dating stories. A few samples of these stories include the following:

A story of two friends who find out the same man is sending them the same poetry and decide to have some fun with him but showing up together when next meeting him.

How a woman ruined a date by [...]

Filed under: dating advice

A reader recently wrote in to ask about dating conversations where the person you are talking with responds but with little or no apparent interest:

If you are conversing with someone via email (regardless of who initiates the conversation) and you respond with a short paragraph and question and they always responds with one or two sentences, does this mean that they are really not interested. If asked a question I answer the question plus give some background and ask another [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Photo by °Florian
In my article on writing first emails using online dating, I discuss what should and should not be in your emails. I wanted to expand on that topic to include a pattern I’ve seen recently: apologizing or making excuses when contacting other singles.

Apologizing in First Emails

For whatever reason, some people see apologizing as the preferred way to start an email. It will often begin something like “Sorry to bother you…” or “I’m sure you get lots of emails [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Photo by ground.zero
According to a new Match.com commercial I’ve been seeing lately, 1 in 5 relationships are now started through online dating services. Still, even with that fact, there are a large number of singles who believe that online dating does not work, or at least not for them. With that in mind, I wanted to post a challenge to all of the doubters. I really believe that people who feel that online dating doesn’t work fall into one of [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Someone recently pointed out to me some very interesting dating videos on YouTube. I watched quite a few of these and have to say they’re very interesting. I disagree with some of the advice given, but there are so many people interviewed I guess this is to be expected.

One video I really liked was about safety when dating online. The advice here was good and I really like the advice given regarding dating people who are closer to you (it’s [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Thinking of interesting and unique date ideas can be difficult. Sure, you can find some good ideas if you look long enough online but even many of those end up being something less than interesting or unique.

Filed under: dating advice

Lately I’ve been thinking about my online dating guide, particularly how it continues to grow and how all the information might be overwhelming to someone new to online dating.

With that in mind, I’ve put together the following checklist that provides dating suggestions at a very high level based on the advice I provide in my dating guide. Where my guide goes into great detail into each area, this list keeps things simple for quick review.

This list is broken down [...]

Filed under: dating advice

Recently I found myself reading some commentary in a forum where the person was stating that they believed no one should ever pay for online dating with all the free services available. As frequent readers of this site know, I am a big fan of taking advantage of free dating sites with my personal favorite being OKCupid. Still, my experience and the experience shared by singles I talk to suggest that this person’s argument has one big flaw.

Filed under: dating advice

In my last article I was encouraging everyone to be open to dating geeks. As a geek, I am happy to see the stereotype being more and more accepted: by non-geeks but also by geeks who are really starting to embrace who they are. Still, if you decide to follow my previous advice, I think it only fair to point out some of the unique situations you may deal with when dating a geek.

Filed under: dating advice

You may find yourself dating online when you receive contact from someone you might label as a “geek”. Now, before you write this person off as not worth dating I think you should consider what geeks bring to a relationship. As I’ll be discussing in this article, while geeks fail to bring the social status important to many people, what they offer in replace of that makes them well worth your consideration.

None of the reasons I will be discussing are [...]

Filed under: dating advice

There are many mistakes that are made on first dates…far more than I will list here. However, I will cover the 10 mistakes that I saw from others while dating online, made myself while dating or have learned about by talking with other singles about online dating. If you are struggling to find second dates I would strongly recommend seriously reviewing this list.

1. Trying to Act Like Someone Else
Many people ask: How should I act on a first date? The [...]

Filed under: dating advice

In this one phrase, “How to seduce a woman”, I believe many men are led down the wrong path when looking for companionship. I am convinced this is a very disappointing statement for anyone who has found their way here looking to have this question answered. However, I would ask that you give me just a few minutes of your time to explain my case before you insist on continuing your quest to have this secret revealed. Allow me to [...]

Filed under: dating advice

An article at MSNBC lists some of the most common online datings scams that are successful. Online dating is right at the top of that list. Many of use want to believe we’ve found love so badly that we’ll believe anything. I thought this article was great, right from the beginning:

Most people think they’ll never fall for a scam. In fact, that frame of mind is precisely what con artists look for. Those who believe that they know better are [...]

Filed under: dating advice