For the millions of women who are not lucky enough to encounter Mr. Right on the street or in their social circles, online dating is the go-to. We use all sorts of online resources to find the best flight or restaurants, so why not put in the work to find something more important: love? Online dating is also a great way to date casually and meet interesting people you would not encounter in your daily life. Nonetheless, online dating can be frustrating, especially for women who — more often than men — have to deal with rude messages, fake profiles, scams and more. This guide will show you how to win at online dating so you can meet the best people, have fun and avoid compromising situations. Start with a Positive Attitude by Remembering How Convenient Online Dating Is When you look for a partner by hitting the pavement, there are all sorts of stressors and annoyances to deal with. If you receive an insulting message and want some support, think about submitting it to , a popular Instagram page where people share screenshots of rude messages to bring awareness to this kind of hostility and use humor to deal with it. Remember, messages like these are only a reflection on the person who sent them. Delete them, block or report the person harassing you and do your best to move on. Pick the Best Website for Your Needs and Preferences The first step to picking the best dating website for you is deciding whether you want to look for a person based on race, religion, gender, lifestyle or sexual orientation. If you are Jewish and want to keep it in the faith, maybe try. If you are only interested in meeting other women, perhaps is best. Filter your dating site options further by being honest about your intentions. The user experience is great for people who want to set up dates quickly. Then there are sites that allow more data-driven matching such as. You are not limited to one, though. People often use multiple platforms to cast a wider net. After all, most of them are free. Your Profile Picture is the First Thing They See A profile picture says a thousand words, which is already more than people want to read in an actual dating profile. When it comes to choosing or creating a great profile picture, the key is looking your best without deceiving, said. If you insist on choosing a picture with friends in it, pick one where it is clear you are the person in question. Make sure none of the people in these photos appear like exes or partners. This will show the viewer multiple sides of you. Maybe you love partying and mountain climbing or dress up occasionally but prefer staying in and watching movies. Four to 10 photos is the optimal range, according to. This picture performed well, according to data from eHarmony. But seriously, prove wearing red will make people consider you more attractive. Like a profile picture, viewers will make assumptions based on a username before they read the actual profile. The profile picture is the big billboard, the username is the tagline and the profile itself is for people who are seriously considering taking the next step. As with the other stages, being honest is key. Work on attracting the right one by being honest from the onset. This demonstrates you edited your profile and ensures wordsmiths will hang around. This silly tradition continues in online dating, where there is a huge gap between the number of messages men and women send. This puts women at a disadvantage, Bennett said, because they are limited to the people who message them. It should become an exciting conversation where both parties eventually feel ready to go out. Going from Messages to Meeting, or Adding More Steps? When people message with a potential date via a site, they can trade phone numbers through the messenger and set up the meeting. Or they can postpone the in-person meeting and continue the conversation on other mediums, gradually building towards that physical connection. Sometimes women exchange emails with potential dates, then talk on the phone and finally video chat, all before the meeting. They can do one or more of these steps, whatever makes them feel comfortable and safe. The only problem with this approach is the risk of someone else snatching up your date and arranging the meeting before you do, Greene told Talkspace. Sometimes it is better to schedule the meeting quickly. After all, there are other ways of protecting your safety more on that in a moment. If you do email, call or video chat first, keep the communications brief so there is plenty to discuss during the actual date. Try being flirtatious to build anticipation for the date. Meeting Up in a Safe and Comfortable Way No matter how much you have chatted with your potential date, you are still meeting a stranger from the Internet and need to make safety a priority. Now comes the comfort part. This means keeping the first date a simple, reasonably-priced dinner or something similar. Save things like that for the second date. Want more tips on meeting your online date for the first time? Greene suggested women express these feelings to their date rather than holding back. The same logic applies to bad dates or people who, despite being great, did not generate that spark. Be sure to let them know so they are not wondering and worrying. Obviously, we hope the first situation happens.
