Online dating do's
Do some preparation before you start
Get an email address specifically for your online dating search. It's also a good idea to get at least one or two Instant Messenger accounts. So set up a couple of IM accounts preferably with AOL/Netscape and Yahoo, specifically for this kind of thing.
Choose a dating site
They're not all the same. There's a huge number of sites to choose from with a dizzying array of features. Don't just join the first dating site you see. Be sure to read some reviews, and compare features and prices, before diving in.
Choosing a username/screenname
Think up a cool username. It's the first thing people see about you. If you're stuck, think about your interests or where you live. Perhaps add your location, or the current year. Do also check out what other members call themselves.
Take your time writing your profile
Write down a few notes about your personality, your positive attributes, interests, likes, dislikes, before you begin to write your profile. You can read more about writing your dating profile here.
Update Your Profile Frequently
Keep your profile up to date even if you are happy with it because some sites will display when your profile was last updated and allow members to search by those most recently changed. Even freshening up your pics from time to time is a good idea to get noticed.
Do make sure you stand out from the crowd!
Make sure you post recent photo of yourself. Personal ads with a photo attract more than five times the number of responses! There is little point putting up a picture of yourself in your 20s if you are now in your 40s as if you eventually meet someone through the site they'll immediately feel that you have misrepresented yourself and you'll be off to a bad start!
Be honest
Be honest about your personality, looks, marital status. There's not much point in writing about the person you'd like to be, as your potential partner will figure out there's something wrong, when you finally meet. But by all means make the most of your assets!
Stay anonymous at the beginning
As you build trust, you can reveal more about yourself. At first don't reveal your full name, where you live or other contact information in the early stages.
Keep things positive
Play on your personal strengths and enthusiasm, and share a little something personal about yourself. Avoid negativity and avoid sounding like a victim.
Selection criteria
Don't have a list of characteristics that your potential partner must have, instead have a list of those that they should not have. Selection this way round will increase the number of potential partners but without the red flags!
