One of my good female friends told me the other day that she was thinking of joining an online dating site. I didn’t know what to say at first, as I have never thought of it before (obviously being happily married!), but fair play to her for making the effort and wanting to meet new people.

I was thinking of giving her some advice, so searched a little on the internet for a little while and came up with five top tips for online dating. I hope this will also help some of you contemplating joining the online dating scene:

1.    Pick the right service. Do you prefer a free service like Flirtbox or paid subscription like Dating Direct? Is your emphasis on general dating (Match.com) or do you want something more long-term relationship-oriented (www.parship.co.uk)? Sites vary, as does the clientele they attract, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for.

2.    Build a winning profile. Your profile is one of the two main elements that will determine the success of your online dating experience, so make the effort to create one that will stand out from the crowd. Keep it dynamic, keep it honest, and keep it fun.

3.    Select the right photo. The photo is the other primary element of success, so put some thought and effort into selecting the right one. It should be current and clear. With competition on these sites increasing, the days of “any old generic photo” are long since past.

4.    Learn effective written communication. As a writer, I can’t emphasise enough how much what you write and how you write it says about you.  Little things like capitalisation and spelling, bigger things like personalising your email and drawing a person out with questions. Take time to learn a few good communication techniques and use them!

5.    Be honest. Let’s face it, if you do meet that Mr or Ms Right and you’ve been fibbing, you’re going to get found out – and lose the guy/girl in the process. So, don’t do it. Post recent photos and tell the truth about age, income, job, etc.