5. Put up the perfect profile photo

According to a survey of EliteSingles members about online dating profiles, a shocking 52 percent said they wouldn’t even open a profile without a profile picture. So in short, perhaps the most important tip you can take from this guide to online dating is to include at least one photo of yourself. Tempting as it may be to use an old photo, don’t do it – it will only do you a disservice in the long run. It’s a good idea to take a full head and shoulders photo, preferably outside as natural light tends to be more flattering. Get your friends or family to help you with it and let your picture illustrate the real you.

Salama advises, ‘On your description, think about exactly why you chose to register. What kind of person do you want to meet? And what kind of relationship are you looking for? What are your values? But be careful, don’t say too much; this could break the mystery and, online or not, it’s important to keep some in the seduction game.’ It is important for you yourself to identify what exactly you’re looking for in a relationship and display it on your profile. But as Salama suggests it is also beneficial to maintain an air of mystery, just like in the offline dating world. Leave people wanting to discover more about you.

4. Create a good online dating profile

One of the most important tips for online dating is knowing how to create a good profile. It’s important to have a profile that illustrates your positive qualities without seeming like you’re showing off. On your EliteSingles profile, for example, the first question asks you to describe yourself, followed by what your potential partner should know about you. These answers can instantly attract someone to your profile, but avoidable mistakes can easily deter potential matches, so it’s important to get it right!

3. Take advantage of online personality tests and intelligent matchmaking

It’s a shame not every dating website or app takes the time to truly get to know you and help you in your online dating journey. That’s why, at EliteSingles, we are dedicated to matching like-minded American singles with long-term compatibility in mind. As a result, our extensive personality test contains over 200 questions in order to create a comprehensive and accurate profile of you. The questions are based on the psychological Five Factor Model developed by Robert McCrae and Paul Costa and calculate your levels of neuroticism, agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness. These factors are then used to match members with similar traits in order to create the best chance of forming a long-term connection. We want to unite American singles who both complement and enhance one another, and we are able to do so effectively by using this system.

Once you have this reassurance and have chosen a dating site that suits your requirements, you are ready to get started. At EliteSingles, for example, every profile is reviewed by a member of staff before it is accepted to the site and users suspected of fraud or otherwise are proactively removed from the site. We ensure that everyone on the site is there for the right reasons to improve your chances of finding love.

2. Find the best dating site for you

Choosing the right dating site takes time and research – you want to find something that caters to your needs and desires. Salama suggests, ‘I really recommend, especially for seniors, not to use free websites. First of all, scammers tend to target older users who are perhaps not as internet-savvy; therefore it’s best to avoid this. Also, when you look for a website, don’t be lazy and ensure you thoroughly check the terms and privacy: does the website guarantee complete privacy of your messages and photos? If so, you’ll have the reassurance that people on the dating website are really there to meet someone, just like you.’