Online Dating: Five Easy Ways to Get Started Today

Your friends are bugging you to get out of the house and go do something. They don't understand why you're single. They've told you to try online dating, but you have no idea where to begin! Stop sweating the process and put yourself out there once and for all. It doesn't take much to get started in the world of online dating - it just takes about 30 minutes, a friend, and a sense of humor. Ready? Set...DATE!

Online Dating Tip #1: Pick a Site - ANY Site!

There are so many online dating sites to choose from that it can be daunting to have to choose ONE (we know!). Choose one of the main ones like Match.com, Matchmaker or Date.com. Once you get familiar in these types of sites, you can start to explore the more specific ones that target certain cultures or lifestyles. But to get yourself going, keep it simple and go with one of the major players in the online dating arena.

Online Dating Tip #2: Fill Out Your Profile - COMPLETELY

This is why we're telling you to pick only one online dating site to start with. Profiles take time to complete and you want to be as thorough as possible. If you're a terrible typist, enlist the help of a keyboard wiz friend to help you through the profile building process. You can talk while they type and thus speed the process along. However - don't discount the value of a completely filled-out profile. It lets those searching know that you care enough about the dating process to put in the effort. Nothing but upside!

Online Dating Tip #3: Snap a Photo

It's OK if it's one in front of your computer - just make sure it's recent and clear! This is why we recommend that you start the online dating profile process with a buddy (because those self-portrait shots are SOOO awesome). Do your best to try and put up at least three different shots in your profile but don't take them all in front of the closet door. Try different rooms, a different shirt or head to your local park. If you can, make one a bit goofy - it shows you're human!

Online Dating Tip #4: Set Up a Special Email Account

Don't send your online dating emails to your regular personal or work email account. Go to Hotmail, Yahoo! or Gmail and set up an account specifically for your online dating site communications. This does a couple different things. It keeps you from being distracted during your work day, it prevents the inadvertent release of your private or work account to someone and it keeps your regular inbox clear of messages until you're ready to look at them.

Online Dating Tip #5: Invest!

It takes time to get into the swing of the online dating scene, so if you don't invest the time, you're unlikely to see any results. It's not unlike retirement. If you don't put money away, you won't have any! So check your email and messages regularly, perform new searches, look at new profiles. You're telling yourself that it's AOK to be where you are and be in search of someone to add to your life. People like that don't fall from the sky - engage, have a dialogue, and know that everyone you have coffee with isn't going to be a prince or princess. That makes finding the special one all the more special, though!

For the number one recommended dating site by singles, read our review of Match.com.