While some resolved to actually use their expensive gym memberships and others resolved to spend more time with family in 2015, you resolved to double down on your online dating efforts.

The key to keeping any resolution to is to be smart about setting your goals. Saying “I want to find love this year” sounds nice, but what does it really mean? What steps will you take to get there? It's unclear when a goal is so general.

Instead, you need to set specific goals by working backwards. If the ultimate aim is finding love, start planning the particular steps that are going to get you there. For instance, “Join an online dating site.” If you haven't done that yet, that's a simple first step that is specific (you could even mention the exact dating site), easy to take action on, and measurable (as in, you can tell when it's completed). The more your goals follow those parameters, the easier you will find it to reach them.

Let's talk about some of the goals you could set this year:

• Choose 3-5 first date spots. The first date is an intimidating experience no matter what, but picking a setting that's familiar can help reduce your anxiety. Have a few go-to spots in mind so you're always ready with a venue that's comforting and relaxing.
• Plan conversation starters. I'm not saying your whole interaction should be canned, but it doesn't hurt to have a few conversation starters for when things get awkward. OkCupid's research has found that the 3 best questions to determine long-term potential are: Do you like horror moves? Have you ever traveled around another country alone? Wouldn't it be fun to chuck it all and go live on a sailboat?
• Follow up like the adult you are. That means two things. First, follow up no more than 3 days after a date (but realistically, the 3 day rule is silly – why not day 1 or 2?). Second, if you're not interested in seeing your date again, inform them politely. Don't pull a childish disappearing act.
• Upload new pictures. How current are the photos on your online dating profile right now? If the newest picture is a year old, it's time for a refresh. Make sure you go for variety – a close-up, a full-body shot, and snaps that show a little more about who you are and what you're into.
• Reread your profile. Most people write it once and never think about it again. It's not the worst possible approach, if you put a lot of thought into it the first time around, but it's not the best either. You grow and change, and your profile should to. Read it through and make sure it reflects who you are now, in 2015.

What are your dating resolutions for 2015?

Recipient
Christian Mingle

For 2014 Christian Mingle is the recipient of the Editor's Top Pick - Christian Award. This dating site is the largest Christian oriented dating service in the world. With the tag line “Find God’s Match for You” this service offers all the features you would expect of a dating site but with the focus on Christian religions.

Christian Mingle is very popular in the United States and Canada. You can access the service either via your internet browser (on your laptop or phone) or by their brand new redesigned Android app. The app offers all of the dating features found on their website including browsing member profiles, creating your profile and uploading photos, chatting with members, and viewing lists like your favorites and who has viewed you. In your profile you can also specify what Church denomination you grew up with and what type of Church you currently attend. You may also specify how often you attend Church. One nice search feature Christian Mingle has is the ability to search for new members or recently updated profiles, since your last time you logged in.

Christian Mingle’s reputation is important to them. They are a BBB Accredited Business and have been a member since 1999. Their current rating with the Better Business Bureau is an A minus. Christian Mingle also cares what their members think and have answered most reviews about their dating app at the Google Play Store with thoughtful responses and tips so that the members can get the most out of their online dating experiences.

The free version of Christian Mingle allows you to create a profile, view your lists and search for members. To make contact with members via email or instant messaging your will have to upgrade your membership by paying a small monthly fee.

Read our review of Christian Mingle for more information about this dating service or visit Christian Mingle directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is: Christian Cafe

The most important aspect of your online dating profile is the photo. While visual-based dating apps like Tinder have made the photo the only determining factor in whether to swipe left or right, photos have always played a crucial role in how many times your profile gets viewed and by whom.

Does this seem shallow, or turn you off of online dating altogether? It shouldn’t. Let’s face it – when you meet someone in real life, the first thing you notice is what he or she looks like. The difference is, while you might not initially be attracted physically, having a chance to interact in person could change your opinion. Chemistry is elusive – you might want it with someone who looks a certain way, but actually have it with another who isn’t your type. But you don’t know until you meet face-to-face.

Which is why you want to give yourself the best advantage by including photos that will make people stop and take a second look at your profile, regardless of whether or not you feel you look like a model. The point is – you want to get to the actual in-person meeting to make that determination. But you have to get past the screening process first – a.k.a., the photos.

Here are some tips:

Accentuate your unique features – even the ones you don’t like. Think your unruly hair will turn people off? Think again. OkCupid did a study, and as it turns out, online daters have really varied tastes! Most are interested in people with unusual features rather than just ordinarily attractive features – so emphasize your curvy hips or regal nose. It will get you more attention.

Look into the camera. Most people prefer online dating prospects to look at the camera, and to smile. It looks much more inviting and engaging.

More is more. Posting a slew of selfies isn’t a great way to create your online dating profile, but you do want to post more rather than fewer photos. Have a friend take some varied shots that you can sort through later. Go outside where the best light is, and where you can have a little more fun with the camera.

Vary your poses, and do a close-up. You might not be comfortable in front of a camera, but you don’t want to make potential dates work hard to figure out what you look like. Embrace a close-up photo so your face is clear, and incorporate a body shot so you don’t look like you are trying to hide. Don’t pose with friends – this is a solo act.

Show your active side. Do you like to climb rocks, play volleyball, or strum a guitar? You’re much more likely to get messages if you have a visual of what you love to do.

Show your playful side. A big trend in online dating is to not take yourself so seriously. You are looking to meet people and have a good time, so it’s good to be a bit more playful and creative with your photos. People want to see your personality up front – so do that silly pose. Have more fun.

It was really only a matter of time.

Beards have become such an integral part of pop culture it's almost surprising this hasn't happened sooner. Finally, the world has a dating app for men with beards and those who love them. The app is called Bristlr, because we now live in an era when E is an uncool vowel.

On the surface, Bristlr is exactly what you think it is. The app is a slightly tongue-in-cheek service that taps into the hipster/lumbersexual thing that's happening right now, and has no problem laughing at itself. The description of how Bristlr works is simply:

• Tell us where you are, and if you have a beard
• Got a beard? We find people looking for beards
• Want a beard? We find people with beards worth looking for
• Send messages to people you like and who like you
• Your life now contains more beard love, you're welcome

And then there's the to-the-point explanation of what Bristlr is: “There are many people with beards who like to have them stroked. And there are many people who don’t have beards, but would like to stroke them. Bristlr is the link between the two.”

And let's not forget the handy FAQ answer to “Is this a joke?” which reads: “In the sense that it’s a little ridiculous, yes. But Bristlr is a real thing being made.”

So yeah, it's a little funny. And Bristlr knows it's a little funny. And that's why it stands to be totally great.

Actually, it's just one of the reasons Bristlr could be your new favorite dating site. Although the premise is just the slightest bit silly, Bristlr is taking on some issues that are absolutely serious. Chief among them is the problem of spam. No matter who you are or what dating services you've used, you're bound to have come across the kind of lame, boring, generic messages that you know have been copy/pasted to tons of other people.

But not on Bristlr, because Bristlr informs you when a message has been sent to other people, as well as how many other people it's been sent to. It isn't complicated functionality to make, but Bristlr is one of – if not the – first to actually do it. Cool, right?

In addition to that handy little tool, Bristlr also lets users grade the quality of the messages they receive. If people regularly rate you highly, indicating that you spend a thoughtful amount of time on your messages, you'll receive a little star on your profile.

Founder John Kershaw says he's also considering adding Facebook-style status updates to the site, to encourage even more personality, honesty and transparency.

Honesty and transparency on dating sites? Yes, apparently it is possible. Thanks, Bristlr.

Are you debating joining an online dating site? You’re in luck. Now’s the best time to take the plunge.

According to Zoosk, Match.com and Plenty of Fish (the sites that arguably see the most traffic), the Sunday after New Year’s is the biggest day of the year for online dating – with more people logging in and signing up than any other time. While that day has come and gone – at least for 2015 - the excitement hasn’t. The days between New Year’s Day and February 14^th are the peak days of the year for online dating, so it’s not too late.

As it turns out, there’s something about this time of the year that causes people to make changes in their lives, or at least try something new. According to Facebook, January is the month when we see the most relationship status changes (and coincidentally when the most divorce papers are filed). On the flip side, the peak season for engagements is around the holidays, so don’t feel it’s all about “out with the old.”

Another unusual New Years’ trend – there are more conceptions and more condom sales in January than any other time of the year, according to a recent article in The Washington Post. And according to researchers, there’s a post-holiday spike in searches for porn.

While we can attribute it to the post-holiday slump, the weather, or maybe just the thought of the year stretched out in front of us, with summer months so far away – there seems to be something else going on. We want a change. We want our lives to improve. We want more happiness, more excitement, more adventure. We don’t want to feel stuck.

So when the New Year rolls around, we break up with a significant other, we decide to move in with a girlfriend, or we go looking for the right person on an online dating site. We buy gym memberships, take that pilates or yoga class, start that new diet, and in general, try to make some significant changes. The New Year gives us a chance to start again, to wipe the slate clean.

Which is why people might feel more inclined to online date – after all, it takes courage. Perhaps they were waiting for the right time or situation. Or maybe they decide this time will be different. Regardless, you’re in good company. You’ll probably run into a lot of other people trying it for the first time – or maybe the first time in a long while.

Happy dating in 2015!

Recipient
Passion.com

The Dating Sites Reviews Editors Top Pick - Sexy Award goes once again to Passion.com. This intimate encounter dating service is part of the FriendFinder Network which also shares it’s member profiles with Adult FriendFinder. In the last 2 years Passion.com has had over 50 million members log into the service and on most nights you will find about 100,000 members online at any one time. Members on this adult site are pretty active as usually over 150,000 new photos are posted every week.

Passion.com offers a free membership which allows you to search and view profiles. To initiate communication with members you will have to pay for a membership (paying members CAN contact free members). A paid membership is also required to view full versions of photos and videos, participate in live video/text chatting and to join groups. Passion.com also offers a 3 month guarantee. If you don’t hookup with someone on the site in 3 months, Passion.com will give you an additional 3 months on your membership at no cost.

Read our review of Passion.com for more information about this dating service or visit Passion.com directly.

There was no runner up in 2014 for this award.