Is Online Dating a Good Choice for You?
October 9, 2009 by KimLance · Leave a Comment
Online dating has quickly become the number one choice for singles to meet people to date. The online dating industry has been continually growing in popularity and for good reason. If you are on the fence about whether to try out online dating as a way to find romance, consider these five positive reasons why using an online dating service might be a good choice for you.
1. Greater Choice
A single utilizing an online dating service has a better choice of potential matches than a single using more traditional dating methods like the local bar or coffee shop. With online dating you are allowed to browse through several profiles looking for that special someone. When you head to the corner coffee shop you only have a chance of meeting a handful of single people, and sometimes never meet anyone at all. With online dating you have greatly increased your chances of finding someone interesting.
2. Get What You Want
Many online dating services allow you to search through profiles based on certain key phrases or through a filtering process. By only looking through profiles that have the word “Christian” or “sports fan” in them, you have an increased chance in finding someone that shares your views and interests and eliminated those that don’t. When you meet a man or woman at a bar, you have no way of telling right off the bat if they are Christian or Atheist, a San Diego Charger’s fan or if they think that football is a violent sport. By using search functions and filtering on online dating services to identify profiles of potential matches, you can eliminate the time spent looking through profiles of people that do not share your interests.
3. Personal Info Can Stay Private
A great thing about online dating is its anonymity. When initiating contact with someone you have been attracted to online, you don’t have to give out any personal information…not even your email address. You can take time to really get to know a person before giving out personal information like your phone number, unlike other forms of meeting people. If you meet someone at a singles spot, you are forced to give away your phone number in order to keep in contact, even if you have just met the person and don’t know enough about him or her to know if they have good intentions.
4. Fears and Embarrassment Can Be Reduced
If you decide to contact someone though email you can take the time to really plan out what you want to say to that person with online dating. If you see someone across the room and try to approach them, sometimes nerves and embarrassment can get the best of you. You may have planned out what you were going to say, but when you approach it all gets flustered coming out of your mouth. With online dating you can sit down and think about your email, read it over a couple times, and send it knowing that you have expressed yourself to the best of your ability. The social awkwardness that can come with approaching someone on the fly in person is virtually eliminated.
5. It’s a One on One Experience
At a bar, club, coffee shop, or other traditional singles meeting place, it is almost impossible to make a personal connection with someone you are interested in. There is active competition for attention at these social gatherings and a one on one interaction can be very hard to come by. With online dating it is personal right from the beginning. You communicate one on one in a private email conversation with the person you are interested in and are able to form a personal connection right off the bat, rather than compete in a room full of other single guys and gals all out for the same goal.
For singles fed up with the traditional dating scene, and looking for a change, online dating may be the way to go. You can meet more people with similar interests without sharing personal information and, once you find the perfect profile, you can form an immediate personal connection. It is certainly worth a try.
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Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.
This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.
Winter Date Ideas
October 2, 2009 by KimLance · Leave a Comment
By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine
The warm days of summer provide the perfect conditions for exciting romance and fun outdoor date ideas, but as the seasons change and the winter winds pick up, many couples may find it more difficult to come up with exciting date ideas when its cold, rainy, and, sometimes, snowy outside. Here are five winter date ideas to help keep those warm feelings between you and your sweetie burning even when it isn’t warm outside.
Winter Date Idea #1: Ice Skating
Wrap up in scarves and gloves and take your partner to the local ice rink for some fun winter-time exercise. Due to the cold weather, you and your loved one may have given up some of the outdoor date activities that would bring you together during warmer months. Don’t give up on outdoor activities just because its winter. Ice skating can be romantic (holding hands, picking her up when she falls) as well as great outdoor exercise.
Winter Date Idea #2: Christmas Light Gazing
Take advantage of all of the holiday house decorating during the Christmas season by planning a date to drive around your neighborhood looking at Christmas lights. You can keep warm in your car, listening to Christmas music or romantic tunes and share the joy of brightly lit houses with sparkling colorful lights and festive decorations.
Winter Date Idea #3: Snuggling By The Fire
What is more romantic than gathering under some warm blankets in front of a blazing fire? If you have a fireplace in your house or apartment, make a date with your partner to spend some cuddle time in front of a fire. You can make hot chocolate and keep warm by the fire at home or, if you don’t have access to a fireplace at your own home, go to a café or lodge with a fireplace and share a dessert and coffee while enjoying the warmth of the fire.
Winter Date Idea #4: Holiday Gift Shopping
Holiday gift shopping can be a stressful activity, but it doesn’t have to be. You can turn your holiday gift shopping into a fun couples activity. The key is to keep it light hearted. Plan a day of shopping in your favorite mall or shopping center, with a lunch break in between in order to sit and unwind a bit. Go with the intention of browsing around for gifts, picking up things here or there – don’t go with an agenda to find everything you are looking for…this could lead to stress or anxiety. Make sure you plan your shopping date far in advance of when you will be giving the gifts, so that you can take your time while you and your partner look around.
Winter Date Idea #5: Have a Snow Fight
Wrap yourself up in a heavy jacket, lace up your snow boots, and venture outside into the snow for the day. You and your loved one can spend the day building snowmen, making snow angels, and having playful snowball fights. Enjoy the snow while you can, it doesn’t stick around all year, after all. It’s a great way to get exercise and afterwards you can head indoors for some hot cocoa.
Remember, just because the weather turns cold, it doesn’t mean your dates have to loose their warmth. You can have a fun and romantic time with your partner even when it’s snowy, stormy, or icy. Take advantage of the winter weather with fun in the snow and ice skating, keep warm in front of the fire, and participate in holiday activities like shopping and Christmas light gazing and your winter is sure to be full of warm and happy memories with your sweetheart.
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Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.
This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.
Three Tips for Online Dating Success
October 1, 2009 by KimLance · Leave a Comment
By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine
New to the online dating scene? Well, believe it or not, online dating can be just as competitive, if not more so, than traditional dating. Don’t let that discourage you, however. Many people have found a date, and often marriage, through online dating services. There are tips and strategies that can help you get your profile noticed over your competition. Here are three strategic steps you can take that can give your profile the look and feel it needs to attract the kind of people you would love to meet.
Tip 1: Pick the Perfect Profile Photo
Your photo is one of the most important factors that will attract people to your profile. First and foremost, make sure you have a recent picture. Sure that picture of you in the bikini while on college spring break back in 1995 may be cute, but when your date meets you expecting you to look like you did in college, your date will be disappointed. This can create mistrust and cause your date to feel upset and deceived. This is never a good thing when trying to start a relationship.
Also, pick a photo that will show off your best features. Make sure you are wearing a friendly smile, it will be much more inviting than a serious pose or, obviously, a frown. Always avoid photos where you are with another person, or, worse yet, you have chopped the other person out of the photo, only to leave behind a mysterious arm. Your date may be confused by which person is actually you or wonder who the “mysterious arm” belongs to.
Tip 2: Use Your Username to Reveal Your Interests
You may think your username is just your way to log in to your online dating service, but this isn’t the case. Your username is one of the first things that someone will read about you and a good username can mean the difference between a profile view and a profile pass up. A common technique is to go with the traditional anonymous username like “Jenny321” but why miss out on a key opportunity to catch someone’s attention or reveal a bit about yourself?
Make your username original and make it say a little something about your personality. Pick “SweetSinger” as your username if your hobby is singing or “DodgersDude” if your an avid Dodgers fan looking for company. Your clever username will not only share a little bit about your personality or interests, but can also attract people with the same interests. But be careful not to give the wrong impression. Just because you interpret the username “FunLovin” to mean you love to have fun, the person viewing your profile may think “FunLovin” means you are looking for some fun lovin’, if you know what I mean.
Tip 3: Don’t Say It, Prove It! And Be Specific
When developing your profile description, you may be tempted to write something like “I’m funny and smart with a good sense of humor.” This is simply a boring list of adjectives… the same adjectives that are showing up on thousands of other profiles. If you want your profile to really stand out, you need to describe yourself through specifics.
Instead of saying you are “funny” or have a “good sense of humor”, make your profile funny. Crack a couple of tasteful jokes or relate a funny incident. This will prove to your viewer what sort of sense of humor you have. If your sense of humor is attractive to that viewer, they will contact you. Rather than just stating that you are “smart”, list your favorite books or your interests that would prove to your viewer how smart you are. This will also give your viewer some specific examples that he or she will be able to relate to directly.
Remember, just because you have a profile up, doesn’t necessarily mean you will immediately get responses. These three tips will certainly help, but play around with the contents of your profile until you start getting the results you want. If no one is responding to your list of interests, put up some new ones. Switch your photos every once in a while to see what sort of response you receive. As you experiment with your online dating profile, you will hopefully begin to find the responses you have been looking for.
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Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.
This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.
What Every Man Should Avoid on the First Date
September 23, 2009 by KimLance · Leave a Comment
By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine
First dates can be scary for both men and women, particularly when it comes to making that good first impression. While your first date will most likely go off without a hitch, there are some things every man should avoid when taking a woman out for a first date.
Don’t Ever Show Up Late
Being punctual for a first date is an absolute must. Showing up to your date late will give your date the wrong impression. She may get the impression that you are always tardy, that you don’t care enough about her to show up on time, or, until you arrive, she may think she has been stood up. In any case, it is bound to put her in a bad mood and may give a sour note to the beginning of your date. If you have to show up late because of forces beyond your control, make sure you call your date to let her know or, if one of you does not have a cell phone, call the restaurant or meeting place so that they can let her know.
Don’t Show Up Disheveled and Dirty
It is important to give yourself enough time before the date to freshen up and look your best. If you show up to a first date looking shaggy, unkept, and smelling funky, your date will get the wrong impression about you. Your date may think you look this way all the time and immediately be turned off. Give yourself plenty of time to shower, shave, and iron your clothes. That extra half an hour could be the time you needed to give yourself the attractive edge your date has been looking for, and remember, not having the time to get cleaned up for a date could be detrimental to its outcome. A well groomed nicely dressed man will win out over a stinky slob every time.
Don’t Check Out Other Women In Front of Her
When you go on a date with a woman, you have committed yourself to her for the period of the date. Because of this, it is absolutely out of line to be checking out other women while you are on a date. This is rude and unacceptable. Constantly being distracted by other woman walking by will most likely make your date insecure and definitely doesn’t give her the impression that you are interested in her. If you are constantly looking over her shoulder at the hot blonde at the next table, one of two things are practically guaranteed to happen: 1) Your date will feel very bad about herself, thinking she is unattractive or unwanted, or 2) Your date will get extremely angry and annoyed with you, making for a bad drive home and a diminished chance of a second date.
Don’t Dominate the Conversation
When on a first date, you may feel the need to impress your girl with stories and interesting tidbits about you. That’s great, but don’t go overboard. Remember a conversation is between two people, not one person talking at another. It’s a great idea to share some intriguing stories and thoughts with your date, but make sure you are giving her enough time to equally participate in the conversation. Ask her questions about herself, this will show her that you are interested about her as a person and will give you the opportunity to learn more about her.
Don’t Whine and Complain
Yes, we have all had our bad days, but a date (especially a first date) is not the place to air all of your grievances. Chances are, your date is expecting to have a good, fun time when she meets up with you. If she is greeted with a “Gosh traffic was such a pain…I hate this town” she will immediately be turned off. Complaining sets the tone for a stressful, unhappy date. Even if you have had a taxing day, don’t spend the night whining about it. Just be happy to be spending time with the woman you are interested in. Smiles are contagious but so are frowns. Whether you know it or not, your bad mood could affect your date and how she feels about you. You want your date to remember you as funny and upbeat, not a downer.
Don’t Be Too Physically Aggressive
It is very important to read into signals your date gives you before going in for a kiss (or more). Don’t automatically think that just because you have had a good date that your date is ready take your physical relationship to the next level. If you are interested in kissing your date, start off with hand holding, a hug, and slowly build up to a kiss. Always respect your date’s wishes. If she says no to any physical advancement, take her response at face value and back off. A man who is too aggressive when it comes to intimacy can turn a woman off and could actually make the woman afraid or anxious.
Don’t Tell Her You’ll Call Her If You Don’t Intend To
Telling a woman “I’ll call you” when you don’t intend to do so is a bad idea. If the woman was interested in a second date with you, her disappointment will only be magnified if she waits around for your call only to learn that you never had any intention of calling for a second date. If you don’t want to call her, just end the date by saying “It was nice meeting you” or a simple “Good bye, have a nice rest of the evening”. This way you are not leading her on or getting her expectations up. On a reverse note, if you do want to arrange a second date, make sure you let her know.
Planning for first dates can be nerve-wracking, but following some simple guidelines while on the date will help to ensure the best date possible. If you are friendly, on time, respectful, and attentive, chances are you and your date will have a great time and, if the attraction is mutual, your first date could be the start of a beautiful relationship.
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Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.
This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.
Impress Your Date – Dress for Success
September 22, 2009 by KimLance · Leave a Comment
By Kim Lance, Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. It’s true that most people make instant, often subconscious, judgments about someone’s personality based on the first few seconds of their first meeting. Because of this fact, it is vitally important to look and dress your best when meeting for a first date. Appropriate attire, good grooming, and fashionable style can really impress someone on a first date, and may be the make-or-break factor regarding how they would feel about a second date. Here are some tips to help you look your best when trying to impress.
Learn to Look Your Best
If you do not have an inert sense of style, you may need to do a little bit of research in order to find out what looks best fit your body type, complexion, and personality. A good way to find out what colors look best on you is to have a color analysis done. Visit a reputable spa or salon that can perform a color analysis on you and find out which colors work best with our completion. Based on the analysis, go out and buy some outfits that work within your compatible color scheme.
Another way to find out what outfits, make-up, and fashion choices look best on you is to keep track of what your friends, family, and co-workers are saying about you. If your best friend keeps commenting about how good you look when you wear a particular color, make note of that and wear that color on your date. If co-workers rave about your new haircut or outfit, it’s a good sign that that haircut or outfit is flattering on you and would be a good choice for a first date.
You can also take a friend that you consider to be stylish out shopping with you for your date outfit. It may also be a good idea to read through some fashion magazines to keep up-to-date on trends and purchase dating clothes based on recommendations. Make sure you wear your new outfit out in public before you go on the date to see what sort of reaction you get from your peers. Don’t experiment with something brand new on your first date.
Be Subtle – Less is More
Don’t go overboard when getting ready for your date. We all want to look our best, but nerves may cause you to go a bit too far with your make-up, clothes, or fragrance. Remember, subtle make-up that emphasizes your best facial features can make a better impression than trying to hide your flaws with heavy make up and bright lipstick or blush.
It is also important to go easy on the clothing accessories and jewelry. Nice earrings, a handsome watch, or tasteful necklace can help emphasize a person’s beauty and style, but heavy gold chains, rings on every finger, and gaudy bracelets can actually distract a date from recognizing your natural beauty.
When wearing cologne or perfume, don’t drench yourself in your fragrance! In order to avoid being overbearing with your fragrance, spray the cologne or perfume in front of you before dressing and then walk into the spray. This will give a subtle hint of fragrance without an overpowering aroma.
Dating Fashion Dos and Don’ts to Always Remember
Here are a few fashion tips you should always abide by when going on a date:
1. Have clean, nicely manicured hands, well-groomed facial hair, and a clean haircut.
2. Wear clothes that fit and flatter you, avoid anything too baggy (it could make you look fat or frumpy) and stay away from anything too tight or restricting.
3. Dress appropriately for the occasion, stay away from tank tops and sandals (even if it is your usual style) if you and your date are attending a dinner party
And here are some things you should avoid when dressing to impress on a first date:
1. Don’t wear brand new shoes or an outfit you are not comfortable in as new shoes have the potential to really hurt your feet if they are not broken in properly and, if you are continually adjusting your tie or collar because you are not comfortable in a suit, you will turn off your date.
2. Avoid heavy make-up and outrageous outfits, they take away from who you really are and your natural beauty.
3. Don’t try to be too trendy; you may not be able to pull it off. If you want to experiment with your look, do it before the date and get feedback as to whether or not the look works for you.
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Kim Lance is the Associate Publisher of Online Dating Magazine, an Internet publication covering online dating through news, reviews, experiences, interviews, and articles.
This article is copyright and may not be republished. Used with permission.
Online Dating Tips For Women – A Must Read
September 20, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Online dating is a great way to find a potential partner these days, especially for women. Online dating helps to filter out nasty, offensive guys or those who would normally go out of their way to take advantage of women. The great thing about online dating in this respect is that it allows a woman to have that ability to choose whom she will meet. A note here, it is very important to take the utmost care when creating both your profile and your photo so that you don’t give the wrong impression to prospective dates.
So here are some online dating tips for women. A knowledge of what should be avoided may determine the success of meeting the partner of your dreams.
Firstly, to avoid any misconceptions, ensure that your profile includes a recent picture, try to avoid posting a picture that is five to ten years old as your appearance may have changed considerably in that period of time. It really does pay to be honest about your appearance from the start, as this can avoid disappointment on your first date, and also this will haelp to understand the real intention of your prospective date.
When you write your profile, stating your personal information, remember to always keep it simple and basic. Make it appear as though you are answering the question as it is. Try to avoid articulate words or statements that reveal too much emotion. This could send a lot of guys running for the hills, as self absorbed girls can be ‘high maintenance’ in the eyes of a lot of guys.
If you are getting involved in online dating for the purpose of settling down and starting a family, it is very important not to appear too forward about this in your dating profile as many men may be put off by the fact that you may be too serious about prospect of marriage.
If on the other hand you are just looking for a date, and just want to see where it going to go, don’t hold back from stating this in your profile. A lot of guys are looking for this too, and like you, would like to get to know you before making any long term commitments.
So the great advantage of online dating is that you have the opportunity to get to know your date before you actually meet in person, and in most cases this will result in a memorable first date with most of the first bases covered.
Free Online Dating Tips – Everything You Need to Know
August 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
With the advent of the internet comes innovative ways to meet your significant partner. Dating has evolved into online dating. The meeting and getting to know phase are usually done on the web via email or live chat sites instead of face to face. This kind of acquaintance has its pro’s and con’s. It can help to prevent you from dating someone you do not like or it can help you to get to know your potential partner first before pursuing commitment.
However, dating online does not always end up happily ever after. It is wise to be cautious and check out free online dating tips available. The internet offers tips that could help to ensure that your online dating is a success.
Among the popular tips you can find on the net have to do with setting up your dating profile. Online dating requires a participant to have a profile that lists biographies and other useful information to help people get to know you better. This profile should be completed and answered truthfully. This will help other people to decide whether or not you are a good match for them, so take the time to answer each question carefully.
Posting a good photo of yourself is also an important factor for online dating. Pictures should be current. As much as possible, post pictures that have similar angles so as not to confuse the person that is checking you out. Also, be sure that the photos you post are of yourself, not of your pets, house, or friends. Being honest about your appearance is a good start to an online dating relationship, when the time comes to meeting face to face, at least your partner will know what you really look like.
When meeting up with someone that you found online, be extra cautious. Even if you have been dating online for quite sometime, a person’s reaction and attitude can be very different upfront. It is safe to meet in public. Make it brief and if possible, ask a friend to come with you. Get a feel for the person you are meeting, try to decide if you are going to be compatible. Don’t be in a rush to reveal too many personal details about your self until you get to know your date very well, keep the thought in the back of your mind that there are many people who are doing this just to take advantage of you, let your new date prove otherwise.
As long as you exercise caution and common sense, online dating can be a whole lot of fun, you may end up finding your soulmate, who you’ve been searching for all those years, or you could find the passionate lover that was missing in your life, igniting the fire inside you that had all but burned out. Starting out on a new romance can be so exciting, like setting off on a new adventure exploring new places that you had so long dreamed of.