5 Successful Online Dating Strategies

Recent statistics reveal that 30 to 40 million people have tried online dating of some form.  Talk about a lot of fish in the sea!  But with all of those great numbers also comes quite a bit of competition between potential dating candidates.  If your internet dating experience has left you feeling a bit of despair, don't delete your profile and throw in the towel just yet.  Here are five strategies for upping your online dating game.

1)  Make sure you are using the right dating site.  There are literally thousands of online dating sites.  We hear all about the biggest ones, but they are not the only sites from which to choose.  There are many interest or niche sites that could be a better fit for you.

2)  How clear and recent is the photograph in your profile?  Or have you included a photo in your profile?  Studies have shown that women who include a photo with their dating profile received twice as many responses as those who did not.  You should have about 3-5 good, clear photos of just yourself, smiling, with at least one full body shot of yourself nicely attired. No selfies or pictures taken of yourself in a mirror; it can send the wrong messages. For example, that you didn't care enough to have photos taken properly, or that you have no friends to help by taking your photo. It is important that potential dates get a clear idea of what you look like; blurry, distant and dark photos give the impression you're hiding something.

3)  Make your profile stand out by being positive and sounding interested in getting to know potential dates.  Rather than a laundry list of what you want in a man, why not approach it from the angle of the interests of a potential date. For example, you may want to ask if they like vintage muscle cars or swap meets. Or you can ask what their all time favorite book, movie or band might be. Instead of saying in your profile that you like to travel, you could ask for a man's dream travel destinations. This type of profile shows that you are interested in others, and hints at your own interests while drawing the other person out.

4)  Be interesting and creative in your profile. Instead of saying you enjoy travel, tell what your favorite destination has been up to this point. Don't just say you are into foreign films, give the name of your favorite film or director.  Mention some clever items on your "bucket list" and say you are looking for a partner in crime to help you accomplish them.

5)  Be more flexible in your dating parameters. Opening up to dating persons who are a bit younger and older than what is now listed on your profile can give you a whole new range of possibilities.  Age is only a number.  The same is true of your dating area. Going from daters within only a 50 mile radius up to a 100 mile radius makes sense.  Who's to say the man of your dreams doesn't live within a 53 mile radius and happens to be one year older than your original age preference?  Stranger things have happened.