Online Dating Checklist New Year

Online Dating

Your Online Dating Checklist for the New Year

Julie Spira

Written by: Julie Spira

Julie Spira

Julie Spira is a leading online dating expert and founder of CyberDatingExpert.com. She’s the bestselling author of "The Perils of Cyber-Dating" and creates irresistible profiles for singles. Follow @JulieSpira or connect on Instagram.

See full bio »

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

Discuss This! Discuss This!
Advertiser Disclosure

By now, most singles have been receiving numerous emails from online dating sites to encourage them to sign up in January, known as the busiest time of the year.

For many, holiday romances fizzled or they found themselves flying solo on New Year’s.

Still with snowstorms and chilly weather in some locales, singles are looking to snuggle up as we head into the love cycle leading into Valentine’s Day.

Here are some ways to get noticed as one in 40 million:

1. Use a recent photo.

Look at some photos on Facebook and find ones that are recent where you’re smiling.

2. Ditch selfies.

Nix any selfies as studies show the reply rate is lower.

3. Avoid clichés.

Dump the clichés of beach walks, work hard and play hard and looking for your soul mate.

4. Be specific.

Be specific in what you enjoy doing. Everyone wants to laugh and go to the movies, but did watching “Curb Your Enthusiasm” make you laugh? If so, add it to your profile.

5. Don’t make it all about you.

Let your date know what life would be like if you were on a date together and list things you’d enjoy doing as a couple.

6. Don’t focus on your job.

For the ladies, leave the boardroom out of the profile. Talk about what you like about your work, but let your feminine energy show.

Otherwise, the guys can just hang out and grab a beer with guys instead of wanting a date with you.

“Writing a novel about your

life just won’t get read.”

7. Keep it short.

Make sure your bio section only contains 100 to 150 words.

It also sends a message that you might be a high drama person, definitely a turn-off to a potential date or mate.

Remember, you need to leave something for the phone conversation or first date. Dating is a fun process, not a race to the finish line.

8. Ask questions in your profile.

This allows your potential date to start engaging with you and brings personality to your profile.

Mention a place you’d like to visit and simply ask, “Have you ever been there?”

9. Keep your profile updated.

Update your profile weekly to increase your chances of showing up in a search. If you post daily on Facebook to have a fresh page, you shouldn’t have a stagnant profile.

10. Get organized.

Online dating can be overwhelming if you’re sending and receiving dozens and dozens of emails every day.

I recommend creating an excel spreadsheet to jot down details of your date, so when he or she calls, you’re prepared and don’t seem like a serial dater.

If you need some hand-holding and are feeling overwhelmed, let me know how I can help you find love online in 2014.

Photo: businessinsider.com

Advertiser Disclosure

DatingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation from many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). DatingAdvice.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.

Our Editorial Review Policy

Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.