5 Ways to Improve Your Search for an Online Date

If you’re new to online dating then you might wonder why you have to include so much information, and why there are so many specific options when you want to search for a date. If you’re an old hat at online dating, you might be tempted to stick to your usual search settings. However, you can search for dates in so many ways, and many of them remain unexplored. By not experimenting with search options, you can really limit the size of your net, therefore catching fewer fish (or, as they probably prefer to be called, members).

So, here are some of our top tips for improving the effectiveness of your search for a date online…

1: Complete your profile

So many people leave an incomplete profile page. We understand that it can take a while to fill out all the information, and sometimes you might not wish to include certain details, but the more information you provide, the more likely you are to find compatible dates. This is a sort of reverse-search option, but it’s such an easy one to fix. Add more information about yourself, and you should find that you receive more interest from other members as they browse the site. Many dating sites use algorithms to help find you in search results, so if you don’t include data for those algorithms then you won’t appear in their results. Simple!

2: Change your preferences

When searching, it can be really tempting to tick all the boxes for your ideal traits. Being really specific has its uses, but you’re also limiting the possible results you’ll receive. It’s worth altering these now and then. Think about it, people change over time. Their interests change, their jobs and income change, their hair colour changes. If you only ever look for the same few traits, you could miss out on a whole bunch of members who would actually be really well suited to you. And who knows, perhaps you’ll find someone who surprises you because they weren’t exactly your “ideal type” to begin with.

3: Talk on forums

Online dating websites go to a lot of effort to provide different ways of communicating with members. Forums are a feature which is often ignored, and it’s a real shame. Forums allow you to meet and talk to members based on a shared interest. They can have a more organic, conversational feel than direct messages because you’re chatting in a group. If you happen to feel a spark with one or two members whilst you all chat about anime or cooking, for example, you can then contact them personally. The added bonus here is that they already feel they know you, so you’ve got plenty to talk about and have already established a positive connection.

4: Try a wildcard

Rather than always searching for, and approaching, the same sorts of people, why not try someone completely different? There are several ways of doing this, including searching for new members, or members who have their birthday today, or members who are playing a particular game, or members who have just uploaded a photo. This keeps things a bit more random because you’re not basing your decision on anything in particular. Remember, variety is the spice of life!

5: Increase your range

If you’re constantly seeing the same names popping up in your search results, you might want to consider the geographical range of your dating net. Whilst it’s completely understandable that you only want to meet local dates, sometimes you’ll find people who live in another area but commute for work, or members don’t mind the occasional trip, or members who are hoping to move into your area soon. What’s more, you can find dates who love travelling, and arrange to visit them on trips, which is a great way to explore the world.

The lowdown

There are lots of ways to mix up your online dating search. Don’t be afraid to try new search options and features, and to look outside of your “ideal” date preferences a little, you never know who you mind find!