Enter Love with online dating. Photo: gunnar3000 / Bigstock.com
By Jessica Smith
The World Wide Web offers us an unending sea of possibilities, and people aren’t hesitating to take advantage of the dating scene that the Internet has to offer. Many of us lead busy and hectic lives, and it can seem impossible to meet someone worth dating on your own, so the convenience of dating sites can make finding “the one” easier. Of course, you can flirt with people online by sending smiley faces or winks, but all body language and human contact is lost. That said, even though you may not be able to charm your possible love interest physically, here are some ways to flirt online while simultaneously keeping your cool:
Disappointed woman laying down and thinking. Photo: fabianaponzi / Bigstock.com
By Debbie Lamedman
When you’re dating online, you never know to whom you’re talking. It’s a voice in the dark. All you see is someone’s profile and a picture, and if you contact them and there’s no response, you move on. It’s a rejection, but there’s no reason to take it personally. How can you when the person you’ve attempted to contact doesn’t even know you? Well, that’s easier said than done.
Britney Spears recently got engaged again, this time to Jason Trawick. You can bet that she dealt with rejection upon the termination of all of her previous relationships, but she is persevering. People get rejected right and left, especially when they date online. If you start to let it get to you, it will take a toll. It becomes more difficult when you’ve actually made contact with the person and suddenly that contact between you ceases. This happens often, and there is logical reason for it. You can make up stories about why the person stopped returning your emails after many lively conversations, but you will never know the real reason unless they reappear in your inbox. You never know what’s going on in someone else’s life, and you never know what someone’s motivation is for starting to date online. That said, there are definitely ways to deal with rejection.
When I received the opportunity to try out HowAboutWe.com, I was a bit skeptical. But only a few days after posting my profile, I started to receive interest from men in my inbox. Most of the members who messaged me used a feature called, ‘I’m Intrigued.’ It was flattering to be ‘intrigued’ by people but nothing more really came of it. After a while, it felt like a cop-out and the connections began to feel sterile and less intimate.
A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to try out the new dating site, HowAboutWe.com. My experience in the online dating world isn’t all that extensive, I’ve registered for a few sites in the past but didn’t have much luck. So, when the opportunity came my way to try out HowAboutWe.com, I was excited to explore a new option but didn’t hold much hope that it would be successful.
Happy couple sitting outside. Photo: Subbotina Anna / Bigstock.com
By Rebecca VanderMeulen, GalTime.com
Is your smartphone the first thing to greet you in the morning and the last thing you see at night?
“If you’re a power user of your smartphone, you should definitely use it in your dating life,” says Laurie Davis, founder of online dating consultant eFlirt Expert.Given how indispensable mobile apps are these days, it’s no surprise that there are tons of applications to help you find a dating partner and plan a rendezvous. Pretty much every dating site has its own mobile app, Davis says. Besides that, you can download apps designed just to manage your dating life. “More people are spending time on their smartphones,” author and online dating expert Julie Spira tells us. “Mobile dating apps make it more convenient to meet someone while you’re on the go and are rapidly growing in popularity.”
Our experts say there are so many to choose from, but here are some of the newest choices:
HowAboutWe
Instead of scrolling through ubiquitous profiles of singles who like baseball and long walks on the beach, why not vet them based on what they suggest doing for fun? Spira says this app does just that. Here’s how it works: Post “How about we …” and use your imagination to complete the sentence. Recent examples include, “How about we sit on a park bench and make up conversations for the people we see?” and, “How about we go see a band that neither of us has heard of?” Someone nearby post something that sounds fun? Send a message. That’s it! HowAboutWe’s iPhone app, launched in June, integrates with Foursquare — useful if you’re looking for a happy hour nearby.
Bizzy
Looking for a new place to take that guy you met online? Davis advises checking out Bizzy, a new app (in Beta) available for Android and Apple devices. Like Foursquare, you check into that new coffee shop down the street and rate it. But Bizzy takes things one step further by asking you for your favorite places — like your thoughts on the best food truck, best live music and best salon. The app recommends places you might like based on your answers to these questions, ratings of places you’ve checked out before and preferences of people who share your taste.
PinPointsX
Spira says this is the app for when you’re looking for a hookup. It shows you other members who live nearby, displaying information like their names, ages, height and weight. Of course you can also make a profile complete with a photo and brief, tantalizing bio. Find someone who looks like fun and you can send a message or give him a call. PinPointsX lets you search for men, women and couples. Plus, the app helps you find bars and hotels once you figure out who you want to meet. PinPointsX is available for Apple devices and in the Android Market.
DatingCRM
Ever meet John during happy hour at that funky dive bar, only to confuse him with Jake from the hot club you checked out last weekend? Then you may want to check out DatingCRM, an app that keeps notes on all the potential dates you meet. While a new guy thinks you’re texting, store tidbits about where you met, his favorite beer and what he does for a living. “It’s like a digital black book,” Davis says. Right now DatingCRM is only available in its private beta version since the developers are still working on the details. But this means you have a chance to give them feedback.
Got any others we should know about? Let us know your tip on managing your love life … we want to hear from you!
Clicking to find love. Photo: Kzenon / Bigstock.com
By Lisa Becker
I used to be a little embarrassed to tell others that I used an online dating service. Much like the heroine of my novel, Click: An Online Love Story, I needed some coaxing before I could embrace the experience. But, the more I talked about it, the more I found out that friends and family had met their significant others the exact same way; in fact, according to a 2010 survey, one in five new relationships starts online.
Online dating is a useful tool for young professionals who are busy working and finding it difficult to make the right connection at the gym, bar, coffee shop or grocery aisle. It’s also a great avenue for meeting new people in a relaxed, on-your-own-terms way. People today are married to their cell phones and laptops, so why not use that technology to get hitched while you’re at it, right?
Couple on a coffee date. Photo: AntonioDiaz / Bigstock.com
After spending three months bundled up inside the house and sitting in front of the fireplace, why wouldn’t you be thrilled when spring finally arrives? The best part about this time of the year isn’t just the warm weather or the endless places to visit – there’s tons of new people spending time outdoors. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll find The One while soaking up the sun’s rays.
Since it can be difficult to find a date, HowAboutWe.com suggests these five easy tips to successfully land a date this spring:
In today’s fast-paced world, more and more people rely on technology. Fortunately (or unfortunately), relationships are also caught up in cyberspace. Cavanaugh Lee’s Save as Draft tackles loves latest hurdle – the Internet. Protagonist Izabell Chin is an actress-turned-lawyer struggling to find true love. She soon finds two love interests: Peter, from her law firm, and Marty, from eHarmony. As her relationships with each guy take their course, the reader is privy to an in-depth look at the e-mails and text messages that were never sent. Too honest to reveal, those messages were saved as a draft. As Izabell’s relationships slowly fall apart, the reader is able to understand that though e-mail, texting and online ventures are nearly inescapable during these modern times, it is important to remain honest and always say what needs to be said.
We had a chance to talk to Lee about her past technology-related experiences and her motivation for writing the novel. Here’s what the author had to say:
Give online dating another try. Photo: conrado / Bigstock.com
By Jenna Barbieri
Some people spend Valentine’s Day doing extravagant things with their loved ones, while others spend it alone in front of their computers. Does the latter sound like you? Well, what would you do if I told you that this year, sitting in front of the computer might actually be the start to your ideal Valentine’s Day? Would you think I was lying? Yeah, so would I. Which is why I did some research after hearing all the hype about HowAboutWe.com.
Before I say anything else, let me point out that HowAboutWe is a dating site … but it’s not actually a dating site. Most people are hesitant to attempt online dating, but the only part of the actual dating that takes place on this site is the proposal. According to their homepage, “It’s a site all about dates – inventing dates, scrolling through dates, asking people out and going on the dates you really want to go on.”
Online dating tips. Photo: dolgachov / Bigstock.com
By Julie Spira, online dating expert and the bestselling author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating
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February may be the shortest month of the year, but for those anticipating Valentine’s Day, it’s critical to ramp up your online dating search. There’s no quicker way to find a date on the Internet than by starting with a cyber face-lift of your existing dating profile.
With more than 116 million members worldwide viewing online dating sites, the odds are in your favor that you’ll be able to snag a date by Valentine’s Day with these tips:
With love on everyone’s mind on Valentine’s Day, it’s no surprise that HBO chose Feb. 14 to premiere a documentary chronicling the new avenue to find love in the 21st century – online dating. When Strangers Click: Five Stories From the Internet tells the stories of individuals who have explored Internet dating.
Knowing the documentary would premiere on Cupid’s big day, our friends at Single Edition invited us to an advanced screening in New York City, which featured a Q&A with Robert Kenner of the Oscar-nominated Food, Inc., who both directed and produced the film. The audience included 12 to 15 dating and relationship bloggers based in the city.
I’ve read a metric bazillion dating profiles in my time as an online dating coach and about 90% are yawn-worthy. Do you think you’re part of the other 10%? Think again.
Most people write a dating profile that reads a bit like a cereal box. Have you seen the following claims on a dating profile (maybe yours)?
The Cereal Box Dating Profile
Healthy: “I like to take care of my body and you should, too.” Balanced: “I love to get dressed for a night out or wear PJs for a movie at home.” Wholesome: “Family is really important to me. I don’t know what I’d do without the support and love of my parents and siblings.” Mom-approved: “Best of all, your parents will love me.”
Sure, these are all things that you might value in a date, but we eat cereal every day. It’s not exciting. It’s not unique. It’s not interesting. It’s just… okay. Pair a cereal box profile with photos of a regular Joe (or Jane), and what do you get? Not a whole lot of emails from potential dates, that’s what!
Girl taking a self-portrait. Photo: llaszlo / Bigstock.com
Long gone are the days of standing awkwardly in the bathroom posing in front of the mirror for that perfect “Myspace” photo to upload online. Selecting a profile picture that sends the right message and makes you look your 100% best is easier said than done. Thankfully, Dating Headshots.com realized this for us and is offering professional, fun and flirty pictures to replace your current photo. Dating Headshots even analyzes your current profile photo for free.
Dating headshots boasts an 87% success rate that their clients find online matches.
Best of all, Dating Headshots.com comes to you. All you do is put in your zip code to find a photographer in your area and make an appointment. You get to choose the photographer that you want by looking through photographer profiles.
Cupid readers are getting a special offer of a 10% discount off of Silver and Gold Studio photo shoots from Dating Headshots with code 209675 applied at checkout.
