Be aware of the realities of online dating

Using an online dating platform is a shrewd move if you are keen to find love, as there are thousands of prospective matches trawling the web with a similar approach.

But that is not to say everything will be plain sailing, as you will need to get used to the idea of being rejected. One of the advantages of online dating is that it is easier to let people down, so you do not have to deliver bad news face to face, but this means you must also be ready for your fair share of disappointment.

As such, it is important not to build your hopes up to unrealistic levels when you are chatting to people online. You must always be prepared for the possibility that they will turn out not to be interested in you, in which case you can move on to your next potential partner.

You should also think long and hard about why someone may have viewed your profile but not sent you a message. Some people believe this is now a way of telling someone you are interested in them, so do not immediately rule out those who have looked at what you have to offer and opted not to get in contact for now.

Instead, you can make the first move, should you be confident that the person in question could be right for you.

Most importantly of all, you have to realise that the reality of online dating is that you just won't click with most people. This is the same in any dating environment, so do not presume that if you can get a conversation going online it will work out.

Being prepared to ditch the unsuitable matches and persevere with the best options is the sign of a wise online dater.

You never know, by taking a more ruthless approach to the online dating game you might just find Mr or Mrs Right a lot sooner than you ever imagined.