Make the first message count when online dating

They say that first impressions count and this has never been truer than when messaging people on an online dating website.

Having found a profile which takes your fancy, you pluck up the courage to send someone a quick note – but it is in these opening exchanges where someone will make up their mind about you.

Simply inboxing a potential date with "Hi, how are you" is not likely to grab anyone's attention. As you would with a cover letter for a job application, tailor your message depending on the person's profile.

This shows that you have read what they had to say – rather than just looking at their pictures – and that you are interested in what they do. Make mention of any shared interests that you have as this will give you a common ground to start from.

A compliment or two always goes down well, but try not to come over too sleazy otherwise they could be hitting the delete button straight away.

Try to ask questions about how their day has been, what they are up to at the weekend and even about things of interest from their profile. You can then go on to get to know someone better with questions about their favourite food (if they say they like eating out in nice restaurants), about their favourite sporting team, music or movie.

Another thing which might also be a put-off in the opening exchanges is typing in txt speak. While this has crept into our lives through SMS messaging and social media, it is not easy to read and will not give off the best first impression.

Sometimes people employ a "throw enough mud and some will stick" policy to messaging, where they send out the same generic message to a large number of prospects. However, this is very easy to see through and shows that you have not taken any time to read that person's profile – likely resulting in you not getting a reply.