Set aside four to eight hours a week for online dating

Britons who are looking for love have been advised that they need to set aside a certain amount of time each week to search for their perfect partner.

Elizabeth Cobey-Piper, dating coach at Columbus firm Dating Directions, has been speaking to Columbus Monthly about the best way to tackle online dating.

She explained the first step is to find between four and eight hours a week for the activity, as it can be time consuming to sort through matches and read profiles.

There will also be plenty of messages heading back and forth, so individuals will need plenty of time to think about what they want to say and enter replies.

Ms Cobey-Piper went on to suggest that using dating sites can be a little like taking on a part-time job.

She also emphasised the importance of an effective profile, which means using the best photographs possible and revealing interesting details that can trigger conversation.