Where can you take someone on a first date?

When it comes to online dating, plenty of focus is placed on your ability to put together a good profile and start conversations with prospective partners.

While these are undoubtedly important steps that will have a bearing on how successful you are online, perhaps the most crucial event of all is yet to come – the first date.

Providing you have been chatting to a man or woman for a little while, the issue of the first date is sure to crop up. It should not be too difficult to get someone to agree to a meet-up – after all, it is what you are all on the web for – but when the big day finally comes you will need to impress.

It goes without saying that one of the key decisions will be where to meet and what to do. The good news is there are plenty of options open to you, but unfortunately some will be littered with pitfalls that might ensure your date does not go as well as you hoped.

A safe bet is always to arrange to meet in a local pub or bar, with the major advantage of this being that you can spend time talking and getting to know each other without interruption. On the other hand, a bad idea would be the cinema, where it is almost impossible to do this.

As good as a few drinks may be for getting to know your date, such an event might fail to capture their imagination. As such, you could choose something a little more daring so that you stand out from the crowd – with abseiling, sky diving or rock climbing among the options.

More conventional daters could settle on a meal at a nice restaurant, although you will need to remember this offers no easy way out if you find things simply aren't going well face-to-face.

Finally, remember never to even suggest hosting a first date at your own home. This is sure to unsettle a potential partner and make them nervous about your intentions.