Dating online comes with a lot of hurdles, and it’s up to you to make the best of it if you want to find the right guy. From what you write in your profile to how you proceed after you both decided to get together, there are many things that can go wrong.
Knowing the biggest online dating mistakes can help you avoid the pitfalls and just focus on what really works. Find love online by making sure that you’re not letting any of these common errors stand in your way.
1. Misrepresenting Yourself
If you’re not honest with yourself when you’re putting together your profile, don’t be surprised when you don’t get the results you want. Putting up your best photo and representing yourself as who you’d like to be rather than who you really are will bring temporary attention to your online dating profile, but you’ll get a lot of rejection once you actually go on dates.
2. Speed Reading Profiles
One of the biggest online dating mistakes is not reading profiles carefully. If you don’t, you might end up wasting your time, as well as his. You’ll always learn something valuable by paying full attention when you read a guy’s profile, even if it’s just that he’s really boring and you should move on.
3. Not Mentioning Your Deal Breakers Up Front
Having too many deal breakers in your profile can turn people off, but that doesn’t mean you should just give up on them completely. Focus on a maximum of 2-3 things that are simply incompatible with your lifestyle. You should highlight the positive traits you’re looking for, but if smoking or pet allergies are a complete deal breaker, it would be silly not to include them.
4. Sticking to Chatting Online for Too Long
You should definitely exchange a few emails before setting up any dates, but one of the biggest online dating mistakes is waiting for too long. You don’t want a digital pen-pal, so once a level of basic compatibility has been established, move on to talking, not texting, on the phone and then set up a date.
5. Saying “No” to Paid Memberships on Principle
There’s no guarantee that paying for an online dating service will increase your chances of finding what you’re looking for. However, when you know others are paying for the service as well, you know they’re serious about it. Look for a short-term subscription on a big dating site with additional perks if the free services aren’t working out for you.
More: Online Dating Rules for Women
6. Giving Away Too Much Too Soon
If you’re too open with personal information when talking to complete strangers, you might be making one of the biggest online dating mistakes. Protect yourself from identity theft and other problems by keeping the specifics to a minimum before you actually meet and figure out if he really has the right intentions.
7. Taking Rejection Personally
It’s a lot easier to say “no” online than to someone’s face, so you might have to deal with some rude or even malicious comments. Rejection doesn’t mean anything from strangers, so taking it personally and allowing it to put you off online dating is a big mistake.
8. Obsessing About the Details
Getting lost in the quest to find someone who shares all your tastes is definitely one of the biggest online dating mistakes. Look at the bigger picture and don’t sweat over the small details that don’t really count in the long run. Emotional compatibility is much more important than taste in music or movies.
9. Talking to Too Many People at a Time
Even if you get a lot of messages after you set up your profile, it could be a bad idea to keep in touch with most of them at the same time. If you already have a few good option, hide your profile on the dating website and see them through before opening up to others.
10. Giving Up Too Soon
When you walk into a bar, it just takes seconds to determine who interests you and who doesn’t. Dating online requires a lot more patience, but it also allows you to cast a wider net and meet people you wouldn’t usually do. That’s why giving up because you get a lot of interests from guys you don’t like is one of the biggest online dating mistakes. Keep trying and you’ll find the right guy for you.
