You’re single, looking to get back out there, and up to try anything once. That’s how many of us started online dating too. But you don’t want to put your energy into something that’s ultimately going to be more work than it’s worth. So, how effective is online dating? Can it lead to love? Is it worth your time? Here are some tips on how to make online dating more effective for you.

1. Online dating is effective if you know what you’re looking for. Many people complain that it’s impossible to find love through online dating because there are far too many choices. With such an abundance of people to choose from, many of us become overwhelmed and unable to make a choice. What if there’s someone better out there that I just haven’t found yet? What if I end up just settling? These are really only concerns if you don’t know what you’re looking for. As we saw with Amy Webb’s ability to hack online dating, writing out a list of all of the traits you want in a partner is the most effective. Be as specific as possible. As Amy says, you wouldn’t walk into a grocery store with a list reading “meat, produce, dairy,” without struggling to make a choice, and the same goes for online dating.
2. Online dating is effective if you’ve window-shopped different sites. Make sure that the dating site you’ve signed up for has the types of users you’re looking to connect with. Peruse multiple dating sites to see what they have to offer and who else is signing up for them before choosing one to go with.How effective is online dating? Well, not very, if you just sign up for the first site you come across. As you’ll see, some are more selective than others. Some sites restrict users by age, religion, etc. Find the one where users are more in line with what you’re looking for. (If you’re over 50 and would prefer to date someone closer to your age, join 50more.com!) If you do a bit of browsing first, you won’t miss the chance to find the site that’ll offer you the best matches.
3. Online dating is effective when you make someone feel special in a message. Sending generic messages or winks don’t show a whole lot of effort, which usually makes people less likely to respond. If you’re just matching with as many people as possible and simply sending “hey” in the hopes that someone will respond, you probably won’t find meaningful matches. Take the time to craft unique messages to your matches that highlight the reasons you were drawn to them in the first place, and try asking a question to express interest in those things. Or, use your list of things you’re looking for in a partner and craft a very unique template to anyone who fits that criteria. Talk about yourself and the things you have in common with a partner, which made you interested in the first place, then ask questions. While it’s not ideal, it does yield surprisingly good results for such little effort — and you’ll get responses from exactly the type of person you’re looking for.

So, how effective is online dating? That’s up to you! Join 50more.com for Free today to find friends and singles near you. There’s more to life, and there’s more to you.