Online dating—meeting people through dating apps and websites—can feel like an overwhelming, chaotic mess when you jump in for the first time, and it can be not very reassuring when you don’t connect with anyone right away. But trust the process: Committed couples are meeting each other online all the time these days. So it’s worth giving it a try.

If you’re new to dating apps or just looking for advice on how to navigate the process with more success, here are 10 online dating tips to keep in mind:

Pick your apps wisely.

Online dating isn’t one of those see-all-of-your-options-and-then-make-a-decision games. Be selective. Some apps have a reputation for being hookup apps; others are designed to connect users of the same religion or other shared hobby or attribute. “Use apps according to your partner preferences.

Be Honest

Research shows that people tend to fall for people similar to themselves regarding things like relationship history, desire for children, pet preferences, and religion. Therefore, being honest about what you want and who you are makes it more likely that the people you end up talking to and meeting are people things might work out with.

Choose a photo that puts your best foot forward.

Photos should accurately depict your physical appearance — but they should be photos you generally like.

Having never met this person before, photos can have a big bearing on likeability and someone’s initial attitude toward you. Specific attributes that generally increase attractiveness and likeability, wear a genuine smile (one that makes your eyes start to wrinkle up) and a slight head tilt.

Set swiping goal

The more you swipe, the more likely you will get matches and eventually make real-life connections with desirable persons. But rather than mindlessly swipe to the point of burnout, set a specific number of swipes per day that you feel comfortable with. 

Do include what makes you interesting.

Nobody’s going to read a six-paragraph essay. People swipe through profiles quickly. State things that are important to you and be done with them.

Do include what’s distinctive about you. For example, people tend to be interested in interesting people. And Do include what you’re looking for in a potential match.

Retain a little mystery

You want to build some rapport while messaging someone on a dating site or app, but be careful not to give everything away. You want to be able to save a lot of stuff for when you two go on a date (more on setting up said date in a bit).

One of the favourite online dating tips is baiting for the other’s interest by messaging them something that makes them want to know more about you.

Be open-minded

Just because someone isn’t a runner or has a hobby you’re not so sure about, don’t give up on them. The most important Online dating tip is to “Try to be as open-minded as possible to the idea that you could grow in new ways from someone you might meet online.”

Keep conversations short and non-generic.

There are certain aspects of a relationship you’re never going to gather from online interactions alone. Therefore, it is suggested not to draw out the pre-face-to-face meeting for too long.

Keeping online, pre-meeting exchanges to two weeks or shorter. And actually, make an effort to get to know someone. For example, ask about a specific part of someone’s profile or likes and dislikes.

Double-check your words and wording

Good quality grammar and punctuation is super important when it comes to online dating.

Everyone wants someone intelligent, and a dating profile and message is a bad place for a typo. Beyond this, be careful with your word choice. Choose meaningful words that make her think when she reads your messages.

Have fun

“Using dating apps should be fun”. It shouldn’t feel like work. “If it’s feeling like a chore, you’re not enjoying yourself, or you are feeling bad about yourself, then take a break and try something else,” because online dating tips will not work in this situation.

Follow the above-mentioned online dating tips and remove the roadblocks that you face while dating online and have a successful dating life.