Online dating is a huge trend now. Almost everyone has access to a computer, and online dating and matchmaking sites are a booming industry. Is it a good idea for you to sign up with an online dating site?

Here are the pros and cons of online dating:

Pros: If you’re too busy to get out to the usual places to meet women, online dating can be done from your home computer. You already know the women you meet online are looking for a relationship, and they’ll say up front what it is that they want. It’s also a great alternative if it’s physically hard for you to get out.

Cons: There’s no telling who you’re really meeting online – a person can say anything he or she wants to about themselves and you have to take their word for it. If your schedule is too full to go out and meet women in person, it might also be too full to maintain a relationship.

Without a face-to-face meeting, you miss out on tone of voice and body language cues. And, you might find yourself attracted to someone whom it’s impossible to ever meet. You also might build up a fantasy about the woman you meet online that she can’t live up to.

The women you’ll meet: Computer-savvy women who want a relationship, who are either too busy to look for one in person, or who are insecure about who they are in person. You may also find a few women who have trouble leaving home for some reason, whether it’s a handicap or a lack of babysitters for their kids.

The relationship you can expect: Casual and virtual. If it’s too much trouble to go out in person to meet, it’s likely to be too much trouble to go out in person to date. You’ll both be able to date other people, and the only thing that would change that is if you start meeting in real life more than you do on the computer.

What to avoid: Women who aren’t who they say they are. If there’s a picture of a fabulous model next to the profile, that probably isn’t really her. Smart women actually don’t put their pictures next to their profiles – it attracts too much of the wrong kind of attention. Pay attention to what she tells you about herself, and if the details don’t match up, something may be wrong.

The bottom line: The Internet is a great place for people to meet, but not always the best place for people to date. The importance of physical attraction is cut down to zero, so you do get to know the women who are being honest, but then you’re likely to create a fantasy about their appearance instead of being prepared to accept them for who they are.

(1) Post good-quality, flattering photos of yourself on your dating profile. Find several photos of yourself where you look healthy, attractive and confident and add them to your profile. You want your female matches to be drawn into reading your profile from your tasteful photos of yourself.

(2) Post photos of yourself smiling in which you seem friendly. Avoid posting photos where you have a neutral or negative expression on your face. Avoid posting photos where you have closed body language, such as your arms crossed tightly in front of you. You want the women looking at your profile to consider you as a friendly, approachable, down-to-earth guy.

(3) Spend a good amount of time and care while writing your profile. A primary goal to keep in mind is that you want your profile to be original and creative. Since there are thousands of men on the dating site competing for women’s attention, make sure that ladies reading your profile will become intrigued by your imaginative, carefully crafted descriptions of your personality, personal interests, career, life experiences and relationship goals.

(4) Reflect on the top ten qualities that matter most to you in a partner. In a welcoming manner, write a description about the characteristics that you are searching for in your future girlfriend or wife. Be careful however not to appear to be too demanding, too critical, or superficial. Superficiality is a major turn off for any self-respecting woman.

(5) Avoid being boring and uninteresting while writing your profile. Avoid writing something cliche, such as “I am just a nice guy looking for a good woman.” Write your profile in a manner that reveals your special personality. Use tasteful humor in your dating essay. Share several heart-warming stories about yourself that will make you endearing to your female readers.

(6) Avoid posting shirtless photos of yourself. Chose instead photos of you in action, doing favorite activities such as sailing, cycling or playing tennis. Most women will be turned off by revealing photos.

(7) Consider the characteristics that women are searching for in a long-term relationship partner. Communicate the following attributes while writing your profile:
a) Confidence: Show your independence and self-confidence in your profile. Remember to show humility and avoid coming across as macho or arrogant.
b) Ambition: Reveal to your matches that you are educated and intelligent with a good, stable career. Women want a man who is purposeful and goal-oriented.
c) Humor: Communicate through your profile that you are a fun and playful man who will be a fun-loving and entertaining boyfriend.