Lifescript.com published an interesting article last month titled 10 Secrets To Finding Love Online. Here are their ten secrets as well as our take on each one:

1. Pick The Right Site – This is probably the hardest part of online dating.  Which site is best for you?  That is one of the reasons for our site here.  We’ve been in this industry since the early 2000′s, so we have a pretty good idea of which sites you should join.  Our recommendation is simple.
   

   First, join two or three of the “Big Boys” such as eHarmony, PerfectMatch or Match.com.  All three offer free memberships, which should be your first step.  After joining each for free, spend some time on each site to determine which one fits your own personal needs.  Once you’ve determined which one you like best, we recommend joining as a premium member for the least amount of time at first.  This way, if you don’t like the site after joining, you’re only out a small amount of money.  If you like it, you can then renew for a longer period.

   Second, we recommend you join two or three niche sites such as a BBW, Military or Specialty site.  Why?  Because if you’re a Big Beautiful Woman for instance, you’ll find success much quicker on a dating site exclusively for BBW singles.  We recommend the same process for niche sites as with larger sites.  Join two or three for free and then decide which site best meets your needs.

2. Take The Compatibility Test – This one is a no-brainer.  If the site offers a compatibility test, by all means, take it.  Some of our favorite sites that offer them are e-Harmony, PerfectMatch and Spark.com.
3. Pick An Appropriate Screen Name – Even if you’re very proud of one of your outstanding physical attributes, going with a screen name like BigBustedMomma or WellEndowedPapa isn’t the best idea.  Especially if you’re serious about finding a long-term relationship or even marriage.  Going with a provocative screen name suggests you’re not really serious about finding love, but rather just want to fool around.  Of course, if that really is why you’re on the site, then their are plenty of online options for you as well.
4. Stand Out From The Crowd – Don’t let your profile cause potential mates to skip right over you.  If you love music, rather than saying you do, tell exactly what type of music you love.  Tell which bands are your favorites.  You’re trying to find someone who likes what you like, so be specific.
5. Drop The Purple Prose – Don’t use too many long adjectives to describe yourself.  Saying you are exciting, adventurous, exotic, playful, fun-loving and spontaneous may sound nice, but it also doesn’t really say anything real about you.  Be real.  And, you’ll find someone real.
6. Post Pictures – This is the number one pitfall to online dating.  If you don’t post a photo, then potential dates are going to assume you are either ugly, married or not serious.  Period!  Unless you have a very, very good reason for not posting a photo, post a photo.  What’s ugly to one person is beautiful to another.
7. Set Ground Rules – For the first meeting, meet for coffee in a public place where you can take a walk and talk.  During the course of the walk, if you are getting along and want to take it further, then you can ask if they want to grab a bite to eat.  Also, always have an escape route.  If it’s not going well and/or you aren’t attracted to them at all, say you need to check in with the office, sick friend, babysitter, etc. and then politely excuse yourself.
8. Play It Safe – This is probably the most important part of this article.  Here are some great tips on how to play it safe:
   

   (1) Never give out your personal information on your profile. No emails, no phone numbers, no addresses, etc.

   (2) Always make sure your friends/family know where you are going to be when you are meeting a date for the first time. If you’re really paranoid about someone, ask a friend to “spy” on the two of you during your walk.

   (3) Our favorite – Take notes when emailing back and forth with your potential mate. When you meet in person, you can casually bring up something they talked about, and see their reaction. If they were lying, you’ll be able to tell in person.

9. Meet In Person Quickly – This is a great tip.  While you always want to be safe and get to know someone better online before meeting in person, it’s always a good idea to meet someone in person before your cyber-relationships turns too personal or steamy.  Many people, especially women, will ‘fall in love’ online with someone, and consequently go too far with them the first time they meet in person.  By meeting in person before the relationship gets too personal online, you’ll know if he/she is worth pursuing, or if it was just an ‘online fantasy.’  Also, another great way to meet someone in person without physically meeting is an online video chat via Skype.  This is our favorite way to see if you really want to meet them.
10. Complain About The Weirdos - If you’re being harassed online, first, block the weirdo, and second, complain to customer service. Dating sites are known for having very active customer service departments, and most of the time, the offensive party will be deleted from the database pretty quickly if they’re truly harassing people.