Getting a handle on your love life and joining an online dating website can be incredibly exciting, but it can also be more than a little daunting. It’s dating, Jim – but not as we know it. That kind of unknown means that many of us spend too long dancing around conventions. What does that mean to you? Well, it means less time chatting with brilliant, like-minded individuals. So, in order to get you fully up to speed and making the most out of your online dating profile, we’ve decided to share our three biggest tips. Ready? Let’s go.

• Don’t be embarrassed to say ‘hello’

Nothing ventured, nothing gained – that’s the motto you should make your own as you venture into the world of online dating. The key difference between meeting somebody online and meeting somebody in real life is that you can’t keep catching somebody’s gaze from across a crowded room. Instead, you’re going to have to make yourself heard. So, send a friendly message, what’s the worst that could happen? Oh, and this goes for you too ladies, making the first move isn’t shameful, it’s powerful.

• Know that not everyone is going to be for you

If you’ve never tried an over 40 dating service before, it can be something of a shock to the system. All these people, all these chats! We always recommend talking to lots of people, but it’s important to remember that not all of your conversations are going to turn into love. It’s the same as in real life, what might seem at first a great attraction can quickly reveal itself to be nothing more than a friendship – and that’s okay.

• Don’t be afraid of meeting in person

There’s a myth about online dating that meeting people from it is incredibly dangerous. Well, let us tell you, a myth is all it is. The vast, vast majority of those using an online dating website are there for the same reasons you are, to meet fantastic people. With the same precautions you’d make on any date (meeting in person, telling a friend, etc.) you’re just as safe as if you’d met in person first. So, when you feel like the time to meet in person comes around, don’t be afraid, you could be about to meet the person of your dreams.