Tips for Safe and Successful Online Relationships

At Top Dating Tips, we are here to help you be successful in dating and meeting new friends. It's what we do best. We want to take this opportunity to provide you with some hints and tips on helping you date safely, and successfully find that special person. You may wish to make and meet a new friend. Your main interest may be in dating online or dating in person, you may wish to find love and romance, perhaps the person you dream of marrying. It could be that you wish to travel or play sport or an activity and need a companion or other activity partner to come along.

The key to meeting new friends is to have fun, relax and enjoy. Find a dating site environment in which you can do these things safely and without any pressure. If you decide to meet someone there or in the outside world, then we feel there are some basic ideas you should follow for your personal comfort.

Okay, so what can you do to help yourself?
First you need to get replies to your emails and messages. Here are some tips you may find helpful:

• Think about how your profile is written. Ensure there are NO spelling mistakes in your profile or your emails and messages.
• Keep your description short but be completely honest. If you are not being truthful then when you meet, you will be discovered, if not before.
• Add fun and humor to your profile, and don't be too serious at first.
• Don't be afraid to state who you wish to meet and why. Most adults know the kind of person they are attracted to, even if they are not sure why.
• Tell people what you like and perhaps things you don't. Don't be offensive though.
• Change and edit your profile occasionally to keep it fresh, and try to be original.
• Add a photo to your profile. We find that a member with a photo can get anything up to 9 times the amount of replies, in comparison with those that do not include one.
• Be polite with messaging, and don’t make judgments about the length of time to get a reply.
• Please don’t feel you need to block someone just because they are too busy to chat this time. Be cool.
• Keep your first email short and to the point, perhaps humorous and interesting. Don't include too much detail at this point, and just a few things that you have in common. Make the email talkative and allow it to flow. Don't be too serious at this stage or too emotional.
• Do NOT include you personal details in an introduction email. Leave that until a relationship is established, and you feel very comfortable with the other person.
• Try and contact a few people at the same time, but always those who you have matched, not those who you have nothing in common with as they will not welcome your contact.
• Be honest and stick to the truth. It is all too easy to add things that at this stage are not checkable. However, you may get caught out later and ruin a fantastic friendship or romance.
• Always reply quite quickly to any messages.
• Don't talk about money or possessions at this time. Most people like or love someone for who they are, not what they have. We assume you do not want to find someone who simply wants you for what you can provide.
• Do not apply any form of pressure in an email, whether it be for a reply or a meeting. Do not be critical of their profile or photo. This will create a negative response.

Once you have mailed other members and are receiving their emails, then you may wish to consider the following:

Ensure Your Privacy is Protected
The information you supply when you register at dating sites is completely confidential. Your registration details are kept secret from all members and under no circumstances are made available to any third party. No member of staff should ever ask you for your password. They must NOT use your contact or email details for marketing purposes. Any member who matches you in their searches can only see what you have told them in terms of your personal profile, nothing more. Therefore, remember not to include you actual email address or telephone number in the text of your profile or in emails unless you are sure that you would like to take your friendship further. Dating sites generally cannot access your emails and do not have any control on what information you supply to another member. If someone you are in contact with is not giving much away then perhaps you should err on the side of caution.

Listen to Your Intuition
Don't overlook any gut feelings that come your way. Intuition is the thing we all use on a daily basis and we all trust our intuition often. It’s easy to get carried away when someone appears to be interested. Remember the rule, if you suspect something, you are probably correct. Trust your judgment. Listen to what you are being told. Ask many questions. Don't give too many details away if the other person tells you very little. If someone is being honest, they will be happy to tell you about themselves and their lives.

A key point is to make sure that you are enjoying your online dating. Never ever let someone pressure you. If you don't want to explain something or provide certain details then do not. A real friend will behave in a patient and relaxed way. After receiving an email, sit back and think about what you are being told, take your time and try and sense the person behind the email. And read their profile thoroughly.

When the Time Comes
At some point you may wish to meet in person the friend you have made. Remember the rule, you only have to meet someone if you really want to. If you feel uncomfortable about meeting, then don't agree to meet. Even if you have agreed, you can change your mind whenever you like. Perhaps you need to chat for longer, perhaps it would be better to use the phone first. Do not give out your home number, address, or personal details unless you are sure about the person you wish to meet.

If you do decide it's time to take your friendship a step further, then here are some things to think about. It may save you a great deal of time and effort:

Ask yourself these questions:
Do you feel you know the person well?
Have they answered all your questions?
Are they patient, good humored and fun?
Do you trust them?
Have they applied any pressure on you?
Do you know what they do for a living, and the area they live in?
Do you know about their background and family?
Have you seen their photo and have you more than one photo of them in different situations?
Have you spoken on the phone?
Are you sure they have described themselves truthfully?

If you can answer YES to these happily then maybe it is time to meet. Only you can decide that. Think about these general dating rules, and act upon them if you think they are a good idea :-

• Tell a person close to you about the meeting. Tell them where you are going, when you are meeting them, where the meeting will take place, what time you will be returning. Give a person close to you as much information as you can. If you have a mobile phone or are close to a pay phone then perhaps call to say you are fine and that everything is great.
• Agree to meet in a public place first. Perhaps a restaurant or bar or somewhere where there are plenty of other people. Agree to meet somewhere that you know, in familiar surroundings where you can relax and enjoy the meeting. You could arrange to have other friends in the same place but at a distance, so you feel more relaxed.
• Do not agree to be collected from work or home, and make your own way there and home on the first occasion. Perhaps get a friend to take you there and collect you afterwards.
• Restrict the time of the first meeting. Perhaps a lunch hour or a short time after work. This is useful if you decide that the situation is not favorable and you need to leave.
• If at any point you wish to leave then do so. Do not feel obliged to stay and find yourself feeling awkward. If you do not feel relaxed then you will not enjoy the date. You owe it to yourself to feel happy and relaxed, and it is possible that it may take a few meetings with different people before you find that special person.

Long Distance Relationships
Online Dating through most sites means that you can easily meet people from all over the world. This is a fantastic way of dating and perhaps very soon you may find yourself emotionally involved with someone who lives a long way away. Perhaps that may be part of the attraction even. However you should try and be practical. If the person lives overseas then ask yourself the question as to are you serious that you will travel a long way to see that person? If you do travel and find yourself more than happy, then how easy will it be to keep up the relationship? If you are content with this situation, and you decide to meet then there are some other things you may wish to consider:

• ALWAYS stay in a hotel you have arranged yourself, and never stay at their accommodation, however generous. This will allow you both to feel less pressure, to relax into the situation and find some common ground. You may have both made promises in mail or on the phone that may be harder to keep once a meeting has occurred. If possible, arrange the hotel in a secure area of the city you are visiting, and arrange the hotel yourself. It's always easier to escape a date that's not going well, when not staying with them.
• Provide the details of your hotel and travel arrangements to a best friend at home, and make an arrangement to contact them when you arrive, after you have met your new friend and when you are returning. Take a mobile phone if possible and keep in contact.
• Always be cautious if in any doubt, and never be uncomfortable about changing your mind and returning home at any time should the situation cause you any concern.

The Bottom Line
The bottom line? Be yourself and enjoy your dating. We know that online dating can be great fun, safe and immensely enjoyable. We have found that as long as the basic precautions are followed, then it is possible to travel locally, or indeed, anywhere in the world to meet a special partner or make new friends. The beauty of dating online is that the whole world is open to allow you to meet fantastic new people. Just use a little intuition and common sense. We hope you don't mind us offering some basic tips and wish you every success.

Dating Ideas From Inexpensive to Expensive

The first date is not just about restaurants and movies. Here are some great first date ideas starting with the very cheap, more expensive to the extravagant:

1. Beach - Take a picnic, a bottle of wine and a rug, and spend the day catching the sun together. Or, you could take a dip together - all that splashing about is bound to be great fun.

2. Picnic by a river - Prepare a basket of goodies, a chilled bottle of wine and enjoy the day relaxing in each other's company.

3. The movies - Let your date choose the film. It will show good gesture if you don’t have the same taste in films.

4. Theme Park - Big or small, everybody loves theme parks. Triple loop roller coasters, dodgems, candy floss - the ideal date for the big kid in us.

5. Eat in - Show off your culinary skills and ask them round for dinner. Don’t overdo the candles and music, or you may frighten them away.

6. Indoor ice skating, or rollerblading in the park - You can lean against each other for balance and warmth.

7. A sporting activity that you both like.

8. Kite flying - My partner and I did this a few year back. It wasn’t our first date, but it was one of the best days we have ever spent together.

9. A trip to the zoo - Everyone likes animals so a trip to the zoo makes for a perfect date.

10. Local museum or art gallery - This is only a good idea if you are both interested in museums.

Expensive Date Ideas

1. Go to a concert - Take them to see their favorite band in concert and dance the night away.

2. Go for an expensive meal - Have her serenaded by one of the waiters with a bottle of champagne and a dozen red roses.

3. Go horseback riding - Take a trip to the nearest horse farm. Spend the afternoon horse riding and stopping to take in the scenery, and afternoon lunch in a local inn.

4. Candlelit dinner for two aboard a yacht - Take her out to sea. Put on the full works - captain sailing, champagne on ice and lobsters for dinner.

5. Take in a show - Get dressed up for the evening and go along to watch one of your favorite shows at a theater house. Or go to a premier of a big block buster movie.

6. Horse drawn carriage at night - Take a trip around the city and through the park, on a horse drawn carriage. Have it take you to a swanky restaurant and wait while you dine.

7. Under the sea - Go scuba diving.

8. Take to the sky - Go for a trip in a hot air balloon.

9. A trip to New York for the afternoon - Fly her to New York and back in an afternoon. This is the ultimate first date destination (especially if it is her first time there).

10. On top of the world - Prepare a basket of caviar, prawn cocktail, strawberries and cream, and champagne on ice, and take to the skies. Well, the top of the highest building you can get to.

Extravagant Date Ideas

1. Fly her to Paris and back - Take in all the sights that Paris has to offer. Finish the date with an expensive meal in one of the swanky restaurants in Paris.

2. Helicopter ride - Go for a flight over the city in a helicopter.

3. We're in the money - Dress up to the nines and go blow a fortune in a top casino.

4. Parachute jump - Take to the sky for the high of a lifetime. This one cannot be a surprise date, unless you are sure it is what they want!

5. Climb to the top of the world - Go mounting climbing on a clear summer's day. Don't forget the flag for when you reach the top.

6. Go swimming with dolphins - This has to be the ultimate experience of a lifetime and if you aim to impress, this is the way to do it.

7. Para-gliding - Take to the sea, have lunch, then the skies the limit.

8. Eating in - Hire a top chef and waiting staff, and have them round to your place for a meal they won’t forget.

Top Tips for Finding A Date

Make going out on dates a part of your regular social routine

"Find a date," your friends say. "Join us for dinner, and bring a date!" This alone is enough to cause many single people to immediately start to panic. The reality is that, if you're looking for dates, you probably just want to find someone special to spend time with, without regard for your pushy friends and their need for additional couples to complete their circle. It's important to think of looking for dates as part of life, part of your everyday routine. You never know -- one of these days it may well turn into something more than just a date.

Finding a date is never easy, but it can be relatively painless, depending on your attitude.

Maybe have a hard time meeting people. Maybe you have a hard time meeting people who are suitable for dating. Maybe you're a single parent with responsibilities at home, or someone who works from home. Perhaps you work strange hours and that's why you never meet anyone to date. Maybe you work with people much younger or older, or perhaps you really don't have finely honed social skills. It could be that you're shy, private, quiet in groups or just unwilling to make the first move.

Whatever the situation, you need to take action! The first thing to do is make sure you exude self confidence. You want to find a date you'll have a great time with, so it helps to make him or her feel special by looking good. Here are some tips on how to accomplish this:

• Give yourself a makeover
• Buy some new clothes and update your image
• Get a new haircut or hairstyle
• Get a full beauty treatment and makeover
• Visit your dentist and get those teeth pearly white
• Get a tan and freshen your skin
• Try out the latest styles and fashions
• Treat yourself to a rejuvenating vacation or break
• Read some new magazines and go shopping
• Join a health club and get into a new workout routine
• Go on a diet and lose a few pounds, if needed
• Take martial arts or self defense classes
• Improve your attitude

The next thing you need to do to find a date is think long and hard about what you really want to achieve and what your expectations are. Get clear about what kind of person you're looking for, although don't be too specific. Keeping your aim as broad as you can will make finding a date easier. You also need to be realistic. Don't make it your goal to date a Hollywood movie star if it's not likely to happen. Keep your feet on the ground and take a long, hard look at your own life before walking into someone else's.

Once you've got that part down, here are a few ways to get started:

Dating Close to Home

Begin by looking in your own neighborhood. Is there anyone in your neighborhood or friend group who is single and awesome? Often, people stay single simply because they aren't being asked out by anyone, not because they themselves are lonely. It's time to do the asking. And yes, that includes the good-looking people in this world. There are lots of local clubs and activity centers where singles are likely to congregate. These are often the best place to introduce yourself to people of the opposite sex in your community. Try to choose something that involves both sexes.

Dating at Work

Some sources claim that 87% of couples first met through work or began dating at work. In general, dating at work or dating someone within your own office environment is generally not a good idea due to the possibilities for problems and the negative implications it can have on your career. Relationship tensions within an office can cause issues with other workers and antagonize work-related disputes.

However, the good news is, most organizations also work with other firms. If your office gets together to socialize with business partners or groups of people you don't work with directly, start going to these events. Try going with coworkers to happy hour or attending after-work social events, too, from bowling to trips to bars and comedy clubs. It's as much about making new friends as it is about finding a date.

If you really don't like your coworkers (or don't have any because, for example, you work from home), you'll need to look for other ways to extend your social circle.

Get Physical

That's right, join a gym. To find a date, you should look your best. After all, if you've set your sights high, doesn't your potential date deserve the best, too? Good, so get down to the local health club and look into a regular workout routine. If already do this, expand your horizons and make sure you're not going to a unisex gym. Try other sports and activities -- from yachting to running to baseball to anything else you haven't tried before. You will make fabulous new friends, as well as possibly finding a date, not to mention feeling and looking much better than if you just sat on the couch munching on potato chips.

Ask Your Friends

The most common complaint among people in their late '20s and '30s is that all their friends are married. If this is true for you, it's time to adapt. As awesome as they might be, your married friends probably will not help you find a date. They tell you they'll try, and they probably mean it, but like attracts like, and there's a good chance most of their friends are married, too. In general, you should not look to any friends to help you find a date, though, because your friends don't necessarily know what kind of person you're looking for. The best advice is to take control and find a date yourself.

This is why you need some single friends. Newsflash: Dating is easier if you hang out with other singles who are also playing the dating game. Even if your married friends are your best buddies in the whole wide world, you need support from other people who know what you're going through. Also, there is safety in large groups. This can also open up new places and venues for you to visit and look for potential dates. You will probably see your confidence level jump as well.

You can find new single friends everywhere: at work, in your neighborhood, at clubs, in your gym … You simply need to make some new friends, then join in. It's not nearly as hard as you think. One thing's for sure: Neither your fantastic new friends, nor your super hot new girlfriend or boyfriend is hiding out in your closet. If you sit at home, you will not find them -- you have to go out and put yourself out there in order to do it. In fact, get started right now. When was the last time you called up your old friends to catch up? Do it now.

Join a Club

Activities really do bring people together and help you make new friends. If you're involved in something like a craft, hobby or sport, then you've already taken the first step toward hanging out with (and possibly dating) like-minded individuals. You have something in common, and it's a great icebreaker. If you're not a member of any club, figure out what you're interested in and decide whether joining a group of some sort centered around this activity might introduce you to others. (Hint: It will!) Always remember: Statistically, there is a good chance that many people just like you are also looking for dates and are joining clubs like these for this very same reason.

Signing up for a Dating Agency

Dating agencies were once associated with embarrassing social stigmas, but not anymore. These days, it's extremely trendy to use an agency to find dates. Dating and finding a date is fun and enjoyable. After all, dating is really just about meeting new people and searching for a special connection. Dating agencies fall into two categories: traditional and Web-based. The first are those traditional dating agencies that help you find a date but charge hundreds of dollars to offer you the chance to meet a few people in their database they have matched you with. They then offer you the chance to meet, if both parties are interested. It's slow and long-winded, but it can work sometimes, although rarely are there guarantees of any kind. The main thing about such dating agencies is that they often specialize in a certain area -- maybe profession or financial, etc. Some may concentrate on the medical or legal profession; others may focus on, say, executives in a certain region.

Internet Dating Sites

The second kind of agency is the professional Internet dating and friendship sites accessible from your home computer. Most often, they are free to sign up for, so you can set up a profile and see who's in their database to find out if you're interested in that kind of people. The beauty of Internet dating is that it makes everyone on any given site instantly accessible, and you can search for people you match with in comfort of your own home without spending a dime. Sniff around, check out people's pics and profiles and take your time finding a date.

It's super important when you're looking for a date to choose a reputable Internet dating site that will provide you with not only personal ads but also a safe and secure environment, as well as advice and articles to help you get ahead. These sites let you communicate anonymously with your matches when you're ready to make contact via on-site email, chat rooms and private instant messaging. Some companies even include voicemail services so you can listen to your prospective date's voice before meeting them.

After paying a small fee, you can communicate with as many members as you like, safely and securely -- and, very soon, you may find that you have arranged not just one but many dates. It's up to you. No more standing in singles bars, being hit on by obnoxious strangers or brainstorming opening lines -- just convenient and relaxed dating, whenever you want!

If you're looking for dates, you should start immediately. It's not always easy to take a step like this if you've been out of the dating arena for years. Think through these tips on meeting dates and start taking initiative. Life is meant for living, but even more importantly, it's meant for sharing with someone special. Start focusing on finding a date, but more importantly, focus on feeling good about yourself and the rest will follow.

Dating Tips and Advice for Singles

Top 10 Dating Tips

Whether you are new to the dating scene, are reentering the dating scene, or are a serial dater, you can use dating tips and advice. No one is a dating expert – even the most beautiful and wealthy people all struggle with matters of the heart. Everyone can learn something about how to date more, how to attract the types of people we want to attract, and how to make sure initial chemistry blooms into an enduring relationship.

The truth is, there are no magic formulas, no fail-proof tricks, no cunning ways of trapping Mr. or Miss Right. There are however some essential facts that you should always bear in mind along the way. Dating tips are just that -- tips, not one-size-fits-all guarantees. Different tacks will work for different people. It depends on the situation, who we are, where we are in our lives, etc. However, there are some threads of advice that are fairly universal and can benefit anyone who practices them:

Top 10 Dating Tips

1. Get prepared for dating. If you really want to succeed in the dating game, be ready to commit to dating. Half-heartedness won't work. In fact, it won’t even get you half-way. If you really want to date, put some effort into it. Do some research and think about what you want out of dating. Prepare yourself for the inevitable rejection we all face at some point in dating and commit not to give up.

2. Get your act together. Begin a regime of looking your best. Join a gym, read health magazines, get fit and start a diet. Get your hair cut or styled and begin a new regime of good grooming or beauty treatment. Though it will not find you a date in itself, you will feel a million times more confident about yourself, and others can sense that.

3. Go shopping and treat yourself to new clothes and even a whole new look. Get your image right, one that you can manage and live with, but one that flatters you. Don't try to be someone you’re not, but amplify and accentuate your positives. Throw out those tired jeans, old sweaters or cardigans and spruce yourself up. Your date will appreciate that you demonstrated some effort.

4. Think about what you want to gain from dating and what timeframes you expect. Do you see yourself married within 2 years? If you do, then approach dating accordingly. If you are more laid back and don't take dating too seriously then ask yourself some honest questions about why you are dating and what you hope to achieve. If it is purely sex then ask yourself if you are about to be honest with those you hope to date.

5. Surround yourself with people who will support your dating aims. By following the first four tips you will feel better and be more focused. Don’t sabotage this by sitting around with friends who are negative about love and relationships (often the married ones). Start attending social functions frequented by singles. Sitting alongside couples at dinner parties in suburbia is not necessarily where you need to be right now.

6. Choose those you have a good chance of dating. Be realistic. In other words, your dating is based on the whole package you present as well as just your personality. If you are looking for a glamour girl or boy and want to date someone trendy and gorgeous, great! Just know that others will expect you to be the same.

7. Join clubs, societies, sports events, drama groups -- anything that might help you meet like-minded potential partners. You will not meet people by staying indoors and playing video games – many have tried and failed at this approach.

8. Take time off from dating occasionally if it’s not going well or causing dating fatigue. Recharging your batteries and keeping confidence and optimism levels high is an absolute must. We all hit rough patches, but don’t let your search for love become a death march. Date in phases if necessary.

9. Enjoy dating for what it is, dating. It is meeting people and socializing and spending time in the company of stimulating individuals who may or may not play a bigger part in your life down the road. The fact is, most people have something interesting to offer. While you may not be out on the dating scene looking for new friends, you may well find one or two fabulous people along the way.

10. Never make yourself too available. People like mystery and enigma and the thrill of the chase when dating. As part of keeping up the mystery, do not sleep with your dates early on. The longer a person is made to chase and fall for you within reason, the more likely that love may blossom. (And yes, this goes for both men AND women!) If the chemistry peaks too early, your emotions may never have time to catch up and the relationship will eventually wither away.