Online dating recommendations: With 40 million Americans now using online dating services, the chances of finding love online are higher than ever. However, to make the most of this, you need to know how to play the game, which is where our online dating tips can help.

I should make my messages personal, advises Hoffman: “Comment on something in his profile and follow with a question.” Dutifully, I tell one bespectacled prospect, “I like melty ice cream, too. What’s your favorite flavor?” I have some interesting chats, but nothing leads anywhere. After a lengthy back-and-forth with a cute guy who asks why I’m still single (beats me!), I try a Hoffman move, writing, “That’s a story better told over a drink.” He suggests… chicken fingers. As in fast food? Is this a sex thing I don’t know about?

No matter how much of an expert you’ve become at reading profiles, and no matter how well this girl or guy corresponds to your dream match, there’s still a lot you won’t be able to glean until you sit across from him or her at a coffee shop. It doesn’t matter how many delightfully winning asides he has included in profile about his cute devotion to his 96-year-old grandmother. Think her passion for hot dogs and minor league baseball suggests just the kind of chill, fun-loving girl you’ve fantasized about dating?

Everyone who likes your main photo will want to see more. Not because they can’t get enough of you, but because a single photo is not a reliable indicator of what you look like. Post at least two snaps. An overly flattering photo will backfire. The potential dates come knocking, and then what? You meet, and the blood drains from their face as they realise that your photo was taken 10 years, five stone and 500 wrinkles ago. See more info on online dating right here.

“Try to meet face to face ASAP, or if that isn’t possible, at least have a phone or FaceTime call. You’ll never know if you have real chemistry until you actually meet in person. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, energy, and emotional investment by doing this, because you could be texting somebody for months before realizing you don’t connect in real life. Also, by insisting on meeting as soon as possible, you’ll know if the other person is genuine and looking for the same thing as you, or if they’re just a time-waster.” —Lucy Rowett, sex, intimacy, and relationship coach.

Relationships