Online dating profiles
Your online dating profile on PARSHIP works differently from a profile on an ordinary dating site. For a start, the results of the PARSHIP test indicate just how compatible you are with each of your recommended partners. And, of course, your (carefully chosen) photos are not open for general viewing.
The ‘About me’ page on your PARSHIP profile gives you the opportunity to provide insights into what makes you tick. It can vastly increase your chances of making successful contact. The main things are to be positive and to be yourself. For tips on making the most of your online dating profile, read more in this section.
10 tips for a contact request
In theory, a contact request is just a matter of a click, but you can raise your game if you add a nice personal message. But what should you write? Here are some pointers for that very first message
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Can I ask you for your number?
“Will you give me your phone number?” Karen (52) repeatedly has trouble responding to this question, because she feels the time is not yet right.
We asked our members what they thought about exchanging phone numbers; here are the results - and also a few tips from us.
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Avoiding a sense of routine
Curiosity, surprises, a racing heart … online dating can be exciting stuff. But what happens if a sense of romance gives way to a sense of routine as each new encounter seems to run a familiar course? Is it Groundhog Day all over again?
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Avoiding the scatter-gun approach
How do you make online dating work for you? There’s one method you should definitely avoid - even though people often seem to want to try it, and that’s the scatter-gun approach. Instead of casting your net indiscriminately, take a close look at yourself and at your prospective dates.
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Getting to know you …
As in ‘real life’ there are rules to getting to know each other online - there is no special mystery to it. It’s all a matter of the dynamics between the two people in question. The thing is, when you start to exchange messages you know comparatively little about how the other person might respond, so you need to feel your way a little.
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Juggling your contacts
In the context of online dating, at least until you find Mr or Ms Right, you will tend to keep up with a number of contacts. But this kind of juggling can have its traps.
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Just when is it time for a photo?
Chris (41) doesn’t like being obliged to show his photo straight away - he’d prefer to message a little first. We have him some tips and asked some of our other members what they think.
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Keeping a healthy perspective
Rather than little pink hearts, there are usually questions marks floating about when two people are getting to know each other. Here’s how to deal with the uncertainties you are likely to encounter.
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Keeping your feet on the ground
If you’ve fallen for someone, that’s wonderful, but if you you’re the kind of person who tends to let your feelings run away with you and – even before the first date – do things like talk about marriage, perhaps you’ll find these tips helpful.
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Ladies first
Thanks to online dating, it’s never been easier for women to make the first move, but many women wait for a sign from their Prince Charming. What happens if he remains obstinately silent, though? The answer is to take the initiative.
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Online dating – taking things at the right speed
On the one side there’s someone who likes to speed things to a conclusion; on the other is someone who prefers to take his or her time ... Hitting the right tempo can be tricky. Take a look at our tips.
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Penfriends or a real date?
Every PARSHIP member likes getting nice messages, but ultimately they are a means to an end and should lead to some real-life dates. Fiona (41) found the transition wasn’t happening and asked for a few pointers ...
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Question time
“Would you like to have children? Would that mean you would work less?” Sarah (32) was often asked these questions after one or two emails on PARSHIP - and she found it irritating. We respond with the results of a survey on the subject
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Seven email dating traps
Have you ever wondered why someone has gone silent on you online? It could be that you’ve fallen into one of the traps of email dating. Here are some pointers on some of the most common stumbling blocks
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10 tips for the first phonecall
It’s always exciting when you have your first phonecall with someone you’ve met online. And that’s how is should be: if you’re excited, then it should help you to get to know each other, but it can also cause a few problems from time to time. Here are some tips on how best to handle that important first phone conversation.
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The email adviser
What do I write to someone I hardly know? How can I tell whether we could be compatible? And can you really flirt on email? Here are some tips for your PARSHIP emails.
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What’s in a name?
Paula(50) was a bit worried by a reaction from one of her contacts on PARSHIP when he found out that she was using a pseudonym. We asked the service’s members what they thought about this issue.
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Write or phone? Strategies for getting to know each other
When you meet someone when you’re out and about or in a bar, you use all your senses to determine whether someone has partner potential. On the internet, you start a conversation without seeing each other. So, should you stick to the computer keyboard or should you ask for a phone number?
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You’ve got mail: 7 tips for successful communication
There’s a profile that’s really pushed the right buttons for you, and now’s the time to make all the right moves ... But your standard three-line email hasn’t exactly blown them away so far. And by the third mail you’re beginning to run out of ideas.
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Online dating profiles
An appealing online dating profile is often the first step towards a successful relationship. Online, as in real life, first impressions make a difference. It’s worth thinking carefully about what you write on the ‘About me’ page of your PARSHIP profile, but the questions and prompts supplied will make things easier for you: there is no need to agonise for hours about what to say. After all, PARSHIP is focused on the real you. (And you can change your ‘About me’ page at any time.)
The ‘About me’ page complements the results of the PARSHIP test in your online dating profile and the compatibility score you share with each of your recommended partners. Look at your matches’ profiles and you’ll find that the ‘About me’ page is where you can really start to find out whether someone holds potential for you. If their ‘About me’ section is still empty, though, don’t be discouraged. Take the initiative and send a contact request to find out more about them. If their ‘About me’ page is complete, then pick up on one of its themes in your contact request. Remember that anyone’s online dating profile is simply a starting point: it’s up to you to find out more about each other and to make things happen.
It is definitely worth uploading a photo to your online dating profile too. On PARSHIP, where your privacy is respected, your photo is never generally visible - you ‘release’ it to another member on a one-to-one basis, if and when you choose to do so. Your choice of photo (or photos) is, as you might expect, very important - a smile always helps. Maybe ask someone you trust for advice on the picture(s) to choose.