I’ve been helping people navigate the world of online dating for several years now and the one question that everyone asks me is why it isn’t working for them. People seem to think that if it’s online, it’s easy. Just sign up for a Matchfinder account and you’ll find the perfect person, right? Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward as that.

The whole purpose of online dating is to give people a chance to meet who might never run into each other otherwise. That’s something that Matchfinder does well – but it doesn’t do all the work for you. Set up an account, pay $34.95 for a one month subscription and start reading member profiles. When you find someone you’re interested in getting to know, write them and start a conversation.

Start off by thinking of everyone as a potential friend first and foremost. Many, perhaps most, relationships begin as friendships. How would you go about making new friends? Sitting at home? Of course not. You’d get out of the house and go where people you shared interests with might gather. If you approach online dating this way, you’ll have a much better chance of meeting someone.

Our site gives Australians a way to meet new friends and possible romantic partners, but you shouldn’t just sit back and assume that people are going to come to you. Get active on the site and start talking to people. Read profiles and send messages to anyone who piques your curiosity. Matchfinder members can reply to any message sent to them, they appear in their message box in their homepage. If you met someone, would you just give them your number and expect them to call? No, you’d talk to them first and then exchange contact information if you were both interested in seeing each other again.

The great thing about online dating is that once you read someone’s profile, you already know a little about them. It really helps you launch into a conversation based on mutual interests. Also, if you receive a message, try to reply even if you’re not necessarily interested, just out of common courtesy.