So now that you've got your profile posted on an online dating web site and you've set up your picture, you're ready to begin Internet dating! While you can always sit around and wait for someone to contact you, the best option is to start browsing through profiles. Once you've find someone that seems interesting, you'll want to contact them. But, how do you go about it?

Contacting someone for the first time, even in the world of online dating, is a little intimidating. You might be wondering: What do I say? Follow these tips to help you out:

• Start off by explaining that you came across their profile and liked what you saw.
• Introduce yourself briefly. Highlight the facts about you that coincide with their interests or qualities they look for in a partner.
• Ask them a few questions. Focus on things that are conversation starters, rather than close-ended questions. A good idea is to ask them about one of their hobbies. Pick something that is interesting or something you have in common.

In addition, remember that you can contact more than one person at a time. There's no need to wait for a response from someone before messaging another single.

So you've received a reply from someone whose dating personal you were interested in, but don't know what to do next. Maybe you're worried about the conversation dying too soon, or maybe you aren't quite sure what else to ask them. In order to engage in successful Internet dating, you'll need to carry on conversations via messages. This may seem difficult at first, due to the delay in responses, but it's actually quite simple. Just consider some things:

Topics

Even in terms of online dating, there are levels of etiquette to follow regarding conversation topics. While it's easy to feel comfort and privacy via the Internet, you won't want to scare anyone off or offend anyone. When you first start talking to someone, follow these guidelines:

Appropriate topics and questions include:

• Basic background information. For instance, occupation and age
• Hobbies and interests
• Books, films, television shows, music
• Art
• What do you like to do in your spare time?
• What's your idea of a fun date?

Inappropriate topics and questions include:

• What is your address?
• Where exactly do you work?
• Religion and politics. Unless you are on a themed dating website or its mentioned in someone's profile.
• Why are you using a dating site?
• Anything too sexual

After you've been talking with someone from a dating site for some time, you may want to meet up with them, whether it's a week after you've joined an online dating web site or months afterwards.

To have a successful first meet up, or date, consider the following:

• Plan together. Choose a date, time and location. If something comes up for either of you, give the other person advanced notice.
• Choose a public location. For safety issues, it's best to meet up during the day at a public location. Choose a park, mall or city landmark.
• Choose a casual first date activity. As this is your first official meeting, you don't want to get locked into a whole evening of events. Simple activities, like grabbing dessert or taking a walk, are ideal. It allows time for talking, but doesn't last for hours.
• When the date is over, don't make any specifics. While you may have had a wonderful time, you're date might be thinking otherwise. On the other hand, if you had an awful time, it's polite to notify them by email later on that you're no longer interested. End with a, "We'll talk soon" or "Send me an email."

With Internet dating, it's bound to happen, you realize you're not really interested in someone. Maybe their dating personal was well-written, but the actual person can't carry on a conversation. Maybe you even met this person offline and realized they just aren't your type. Whatever the reason, realizing you're not interested or telling someone you're not can be tricky.

Tips for Responding to Someone You're Not Interested in:

If someone contacts you and after viewing their profile, you realize you don't have any interest in them, you'll need to let them know. While it is OK to remain silent if you've never talked to this person before, and they addressed you first, it's more polite to at least say, "Sorry, but I'm not interested." If the person hounds you, ignore them or block their messages.