Online dating gets so much buzz, you might get the impression that once you post a profile you will be flooded with hundreds of potential partners and that meeting them will be void of stress and awkward moments. You are wrong.

Video chat before you meet up in person. Once you have matched with a potential date and chatted, consider scheduling a video chat with them before meeting up in-person for the first time. This can be a good way to help ensure your match is who they claim to be in their profile. If they strongly resist a video call, that could be a sign of suspicious activity.

Online dating gets so much buzz, you might get the impression that once you post a profile you will be flooded with hundreds of potential partners and that meeting them will be void of stress and awkward moments. You are wrong.

People put a lot of stock in the meeting story,” said Slater. “If you go to a cocktail party and talk to couples, often times the conversation will go to how they met, and if you don’t have that fun story to tell, maybe, for some people, it feels like they’ve been deprived of something.

Before venturing online, figure out if the idea of a serendipitous meeting, however mundane is preferable to what [can feel like] an overly structured way of meeting online. Because if you can’t imagine telling your grandmother that you met your “special friend” and the thought of lying makes you cringe, you might want to stick to the old-fashioned way of meeting someone.

Chances are, if you’ve got a type, there’s a site for it. Are you a Mac of PC person? A Democrat or a Republican? Jewish or Catholic? Before investing in a paid subscription, be sure to look beyond the big name sites like Match.com and eHarmony, especially if you there’s a characteristic that’s a must-have for you.