Top 20 Tips For Online Dating Over 40

Welcome to Online Dating Bootcamp: Day 12! Today is all about online dating for the mature adult, featuring advice from YourTango Experts Sally Landau & Julianne Cantarella. (Wanna brush up on Bootcamp Days 1-11? Start here.)

Think that online dating is only for people in their twenties and thirties? Think again. Increasingly, the over-40 set is getting in on the action. But diving into online dating past a certain age can be overwhelming. Thankfully, our experts have put together 20 tips to make for a significantly smoother ride.

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1. Get started. The first hurdle is to wrap your head around this new online dating adventure. After all, unless you work for the human resources department of a big company, where else are you going to meet as many eligible singles? Remember: all the good ones are not actually taken. They are online looking for you right now! —Sally Landau

2. Choose a site. Go ahead, Google dating sites, sit back and smile. There are so many. Some are free; some have fees. You will discover sites catering to certain age groups, specific ethnicities, religious faiths, gender preferences, educational levels and more, making it easy for you to find a comfortable fit. Get started. Choose one and sign up! —Sally Landau

3. Own your experience. You know yourself much better than you did 20 years ago, and you have a better idea of who you are and who you want in your life. Plus, you're less afraid to express both. Make a list of these qualities. It will come in handy when you write your profile. —Sally Landau

4. Keep your profile short and simple. In describing that ideal partner, keep it short and simple. When your list of expectations is too long, it begins to look like demands ... very challenging for others to fulfill, and likely to repel some great candidates. Be aware of your dealbreakers, but don't list them in your profile. —Sally Landau

5. Know your competition. Spend some quality time, maybe two hours, and look at your competition on that site. Notice what you like, and more so, what's repetitive and boring. Make sure your profile stands out from the rest. —Sally Landau

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