According to internet media and market research service Nielsen//NetRatings, more than 1.1 million Australians currently use online dating services in Australia, so it's certainly worth throwing a line in the online pond. Here's how to bait your hook and net a time-poor, desire-rich internet lady.



WINDOW-SHOP

"Hunt around and find a site that suits you," says Shimrit Elisar, author of Everyone's Guide To Online Dating. "Some are set up for single parents, some by location and others by hobby or religion."Another good move is to check out the male-to-female ratio before joining.

"Once you've found a few sites you like the look of, sign up for free trials and get searching," says Elisar. We suggest you don't search for the words "mail", "order" or "bride".

GET A WINGWOMAN

"Browse the profile of women you like and make notes about what they're looking for," says dating coach Peter Heskell. "Then find a female friend or relation you trust and together scan about 20 profile of men around your age and note the mistakes they've made, so you can avoid them."

According to Heskell, the top three mistake men make are choosing an unappealing profile name, sounding too picky and leaving profile sections blank.

CHOOSE GOOD PHOTOS

Post four photos: a head shot, body shot and two action pics that show your personality. If you have a pic of you and your dog, slap it up there. Researchers at St Edward's University in Texas found people are rated more attractive when accompanied by a pet.

WATCH YOUR FINGERS

"Give your spelling a once-over before you hit return," says Jane Hoskyn. "A profile littered with spelling mistakes - or worse, ‘zany' spellings - make you look uneducated." And according to the University of Chicago, good education is a must-have of female internet daters.

"The same goes for profiles full of ‘subtle' sexual references or written all in caps; it's the equivalent of bellowing in her ear." That might work fine in a nightclub, but it doesn't here.

"Lose the ‘honey', ‘sweetie', ‘sugar'," advises Jodie Brittain, CEO of Aussie online dating service . "You hardly know them."

FINDING YOUR MATCH

"When looking at profiles, remember that women will only use photos that are particularly flattering," warns Elisar. "Warning signs are pouty photos, which narrow the face and hype up the cheekbones and anything that appears airbrushed or professionally taken."

To weed out potential bunny boilers, click past anyone whose profile expresses negativity, even if it's about something like a TV show or food.

FIRST CONTACT

Narrow your search results down to 15 winners, then send each a personalised note.

"Don't write generic messages. It doesn't take a genius to realised they're getting spammed," says Elisar.

"Women get more than 10 times as many responses as men on dating sites," says Heskell. "You need to stand out by showing you want to make a connection based on more than just her holiday snaps."

Email about three times a day to build up a rapport. Suggest a date after five to seven days.

THE DATE

"Make sure it's somewhere public," says Elisar. "Don't let the fact that you know her favourite ice-cream flavour blind you to the fact that she's a total stranger.

"Don't have dinner, have a coffee instead, says relationships psychologist Dr Matthew Bambling, of Queensland University of Technology, "The pressure of having to sit through a whole dinner if you realise the person is not what you imagined is not worth it, and you can go your separate ways less awkwardly after a coffee."

THE AFTERMATH

"After fake photos, a woman's biggest complaint is that her e-date doesn't contact her afterwards," says Heskell. "If there was no spark, send a polite email saying you had a great time, but you'd be better as friends."

"If you do like her, send a text of email the next day saying you had a great time and you'd like to see her again, but leave the ball in her court," says Elisar. Use the three message rule (see point 6); you want her to take up your offer, not take out a restraining order.