First of all you need to write a good profile, one that will catch people's attention. Women for example should avoid the pitfall of mentioning sex; it will lead to the wrong kind of responses. Men should write about themselves and not just what they are interested in e.g. football.

Please try to remember what you are trying to gain out of dating; a long term relationship. Therefore be prepared to put some effort into your profile, a little work at the outset will make it so much easier to attract the right sort of person for you. Try to identify your traits, are you a naturally happy person, are you outgoing or shy? Try to give your prospective date some real information about your character. If you have a particular hobby or something you enjoy doing, for example - cooking, let them know about it.

People often ask if they should include a photo with their profile. I would advise that it is best that you should include both a full length photo and a close up one. But please remember to make that recent ones! Don't be tempted into including a 10 year old photo because you will get caught out! It is a fact however that dating profiles that include photos attract more responses than those without; I guess people like to see what they are getting!

So, once you have got a date, what should you do and what are the no no's?

Men - tips for you...

Listen to what the woman is saying and take an interest; ask her questions on what she is talking about. Try to ask questions that encourage conversation rather than just a yes or no answer. For example, you could ask what was it about a book that made them like it rather than 'did you like the book?'

Never talk about your previous relationships; it's not something she wants to hear about!

Always tell the truth on a date, if you don't it will catch up with you somewhere down the line!

Don't go overboard on the Dutch courage! A couple of drinks to be sociable are ok but don't get drunk - you won't make a good impression. You make think your telling the funniest jokes and talking perfectly normally but believe me, you aren't! I know because my wife tells me so!

On to the tips for the ladies!

Try and compliment the man -he will love you for it. Praise him for what he is good at and don't criticize him over his bad points.

Try to be positive when talking with him; don't discuss your previous relationships in detail.

Be confident. Men are attracted to confident women. There subconsciously feel that a confident woman has the ability to attract men more easily than a not so confident woman, so the fact you are with him will flatter him!

Keep eye contact for that little bit longer than normal. This is a sure fire sign for the man that you are interested in him, but subtle.