When initiating a conversation with someone from an online dating website, a tip to the wise: make sure your note is something personal and specific to the person whose interest you are trying to attract. This online dating tip applies doubly to men than it does for women, unfortunately.

Why? Women, on average, get twenty times more responses to their profiles compard to men. Similar to the offline world, online dating is usually instigated by the man in a heterosexual pairing.

But how do you make this online dating tip work for you? Read the profile of the person you are trying to attract very carefully. Take a couple of minutes, and make notes if required. Then, when you start writing that first email, comment on the items mentioned that caught your interest.

For instance, "I noticed that you are an animal lover. Do you have any pets?" or, "Wow, a fellow urban spelunker! We are a rare breed. How did you get into the study of urban archaeology?"

When you use the same email to send out to everyone that catches your fancy in the online dating world, it smacks of rudeness and insincerity. It's not hard to spot a fake in person, and it's even easier to spot one online. Take some time to make your first inquiry something original, unique, and interesting.

Most online dating tip websites also add that you should make as little of the first message about you as possible, and focus instead on the person you are emailing. In my experience, I've found that this is sound advice. Focus on the person you are trying to get to know, without making it sound like you are playing 20 questions. Of course, you can add some tips about yourself in the online dating response. And it's probably a good idea if you think about it - otherwise the other person is left thinking, "Um, who IS this person?".