20 Ways to Make Online Dating Work

online dating

Times have improved since the days when the only way to meet new people was in bars, pubs and clubs. There are lots of places and means to do so now! True love could even be at your fingertips and you could find your special someone online too.

Our dating expert claims that in order to find a quality partner, quantity matters too. By this, they explained that casting a wider net to meet more interesting people is of vital importance. Experience more people and you’ll know you’re not settling for less than you deserve. 

Online dating may seem challenging because the difficulties are often reminiscent of long-distance relationships… Couples dating online may struggle with not seeing each other in person.  A recent study shows, however, that online, long-distance relationships are not impossible to maintain. They simply require some work and commitment. Remember that any relationship online or offline can last if both partners communicate with each other cleanly and clearly. Today I’m going to share with you 20 ways of making online relationships last.

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The importance of having compatible values

  1. Aligned interests and values. An online relationship that can last must have compatible value systems. Basically, that means your values and your partner’s values have to be able to co-exist. Let’s say your interests lie in self-improvement and education, and so you read a book every month. In contrast, if your partner only wants to watch TV all day long and waste time on the couch, you might find it a bit hard to respect their interests in their spare time. You could probably say you don’t have compatible interests here.
  2. On a deeper level, if you value conflict resolution but your partner chooses to avoid addressing conflict, these may be incompatible values too. If, however, the both of you have common values, it’s much easier for you to spend quality time with one another and at peace. This helps you to build a high-quality relationship on the values you hold dearest to you. It also helps you to create a strong and solid emotional connection with your partner online.
  3. You could consider taking up a hobby together. A hobby that you are genuinely interested in represents who you really are. If you and your partner can find something that both of you are genuinely passionate about, you should totally take up a new hobby together, e.g., reading, writing, cooking, fitness, music, etc. When you start a new hobby together, you always have something exciting to talk about online. 

Compatible values and complementary interests are paramount for you two to have a fruitful and fulfilling relationship. I would argue that having compatible value systems is the No. 1 item that you need to keep on your list of standards when you are looking for a partner who can build a beautiful relationship with you in the long term. The next item that you have to pay attention to is effective communication.

The power of effective communication:

  1. Varying your modes of communication is the best way to add some variety to your online dating experience (variety is the spice of life). This keeps the spark alive and makes long-distance relationships work. You may try texts, instant messages, voice calls, video calls, emails and even hand-written letters as a way to express yourself and keep in touch with your partner. These days there are lots of options out there. How many modes of communication have you tried so far?
  2. Communicate with your partner often and creatively. In order to make an online relationship last, you would be well-advised to communicate with your partner at least once a day. Also, you can communicate with each other creatively, e.g., by writing love letters/poems, singing karaoke on YouTube, etc.

Yes, capable daters are fascinating communicators. Apart from good communication skills, you also need another key item on your list of standards while looking for a partner online: respect.

Respect is the prerequisite of a real relationship.

  1. Conflict is inevitable in every relationship. Conflict will happen, that’s a given. The real question is how you handle conflict in your relationship. Our dating coach suggests that resolving conflict with empathy and respect early in your relationship is key.
  2. Always respect your partner’s time. Never take your partner’s time for granted. Remember: your partner is investing their time and energy in this long-distance relationship with you, and time is your partner’s most valuable resource in life. You can always get your money back, but you can never get your time back. That’s why time is a finite resource that everyone must cherish deeply. 
  3. Authenticity helps you to remain honest. The more authentic a person is, the more attractive this person becomes. Never lie to your partner or try to manipulate your partner, because you shouldn’t underestimate your partner’s intelligence – if your partner realizes that you are trying to manipulate the situation or lying, that’s a huge turn-off which destroys the trust in this relationship.

That’s right – respect is the most essential aspect of a marvelous relationship. Now let’s have a look at some other essential elements of a phenomenal relationship.

Essential elements in a sustainable relationship:

  1. Communicate your expectations to your partner early and honestly & listen carefully when your partner voices their expectations. Expectations can include how frequently you would like to chat with each other online, how many times you would like to see each other in person every year when you are looking to get married, and so on.
  2. Voice your needs to make sure that you are always on the same page. Are you aware of your real needs? Do you have emotional and/or physical needs that should be met? Both you and your partner are supposed to communicate your needs to each other clearly so that you know you’ve found the right person who can really meet these needs in reality.
  3. Maintain your independence at all times. No matter you are in an online relationship or an offline relationship, you have to maintain your independence because you can’t let the relationship control your life. For example, if you are keen to go to Japan and spend a week there but your partner isn’t interested, you should probably go to Japan with a friend of yours who shares this interest with you because life is short – the average person only has approximately 30,000 days in a lifetime, so you have to make every day count. Therefore, please don’t lose your sense of individuality; this relationship is very important and requires effort. Nonetheless, please be sure to pursue your own dreams and means of self-improvement.
  4. Have some basic principles or ground rules. When you have several principles that both of you stick to, you can manage expectations effectively. For instance, a good rule is never to contact each other after 10 pm (in everyone’s local time zone) so that you and your partner can have enough sleep at night.
  5. Give each other space. In order to make online dating work for you, you need to give each other enough space, no matter whether it’s a long-distance relationship or not, because everyone needs sufficient space so as to feel freedom as an individual. That means you aren’t supposed to check up on each other.

The above-mentioned five elements in a good relationship shouldn’t be ignored. Apart from that, you also need to prioritize the quality time that you are keen to spend with your partner.

Make sure that you spend enough time with each other.

  1. Stick to your meeting times whenever possible. Let’s say you and your partner have decided to meet each other online at 6 pm in your time zone tomorrow. You should totally be punctual because you need to respect your partner’s time and effort. If you can’t meet your partner online at 6pm tomorrow afternoon, please let your partner know in time beforehand, so that you can maintain good communication and your partner can make other plans for tomorrow afternoon. Note that miscommunication is the root cause of most relationships’ main problems. If you would like to make a long-distance relationship work, you have to be a great communicator. 
  2. Please be mindful of each other’s schedules. Always keep track of time zone differences so that you can make a long-distance relationship work. What’s more, you have to be honest about schedules and understand each other’s priorities & compromise when you can. Of course, as I mentioned previously, you must keep each other updated (yes, I said “must”, not “should”).
  3. Spend quality time together when it’s possible. If geographically and financially possible, please plan for getaways and meetups. This will definitely give you and your partner something wonderful to look forward to. Anticipation turns the spark into a big flame. 😊

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During your quality time together, you and your partner must create a shared vision that will really bring you together offline. Our dating expert states that having a shared vision is the fast track to an outstanding relationship.

Build a shared vision.

  1. Make a team effort. During disagreements with on another, always always remember that it’s you and your partner VS the problem, not you VS your partner. Think and behave like a team all the time – through all the ups and downs in life.
  2. Focus on the big picture. Most couples argue because of small details in life, so every relationship can become better if people aren’t petty. Be sure to have a good sense of humor in your relationship. A major study indicates that successful and happy relationships are best characterized by both partners’ very good sense of humor. Meanwhile, if both of you focus on the big picture rather than the small petty details most of the time, you will be able to sustain an online relationship last.
  3. Do things together. Although you are in two different locations, you can still have virtual dates regularly. The internet is filled with ideas to spend time with our loved ones! Plan in advance for romantic and fun virtual dates too. For example, once a week you could watch a movie on Netflix together, or even cook and eat a meal via video chat. Consider playing online video games together or even starting a book club for two people! Be creative and think outside the box!
  4. Make your partner a part of your life in some small ways. You can put your partner’s photo on the wall or on the fridge at home. Your partner’s photo can even be the wallpaper on your computer or your smartphone. I’m sure when you see your partner’s photo after you wake up in the morning, you’ll be in a good mood which ensures a nice day!
  5. Be involved in each other’s lives in big ways. If your partner is going to start a business and you are a seasoned business owner, perhaps you can send your partner a list of business strategies online. Another example is making plans to actually be together in real life – moving countries/cities so that you can live together soon.

… And that’s that! These are the 20 ways to make long-distance relationships work. Hopefully you find these ideas helpful. More importantly, I don’t think knowledge is power, because I strongly believe that implementing knowledge is power! Hence, you and your partner would be well-advised to tactfully implement what you’ve read in this article, so you can create a satisfying love life together! Now I’m going to share my answers to some frequently asked questions with you below. You are welcome. 😉

Frequently Asked Questions

(bonus tips for long-distance relationships)

  1. Do online relationships usually last?

Answer: The success of a romantic relationship mostly depends on the effort you are happy to put in. According to a survey conducted in the United States, 60% of online relationships last because online relationships are extremely common in this day and age & a large number of people are willing to nurture their online relationships.

  1. How do you keep a healthy online relationship?

Answer: First and foremost, you have to choose the right online dating website. A high-quality dating site needs to be reliable, reputable and trustworthy. It should be a platform for people to find authentic relationships on the Internet. In this way, you know you are able to find someone who is looking for a serious relationship online. Second, honesty is always the best policy. When you communicate with your partner online, please be honest with your partner at all times. This helps you to maintain a healthy long-distance relationship and build the correct foundation for this relationship. Last but not least, if your partner tells you something that is a bit surprising, please don’t judge your partner. If you judge your partner, it will be harder for your partner to be completely transparent and totally honest with you in the future due to fear of being judged by you.

  1. Why are online relationships hard?

Answer: Online relationships may involve some difficulties because two people can’t see each other in real life. This may cause a lack of trust and an absence of connection. Having said that, many people have found very successful online relationships and now they are happily married because they met each other on a legitimate dating website. As a result, though online relationships include certain challenges, a lot of online relationships work very well. As a matter of fact, offline relationships are hard as well because all relationships can be hard, but if you know how to cope with difficulties in relationships, you will be able to find the happiness that you deserve.

  1. Could you please tell me how to make long-distance relationships work?

Answer: The key to a successful long-distance relationship is communication. If you are a highly effective communicator, a long-distance relationship shouldn’t be too hard for you because you are able to communicate your needs and expectations clearly and cleanly. A competent dater is certainly very good at communication and human dynamics, as this person is able to observe other people’s responses and then be well-calibrated enough to adjust what to say and/or what to do next. Calibration is so paramount!

  1. Can you share with me important things to do in an online relationship?

Answer: Yes, I can! First of all, you must avoid playing mind games with your partner online, because authenticity leads to trust which is the most important part in a real relationship. In the second place, you have to avoid playing hard to get because if you need to play hard to get, that usually means you don’t believe that you are a high-value candidate on the dating website. In addition, if you play hard to get, the person you are chatting with online may assume that you are just not interested enough; as a consequence, that person might lose interest in you and then start a conversation with someone else online.

Lastly, you are supposed to build a shared vision with your partner early in the relationship. That means you and your partner should discuss when you will be together in reality. Does anyone need to move countries in order to get married? Be prepared for this kind of big decisions in life if you would like to find a partner from another country via an international dating site like Simply Dating.

  1. How long do online relationships typically last?

Answer: If you don’t take care of your online relationship, the relationship can probably last from 3 months to 3 years. In contrast, if you look after your online relationship, the relationship can last for a lifetime, as evidenced by so many members on SimplyDating.com who have got married because they have found suitable partners on this international dating site! You can read their success stories on this website.

  1. How do you know if a guy loves you online?

Answer: If a guy loves you online, he would contact you every single day because he keeps thinking about you all the time. Moreover, he would find ways to spark interesting conversations while chatting with you on the Internet. He truly cares about your feelings and emotions. Most importantly, his action shows that he wants to look after you! Of course, if he is serious, he should plan to marry you! Are you ready to receive the engagement ring?

  1. What is the success rate of online dating?

Answer: Based on recent research in the United States, the success rate of online dating in 2023 is 59%. This is quite encouraging because the success rate of internet dating is significantly higher than the divorce rate in the United States! 😊

Online dating is the mainstream way for single people to find love in the 21st century. Thus, if you are curious about internet dating, now it’s the right time to start this journey here. SimplyDating.com is an honest Ukrainian dating website where you can meet genuine Ukrainian ladies who are looking for long-term relationships on the Internet.

Online dating may have some challenges, but it’s possible to navigate these in modern-day society. We have so many advanced technologies that can help us to contact each other on the Internet. With some persistence and commitment, you and your partner will sail right through and build an amazing relationship!

It’s time to get ready for a beautiful relationship and join SimplyDating.com where you can find true love online and start a genuine relationship that will make you very happy for the rest of your life.

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