Regardless of what some think, life does not end at the age of 50 and romance is not reserved only for the young. Don’t buy into such misconceptions! It is never too late to find love. Given contemporary society’s higher divorce rate and a longer life expectancy, mature online dating is an increasingly popular phenomenon. If you are in the position of resuming dating after a long time, we’ve got some tips for you about the best dating sites for seniors.

Unlike when you were younger, meeting someone in person is no longer the only option. Instead of asking to be set up through friends or meeting someone at a party or event, online dating has become very common. In fact, one in five relationships and one in three marriages now start online. Those are pretty good statistics! There are online dating sites that are specifically dedicated to the senior crowd as well as dating websites that attract people of all ages.  Sometimes, by sheer virtue of their size and reputation, websites that do not discriminate by age will have even more users in your age range than smaller niche websites. We took it upon ourselves to review dating websites that would appeal to those of a mature age and recommend the top options out there.

Online Dating Tips for Seniors:

Don’t lie about your age

True, you feel young at heart, but that doesn’t mean you should lie about your age when creating your online dating profile. Be honest and proud of how far you’ve come in life! Likewise, use photos that show who you are now, not at age 20. Include at least one picture of only you. If it’s a group photo, those who are looking at your profile might not be able to tell which person is you in the photo! Generally, it’s a good idea to provide more than one photo so that people can get more of an idea of who you are.

Don’t skimp on your profile

Sure, it seems like a lot of questions now, but these questions can help ensure that you receive more appropriate matches. Take the time to answer them fully and truthfully. In sections where you can write about yourself, there’s no need to include your entire life story. Instead, write a brief paragraph explaining who you are and what you’re looking for in a relationship in your golden years. Try to stay positive — instead of writing, “I can’t stand lazy people,” write that you’d love to meet someone who would go to activities and events with you.

Write a great first message

When you’re ready to send a message to someone whose profile has caught your eye, keep it short and sweet — three to five sentences is usually enough for the first message. Try asking a question or commenting about something specific they mentioned in their profile. You can send longer messages later on as you get to know each other.

Check for messages regularly

You should either set up your dating website notifications to send you an email every time you get a message or you should try to log on and check for new messages once every day or so. You don’t want someone to think you’re not interested when in reality you just didn’t see their message to you!

Plan a first date

After sending messages through the website and eventually exchanging phone numbers to talk on the phone, if you feel like you’re a good match, it’s time to plan your first date! It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive. Plan to meet at a coffee shop or somewhere else in public where it’s quiet enough for you to talk and get to know each other more. You should each take your own transportation there instead of having one person pick up the other. You may both feel a little nervous at first if this is your first time dating in a while, but take a deep breath and relax. Try not to feel like this one date is the be-all and end-all — it will only make you feel more pressured and nervous! Instead, just tell yourself that you’re meeting someone new for coffee, and enjoy the experience!

See each date as a fresh start

When you first start exploring online dating you might find yourself shocked and excited by the sheer amount of options at your disposal. There’s a good chance you’ll go on plenty of first dates before you find someone you want to spend more time with. Each date is a new opportunity for romance. This is a cardinal dating rule for all ages. For better or for worse, try to resist the temptation of comparing each person you meet with your ex-spouse. Learn from the mistakes of the past without punishing each woman or man for what someone else did to you. On the other hand, be aware that each person is unique and you cannot find your cherished spouse’s perfect clone.

Practice internet safety

While the best senior dating sites will verify the identities of their users, there are unfortunately scammers who sometimes get through on some sites. For this reason, it’s important to be aware and practice internet safety. Usually, they are looking for money. They will start messaging you and form a connection, and once they think they’ve got you in their snares, they’ll come up with a sob story about why they need you to wire them money. How can you protect yourself? See if their profile photos look realistic or as if they are stock photos to pick out who might be fake. If they claim to be a native English speaker but it doesn’t seem that way in the way they write, that is another red flag. They may also come up with excuses as to why they cannot meet you in person or sometimes even talk on the phone. If they ask for money, don’t give it to them and report their profile to the website’s customer service team.

Certain senior dating sites have extra site safety features. For example, Silver Singles has a page dedicated to “Staying safe” tips. The site uses SSL Encryption and Fraud Detection Systems. Furthermore, there are options to block members at any time, report a profile with the touch of a button, and even unmatch so that certain members won’t be able to contact you any further. Automatic message censorship is a nice built-in feature that detects offensive language and will block these messages from being received on your end.