If you've met someone online, and now think this person is a perfect match for you, that's great! But, before you get up and dance around the room, be sure of a few things.

First, if you haven't met in person yet, you can't really be sure of this person's personality. People can put on an act online and never be detected. So, you'll need to make arrangements to meet offline.

If you have already met in person, that's great. As long as you met up on a number of occasions, then you're probably pretty certain that this person is, in fact, a match for you.

Just ask yourself the following questions to be sure:

• Did you feel extremely uncomfortable during your date(s)?
• Did you feel like the two of you had some sort of connection?
• Did you regret anything about this person when you met them offline?
• These questions aren't the concrete determiners of anything, but they'll help you decide. Sometimes being unsure is a sign.

The final thing to do is to talk with your newfound friend. You'll want to make sure the two of you are feeling the same way. In addition, you'll want to discuss the status of your relationship with one another. Are you exclusive? Are you still allowed to see other people? Communication is essential.

During any stage of any relationship you sometimes realize that the person isn't exactly the match you thought they were in the beginning. It is bound to happen during your pursuit of singles online, so be prepared.

If you're unsure as to whether or not you've lost interest in this person, ask yourself a few questions:

• Do you find yourself running out of things to say very quickly?
• Do you still look forward to this person's messages?
• Are you more focused on another single man or single woman you are communicating with?

Depending on your answers to the above questions, you'll know for sure if you are still interested or not. Chances are, however, that if you feel you might not be interested anymore you probably aren't, at least not as much as you once were.

The next step is to inform your cyber friend you're no longer interested. Not doing so is impolite and insensitive. As long as you've been communicating back and forth, you owe some sort of explanation. An email is fine, even if you met this person offline a few times. In your email, just thank the person for the chance to get to know them and notify them that you are no longer interested. You can simply say that you don't think you two are a great match. Don't give too many details or excuses, leave it simple.

If communication between you and a match on an online dating site has progressed smoothly and steadily, you'll soon want to set up a face-to-face meeting. Doing so takes a little bit of planning. First, make sure you are fully ready to meet the single man or single woman you've been communicating with. If you're not ready, but think this person is a great match, wait. If you are uncomfortable meeting someone in person or force yourself, it will show.

Second, arrange to speak to one another on the phone if you haven't yet. Talking via telephone will give you a better idea of whether this person is a good match.

Plan the date together. While the two of you are talking on the phone, or through online messages, pick a time, date and location. Leaving it solely up to someone else is unfair, and might cause upset later if the location or time isn't right. Choose an activity you both enjoy.

Finally, decide how you will find each other. Either inform your friend what you will be wearing that day, or if you are meeting at a mall, pick a storefront to wait in front of.

In your quest to find the perfect single man or single woman and make them yours, there are some other things to remember. These tips will make you even more efficient at contacting singles that match your interests.

• When you first contact someone, mimic the language they used in their own profile. Copying their style of language and phrasing, will make them feel more comfortable and closer to you. Of course, if their language or phrasing style is not you at all, don't change yourself.
• Check your own profile for grammatical errors, typos and misspellings. People will notice your lack of punctuation or capitalization. While you don't have to be an English pro, not following simple conventions makes you look silly.
• When you're browsing through the profiles of potential matches, look at pictures and profiles. Don't focus on one or the other. As humans, we are all attracted to physical attributes, as well as character. You don't, however, want to base decisions solely on looks. Just because this person is physically your type doesn't mean your personalities will match.
• Be honest all the time. Lies will get you into trouble later on.
• Don't let nerves stop you from contacting a potential match. You're online for a reason.

Closely examine a person's profile. Does this single man or woman seem like your type, or do you just like their picture? Look for similarities in interests and hobbies. Also, read through what this single is looking for in a partner. If you possess some of the qualities listed in their description, then you should definitely contact this person.

Before doing so, however, you still need to study their profile. Their personal dating profile is the key to opening up a conversation with them and potentially establishing a connection.

Some other things to look for:

• Interesting hobbies. This information is great because originality and questions coincide. Something that sparks your interest will leave you with curiosity.
• Similar music tastes. You can always strike up a conversation about your mutual favorite artists. And, in the future, maybe the two of you can catch a show together.
• Interesting quotes or descriptions. You can always ask this person where they found a specific quote. In addition, if they are very descriptive, maybe you can ask them about this talent.

Finally, remember that although this personal profile is a gateway for meeting single men and women, it may not always speak the truth. Use it as a basis, but don't view any of it as concrete.