By Adam Dreyfus

There are a lot of really fun, intelligent, and beautiful women looking for love online. So what are you waiting for? Just have fun, be yourself, stay honest, keep the faith, and follow these tips.

1. Don't get discouraged.
   The average woman gets between 50 and 200 replies every time she posts an ad. When you reply to ads, expect a 10 percent success rate.
   
   When you post an ad, expect about five responses. Why? Women don't need to respond to you. They can sit back and let the email roll in. When you get a response, it's likely from a person experienced in online dating who found something special in your profile.
   
   
2. Be proactive.
   Send out a lot of replies (about a dozen a week), but keep your expectations low. It's easy to become frustrated if you're too selective.
   
   
3. Be unusual.
   Most women on the Net sift through dozens if not hundreds of email messages. You need to let your personality shine through.
   
   The first thing she'll see is your subject line. Make sure it's catchy. "I think you're cute" doesn't get you very far. Find something in her profile or description that appeals to you. If she likes movies, putting a catchy movie quote in the subject line is a good idea. It shows that you read her description and that you're creative.
   
   
4. Read her profile.
   You can save yourself a lot of headaches and heartache if you respond to what a woman writes. Tell her what you like and why you're writing. Don't just respond to a person with a cute picture. If you're short, don't respond to a woman who says she only dates tall guys.
   
   
5. Be honest.
   Most people online are honest, but some stretch the truth. Profiles often describe a person's ideal self. Not everyone works out five times a week and never watches TV. Lying about yourself guarantees a bad experience.
   
   Try to be truthful, especially about your appearance. Post a flattering picture that accurately portrays who you are.
   
   Keep in mind that others may not be as honest. People are amazingly talented at choosing pictures that accentuate the positive while hiding the negative.
   
   
6. Don't get too involved too soon.
   Keep flirting to a minimum before you meet, and definitely don't engage in cybersex. It's really easy to get caught up in email and phone calls, but until you meet you have no idea what a person is really like.

Need some more tips about writing a good profile? Trish McDermott, vice president of romance at Match.com, thinks mine is pretty good. Take a look. My user name is heart_lit.

Adam Dreyfus is the booking manager for "Call for Help." Read his staff profile here.