The bar scene is disappearing and may soon be a distant memory. Don't believe me? Research has shown that Americans are spending more than a billion dollars a year on internet dating! This means that a lot of the girls you used to be able to find at the bar may have migrated to the web. If you don't join them then you may miss out.

Everyday new guys are laying claims to internet dating being the reason they met that special girl, but you can also find bitter stories of guys who say that they spent 3 months online only to be disappointed again and again. This may be because they quit trying to find someone online before they figure out how the guys who are succeeding at online dating are doing it.

Remember that the guys with the best profiles, photos, and messages are the guys who score the most replies and dates. With a little practice you can be one of those guys instead of one of the bitter and lonely guys who have nothing to show for their experience, except their unwillingness to try it again. Here are some tips to help you out.

Be Selective About Your Picture from Her Point of View

Photos can make or break you online. If she's sees someone she is not interested in then she will not even bother to read about you. Instead she will click off and look for another guy who catches her interest.

Make sure to pick a picture that you have had great reviews on from friends, facebook, or even forums such as yahoo answers. If everyone else thinks that the photo of you is hot then chances are the girls online will too.

Also try to pick a picture that has something going on besides just you smiling at the camera. You want your picture to tell a story about you and not just show your pretty face off. If you have a picture with awesome scenery or an interesting place that you have been in it then use it. The girls will take the time to figure out where you were and then relate that to you. For example, if your background is a plane or cruise ship then the girls will probably associate you with travel, adventure, and fun.

Mix Up the Photos Once in a While

You should change your photo every so often using the same criteria above to decide which photo to use you. This is because different girls have different tastes, and a girl who is into spending time at a cabin by the lake will not want a guy who appears to be travelling all the time or too busy for her liking.

Choose a wide variety of activities in the background and see which one gets you the most responses. You can always stick with a picture that seems to be pulling in a lot of girls until you find that it has lost the audience it once had.

The point is don't stick with a picture if it's not working.

Make Your Message Stand Out

It's very common to write "Hey, how's it going?" or something similar when messaging a girl, and because she has probably received a lot of messages like that yours may not stand out in the bunch. The best thing you can do if you want to be noticed is to be unique and to stand out.

Try taking a look at her profile and commenting on something that may catch her attention. For instance, if she is fishing in her profile picture then send a message with the subject line "Fishing for a girl who likes...fishing." While it may seem kind of cheesy it still will get her attention and make her check out your profile at least.