In our digital world, lining up a date is as easy as brushing your teeth. A potential partner is just a click or swipe away, but finding real love is more of a challenge.

Here are some tips for finding a real relationship through dating apps and websites!

Get offline

Although dating apps connect you to a wider group of people, you should not waste your time chatting to someone online. Meeting someone in real life is the best way to know if your potential love interest is a good fit and if it feels right. Don’t let online chats or text exchanges go on for weeks before you meet. Once you make the connection, call them and set up a date. Calling them will help you quickly figure out whether or not this is someone you want to meet in real life!

Do something fun

When you’re deciding where you want to meet up, don’t choose a dinner date because if it goes poorly, then you’re stuck there for two hours! Grab coffee or drinks to get to know each other. Shorter dates take the pressure off. Have your first date at a location where you can do something, like bowling, ice skating, or walking in the park. By partaking in an activity together, you can see if you bond, rather than just trying to connect through conversation.

Do not get discouraged

You will have to go through a lot in order to meet your prince or princess! We tend to start developing feelings for potential partners even before we meet them face to face. It’s so easy to get carried away with the image of who you think that person might be, and the longer you wait before meeting them in real life, the more your fantasy will develop. This will set you up for disappointment because they might not live up to your expectations once you meet them. This hinders you from giving that person a real chance. Don’t get discouraged if you have one bad date. Keep going on more dates and keep an open mind.

Try multiple platforms

Hinge, Bumble, OkCupid — there are so many different ways to meet people. Former editor and chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Joanna Coles, talks about this in her new book, Love Rules: How To Find Love In A Digital World. She thinks that dating apps are “fantastic, but they do not come with operating instructions." It is important to try out all the options, but also remember to be smart about it. Be careful with how you use your energy and do not let “finding the one" control your life. Focus on yourself and the right one will come!