Valentine’s Day is almost here, so we invited Dating Ring CEO Shearly Markowicz to talk about the company and give advice how to find love online. Dating Ring first came to fame when it was profiled by the Gimlet podcast, "StartUp” season 2.

Online dating has lost its stigma and gone mainstream. But do these sites really work? According to the Pew Research Center, six in ten people say online dating is a good way to meet people. But Consumer Reports’ gave online dating sites the lowest satisfaction scores the magazine has seen for any rated service in two decades - even lower than cable TV companies!

Her company is a hybrid - part data, part human matchmaker. Dating Ring uses the algorithms used by online dating sites, but then a matchmaker steps in to help refine the process. "We really try to bring the human element in because that's what I think is lacking in the other dating sites," says Shearly. "We meet with people and get to know their personalities"

Tips for online daters:

Be bold, be persistent and be open-minded. Make the first move. Don’t be discouraged if the person you like doesn’t respond immediately, they are probably busy and you haven’t become a priority—yet.
Put yourself out there. Dating is a numbers game to some extent. Going on more dates improves your odds of meeting somebody special.
Be realistic and open-minded. Don’t make your search too narrow.
Be kind. According to Shearly,“When I ask people what are the top qualities they are looking for, the first one that they say is ‘kind.” On that note, how do you gracefully tell someone you aren’t interested? Don’t ghost—avoid—them. Just say, “I’m sorry it wasn’t a fit for me, but it was really nice to meet you.”
Having the right photos are critical. Smile. Don’t post selfies and if you take a group photo don’t stand next to the most attractive person in the room.