*This post was sponsored by Wiltshire Dating Site

Coronavirus put us in the weird position of not being able to leave our houses unless we needed shopping or medication. That doesn’t exactly help your dating life, does it? Before this all happened, people were coming around to the idea of online dating. When people are faced with no choice during lockdown, they more than likely find that online dating is quite a good idea. Local dating sites allow you to meet people based in your area. Sites like Wiltshire Dating are great for meeting local singles who are in the same boat as you. A lot of local dating sites also have free membership options available if you just want to dip your toes in the dating pool at first to see how you get on. If you are going to use a local dating site, here are my tips.

Make sure your profile stands out

To be honest, how many times have you scrolled through a dating site to see profile after profile saying the same thing? Local dating sites like Wiltshire Dating Site have options for you to have a very detailed profile. This is a lot better than dating sites that rely on pictures and one line about yourself. Not only do you have the option to make your profile detailed, but you can state exactly what you are looking for, which saves a lot of time down the line. Honesty is the best policy on a dating profile. It is all well and good lying to try and make yourself sound more interesting, but if you lie on your profile you could end up having absolutely nothing in common with your date.

Choose a great profile photo

Most dating sites work in such a way that you can have a few photos on your profile, but one is the main one. It’s important not to be tempted to filter or edit your picture too much, as that will spell disaster when you meet in real life. One of my bugbears is when people have a group of friends as their profile photo. If I need to put in too much effort to work out who you are, I’m scrolling right past.

Pick a great local date

It wouldn’t be an article about dating in Wiltshire without mentioning Stonehenge. They have a great visitor centre, which includes a gift shop and a cafe. You can easily spend a whole afternoon there, and with the first lockdown restrictions easing just before summer and allowing us to meet for walks, it is the perfect location. If a walk around an English Heritage site is a bit slow-paced for you, you wouldn’t believe how many good bars there are there. The Boot Inn is the most top-rated pub/restaurant in Wiltshire on TripAdvisor, and they serve vegan food, so they cater to everyone. If you want to get all dressed up and go somewhere fancy, Maul’s Wine and Cheese bar is perfect for you. Wiltshire is full of rustic country pubs and sophisticated wine bars, so you will be spoiled for choice.