This week I've been thinking about communication, and some of the difficulties it causes people in the world of online dating.

Did you know that, when communicating with someone, only 7% of what we actually say is verbal? I kid you not; the rest is all to do with tone and body language. So, obviously, trying to chat online turns this all a bit topsy-turvy, and that can be where online dating begins to get people get a bit confused and flustered.

But never fear! In order to take some of the mystery and the fear out of it once and for all, I'm going to give you a few tips to help you talk to people and express yourself as clearly (and sexily) as possible online. Read on for some great ideas that you can use to become more effective in your online communication.

1. Improve your online matches by being clear about what you want.

Do you keep getting messages from people you have absolutely nothing in common with? People you couldn't talk to for five minutes in person? The first step to improving your online communication is to start communicating with the right people, and you can help to draw the right people to you by letting them know exactly what you're looking for in your online dating profile.

And that means that YOU need to know exactly what you're looking for. Take a few minutes to consider the values that are most important to you in a potential partner. Do you want someone to party with, or someone to stay in with? Someone who shares your drive to succeed, or someone to chill out with? Someone who'll come to the gym with you, or someone who'll eat lots of dinners (and desserts!) with you?

Have at least two values that are important to you, note them in your profile, and don’t comprise on them. Don't be afraid to let people know that you're looking for someone honest and driven, or fun and well-mannered. If you put this information out there from the beginning, you're less likely to get messages from people you just don't click with, and therefore less likely to have to engage in awkward, futile conversation!

2. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

It's amazing how much people change when communicating through the internet. Give people the opportunity to be anonymous, and manners and respectability often just fly out the door!

So be polite, be respectful, be considerate. For example, if you're messaging someone and decide that, actually, you're not really interested any more, don't just 'fall off the face of the earth'. Send them a short and respectful note letting them know that you're pursuing some other matches and wish them the best of luck. You might think it's a waste of time, but put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Or remember a time when someone you were interested just up and disappeared. A little kindness goes a long way.

Hold yourself to the same standards online as you would in real life, and other people will be much more eager to talk to you. Nobody likes rudeness or ignorance!

3. Take the time to find out about other people.

One of the keys to good communication is talking about something that interests the other person. You can get a get a pretty clear picture of someone's interests by carefully reading their profile and by taking a closer look at the pictures they've posted. Do they mention reading a lot? Are half of their pictures taken on a football pitch? Did they dress up as their favourite film character last Halloween?

Just take a few minutes to notice these things, and you'll have yourself some great conversation fodder. Drop this information into the conversation in a subtle way, and you will make the other person feel great about themselves. It shows you are interested in them and that you're taking the time to learn as much as you can about them.

4. Leave the past in the past!

When having conversations online, it's best to keep your conversation bright and cheerful, since this will definitely make the best first impression. Talk about positive things that you're doing, or that you're going to do. Keep your conversation mostly in the future tense; nobody wants to hear about your last breakup or your awful ex.

If you bond a bit more with someone, then you can talk about more serious things, but keep things light and easy at first - it makes communication much easier.

5. Make it easy to make the first move.

There are so, so many ways to approach a person, that sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. At AnotherFriend.com, you can Wink, Instant Message or do a Video Chat, all of which are great fun once you get started, but... where to start??? Since there are so many ways to express an interest in others, it could help if you let others know what the best way to start talking to you is. A simple sentence in your profile is all it takes! Maybe, "Interested? Just Wink!" or "If you'd like to get to know me better, send me a quick message, don't be shy!"

Making yourself approachable takes the terror out of making the first move, and will make people much more eager to get talking to you.

How do you feel about your own online communication? Do you find it difficult? Easier than talking to people in person? I'd love to hear your opinions, so leave a comment and let me know!