Before you can share any of these hilarious memes with a significant other, you’ll need to find that person. But as you might have discovered, it’s often easier said than done. The search for love takes a fair amount of time. And effort. And sometimes heaps of frustration. The good news is, nowadays you can start your search from the comfort of your couch.

Blaine Anderson is an expert in navigating the wild world of dating in the 21st century. She’s helped thousands of people get off their dating apps. And into a real relationship. She’s the founder of Dating With Blaine and kindly agreed to help us to help you. Stop swiping left and right for a moment. And keep scrolling down, for a deep dive into the daring journey of dating in the digital age.

We began by asking our expert whether dating apps are overrated. Should we rather be taking the more old school, traditional approach to meeting Mr. or Ms. Right? “Dating apps are definitely not the best way to meet a potential partner,” she said. “Dating apps can be inefficient, because you spend so much time swiping and messaging; expensive, because apps increasingly limit your usage unless you pay for premium features; and limiting, because so many singles don't use them altogether.”

Anderson had some stats to back up her statement. “I informally surveyed over 13,000 single women in the U.S. and U.K. on Instagram earlier this year, and literally 97% said they'd prefer to meet their future boyfriend IRL, versus online. I'm not sure 97% of people would agree the sky is blue, so that says something!” she revealed.

But the dating coach added that if she were to recommend an app, it'd have to be Hinge. "It's geared toward relationships (versus casual hookups), and it tends to have the biggest and most attractive userbase of similar apps," explained Anderson.

Just because people would prefer to meet their potential life partner in real life, doesn’t mean they aren’t downloading dating apps anyway. According to these stats, over 380 million people use them globally. If you’re already one of them, or are considering it, Anderson has this advice: “First and foremost, don't over-rely on dating apps! Apps like Hinge are just one of many ways you can meet potential partners, and rarely the most effective."

Anderson says some people don't realize just how important their profile photos are. And really need to up their game "Deliberately get better photos," she advised. "Prospective matches won't ever bother reading your bio if your photos aren't good, so focus there first. Your goal with your photos is to visually tell the story of who you are — you want to highlight your hobbies, and your personality. Getting great photos is hard work, and I recommend hiring a professional photographer to all of my clients."

Once you've spruced up your photos, pay careful attention to how you market yourself. And above all, be true to you. “Your goal with your dating app bio is to write something that's uniquely ‘you’, both because you want to attract the right person, and because you need to stand out," said Anderson. "The key is getting granular with details. Don't just say that you like brunch — talk about where you go to brunch, and what you order. Dig one level deeper with your bio and prompts, and you'll get more matches!" See here for some hilarious Tinder bios shared online.

Great photos? Check. Captivating and unique bio? Check. The matches should start coming in. Even if only one or two. But it's important to strike while the iron is hot. “Remember that the point of dating apps is to get on a date, so don't waste time going back and forth via text before you ask your match out," warned Anderson. "It's usually okay to exchange just 1-2 messages before setting up a date, and you want to avoid becoming someone's penpal.”

Not everyone is out to really meet someone. Some are swiping for fun. Or even just to beat boredom. "The key red flag to look out for when messaging a match is avoiding meeting up for a date!" Anderson told Bored Panda. "Some people are just looking for penpals online — don't waste your time on them. It's OK to exchange a few messages to get to know someone, but if they're not willing to meet up for a date after that, move on."

If all goes well, you can kiss you couch goodbye. For a little while at least. Get up, get dressed and out the door to your date. Put your best foot forward. But don't let your guard down. As exhilarating as it can be meeting someone new, there could be dangers lurking around the corner.

“When it comes to meeting up in-person, it's a red flag if your match is trying to insist on a private or secluded location. Always meet up with matches in busy public places — remember, no matter how perfect your match might seem, they're still a stranger from the internet.”

Here are some other dating red flags people wish they'd paid attention to. Take a moment to read them before you embark on your quest for love. We at Bored Panda wish you luck! And when you do find that special someone, please don't forget to tell us all about it in the comments.