If it helps, most matches go nowhere and that is normal rather than a failure — nobody tells you this at the start. Is there a popular german dating site for Americans looking to relocate?
Broadly speaking, a photo that looks like you on a normal day does more work than a staged one — that is the bit I would tell anyone signing up today.
For what it is worth, protecting your own details costs nothing and saves a lot — i would not have believed it a year ago.
Having tried a few, comparing your results to anyone else's is a losing game — it sounds obvious written down, but it took a while to land.