Appropriate replacement of “nice to meet you” for online salutation?

I would like to use “nice to meet you” in an online email exchange but I feel that meet and see are not appropriate for online use. There is also a question about it.

I have also read somewhere that know is not appropriate, because meeting is not knowing and it should be used when I know someone for some time.

I wish to ask what is appropriate to use? Is there anything to build with connect?

While it does sound a little formal, you could "say":

It's nice to make your acquaintance.

I'm happy to make your acquaintance.

I'm delighted to make your acquaintance.

... and so on.

That said, I don't particularly see anything wrong with using meet. You are simply meeting online which is well-established terminology. The word hear is also used often.

It was nice talking to/with you.

I liked Dancrumb's suggestion of "It was nice chatting/doing business with you". You can also substitute "a pleasure" for the tepid "nice".

Because these are all stock phrases and aren't meant to be taken literally, I don't see what's wrong with saying things like "meeting" or "talking". You both know what you did, so I don't think there's any problem in that context. It's when you talk about what you did to third parties that you need to be careful about what you say you did.

After all, when greeting old friends with something as innocuous as "How's it going?", you don't expect to hear anything more than "Fine, and how's by you?" You don't expect a rant or a jeremiad.

"It's nice to make your acquaintance" is also good, but it's quite formal. Sometimes, though, it's necessary to be formal. But you don't want to come across as the wrong kind of stiff and rigid.

I would use : It is fun talking to you or It is fun chatting with you. The meaning is slightly different and more informal but it is exact replacement of the verbs. About connect- I havent heard phrase with it. Maybe it is better idea to use the type of the communication for that-It is nice having you as facebook, yahoo, google + friend etc.