Dating Profiles that Work

Thursday, July 10th

Dating Profiles that Work

Most of us know people who have had great success using a dating website while other friends see little or no dating action. Often the reason between the two stories is simply their profile and what impression it gave off to potential suitors. Writing about yourself doesn't come natural and putting relationship needs and wants into a one page summary takes practice so it's easy for people to make mistakes.

Spend time figuring out what you want in a potential mate and then focus on the following attributes of your profile to improve your chances of attracting the right person.

Tone: The tone of your profile is one of the biggest aspects of the impression you give off. Do you sound confident and upbeat or lacking self confidence. Do you spend more time explaining what you don't want or more time talking about your interests in a positive light? A negative Nelly or a selfish Sally are big turn offs. A nice balance of what you can bring to the table as well as what you're looking for will attract attention from others.

Username: The username is often the first thing someone sees about your profile and will create an initial first impression. A user name that uses profane language or sexual content is likely to turn off many quality singles. In turn, a boring or meaningless username can also have the same effect. Spend time coming up with a username that favorably depicts you and will grab someone's attention.

Mistakes: Bad grammar and spelling can be a huge turn-off for most. This can give the impression that you're lacking brain power and wouldn't put much effort into a relationship. If the website doesn't offer spell check, cut and paste your writing into a word document and search for errors.

Pictures: A profile with no pictures typically receives very few inquiries if any. Appearance is an important aspect of finding someone you have a chemical response to and people tend to avoid those profiles lacking photos. Be sure to include at least one picture but adding various shots of you from face to full body is ideal.

Honesty: Be honest in what you write in your profile. If you really don't want to date anyone older than you than make sure you indicate an accurate age range, height, body shape, religion or any other aspect of a potential mate you find critical. Also be honest about yourself. Lying about your age, income, kids or anything else will eventually lead to failure.

Ask for Feedback: While it may seem a little awkward, ask a close friend that knows you to give you honest feedback regarding your profile. How does it sound? Does it send the wrong message. What would they change?