For at least the last decade, the internet/online dating website has grown from a concept that geeks and losers would have to resort to, to become a social phenomenon that is not only socially acceptable, but is actually the preferred way many people, including extremely attractive people, would like to meet new people.
However, this is also fraught with dangers, as for most online dating websites, your online profile is the FIRST thing someone will see.
If it is not up to scratch, it will also be the LAST thing they see of you! For most dating sites, there will be counters that will let you know how many people view your profile.
If you have a profile online and you are not getting many views, or if you are getting a lot of views but no one responding to you, your profile may need some work.
If you are in this situation, this article may be the best thing for you! Grab Their Attention Remember, you are trying to sell yourself (so to speak) to people to advertise the fact that you are someone worth dating.
Like a good ad exec, you need to do something to get their attention! You need to make sure you put your profile in an area where when people search, your name will be one of the first names to come up.
To do this, you need to explore the website to see what types of information people can find.
A good headline will also be a huge advantage, but more about this later in the article! A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words This is crucial.
You MUST ensure you have a photo of yourself on your profile.
Most people will only choose to respond to people who have a photo of themselves posted.
If you don't have a photo posted, people may become suspicious and wonder what you've got to hide.
Even if you have a photo that isn't very flattering, it's still better than none at all.
If you don't have a photo, get a friend to help you out.
Digital photography makes it so easy these days so you don't need to worry about scanners.
A good idea is to make sure you use natural light and that it shines on your face.
Don't worry about nude photos or other photos that would make you come across as a bit, well, unsavoury.
That is, unless you want to attract the same type of people! Extra! Extra! Read All About Me! As alluded to before, a great headline will attract a lot of people, even if they only read your profile once.
Therefore, you should put a lot of effort into this part.
Having the headline, "Desperate for a date" or "looking for a boyfriend" will not get many views by people of good quality.
However, having a headline like "Anyone for tennis?" or "Feel like going on a picnic?" will show that you have more interests and would probably prefer meeting someone of quality as opposed to a casual fling.
Your username also works the same way.
A username like "Steve123" sounds pretty boring, but something like "EaglesFan2006" sounds a bit more fun and will likely attract people with a similar interest, assuming you are an Eagles fan! The main thing is that you want your headline and username to say something about you that you want other people to know about.
If you can do this in as few words as possible, you will be surprised how many hits you'll end up with! However, be warned! Disgusting sexual names and phrases will be unattractive to most people, but there are proper websites where these would be better suited.
Call Me Later? One last thing you need to consider is to ensure you respond to ALL messages you receive, even if you are not interested.
Most sites will actually list the percentage of messages a person views and replies to and how often they reply.
If your profile shows that you only viewed 15% of your messages and replied to only 10% of your messages, a person may be discouraged from sending you a message as it is clear you reply to very few messages anyway.
Do you want to take the chance of missing out on meeting someone who thinks this? However, if someone sees you read 100% of your messages and reply to 93% of your messages, a person will be less likely to be shy and will send you a message.
Just remember, even a person you are not interested in would still probably like to know that, so remember to be polite and courteous, even if it's just to say "Thanks, but no thanks".
Remember, when creating your online profile, you need to be creative, responsive, but above all, honest! You need to grab people's attention to tell them how great you would be for them! It may take a little bit of hard work, but the payoff can be worth it.
Six years later I'm still reaping the benefits of online dating, as I have a beautiful wife that I'm still madly in love with and we have two gorgeous daughters that I adore.
Don't you think you deserve the same? Of course you do, so get to it! Good luck!