Knowing how to write a good online dating profile could make the difference between attracting the man of your dreams and wasting time with guys who are not right for you at all. Your profile is your ’store window’, what makes people want to come on in and know you better.

Take time to write your profile – it is important. Often, when a person joins a dating site, the profile is something you have to do right away. The site will not let you get in and see all the other members’ profiles until you have done it. So you rush through, writing the minimum in each spot, thinking you will do a better job later, because you are excited to get in.

Then it could be days, weeks or months before you write any more. Meanwhile, you are not giving other members the chance to see you at your best.

Most sites have a ‘new members’ section where they display the profiles of people who just joined. This is a big reason for writing the best profile that you can, right from the start. Guys who have been members for a while will be looking here, and if your profile just says ‘I’ll do this later’, what will they think? Not much, probably.

Your first few hours and days as a brand new member are the best chance you have to attract attention to your profile. So make it good.

You probably already picked out a photo. If not, it should be a recent one, showing you in the picture and nobody else. It is best if you are smiling. Make it head and shoulders only if the display is small. You can usually put other photos in a gallery, if you want to show yourself skiing, with the dog, etc.

When you are describing yourself, try to pick out the things that make you unique. You do not want to sound like everybody else here. Be as specific as you can about what you like. For example, instead of saying that you like movies, give the names of a few of your favorites. Instead of saying that you enjoy eating out, say that you like Thai food.

If there is something unusual about you, such as red hair, a special talent or skill, or even something that you consider to be a disability, make a feature of it. The more you say about yourself the better, as long as you say it in a positive way. Something like ‘Only having one arm doesn’t stop me loving life, driving a car and doing most everything else a person would want to do.’

On the other hand, do not close off your options by writing too much about what you don’t like, or being too specific about the person you want to meet. If you really don’t want to meet smokers, Republicans, guys with kids or guys who drink, you might want to say so … but think first whether you are sure. What if a guy only has an occasional beer? What if he has a child somewhere that he never sees?

In the same way, if you say that you like tall, muscular, dark haired guys, you will be limiting your options. A guy who is blond will click away without contacting you, and so will a guy who doesn’t think he is particularly tall. Do these things really matter so much?

If you still have no idea what to write in your profile, get a little help from your friends. Ask five friends or family members each to tell you one thing that they like about you, and one thing that is special about you. Put those together and almost instantly you will have a good online dating profile that will attract the right people – the ones who will like you when they meet you.

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