Tips

Online dating can definitely be an adventure and profile pictures make it even more fun. You and your potential matches get to see one another in a variety of poses clothing, attire and situations and vet both the physical and emotional side of things before you’ve ever met.

Profile pictures are a double-edged sword, however, and especially for women. While I am confident that you can never reveal too little in your pictures, I’m completely sure you can reveal too much. Most gals on online dating sites are looking for a boyfriend. If they just wanted to hook-up, they’d be trolling the local bars with their girlfriends on a Friday night. If you’re one of those gals looking for a solid and loving partner, I’ll make my case for omitting certain types of pictures from your online dating profile.

The Swimsuit Shot

Unless you’re a competitive swimmer sporting a one-piece suit, ditch the bikini shots. The men in your life need to earn the right to see you in revealing attire. Every time I see a picture of a girl in a bikini on an online dating site, I think: wow – she’s putting that out there for everyone. Why not save a little something for your future sweetie – something that not everyone gets to see? After all, the guys you attract with a bikini shot are going to be looking at you for one thing, and that one thing isn’t (hopefully) going to happen on the first date. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re wasting your own time by attracting the wrong kind of guy. You’re gorgeous and look great in a bikini, so let your future sweetie relish the fact that he’s the one who gets to share that, not everyone else who stumbled across your online dating profile.

We’ve all read those online dating profiles that read like a laundry list of “don’ts.” When it comes to finding someone you click with, why would you start with a list of things you don’t want? Honestly, all that’s going to do is turn-off the people you really want to connect with: the upbeat guys and gals with a great outlook on life who are ready to be in a lasting relationship.

When writing your online dating profile, keep in mind one very important thing: it’s the only impression your Virtual Matches have of you! If you start off talking about how you’ve been hurt, who you don’t trust and everything you don’t want in a partner, you’re more likely to be seen as a sourpuss instead of a stand-up guy or gal. Turn that frown upside down - here are some tips to get your profile tone on track and those Virtual Matches knocking on your door.

Negative Spin: I don’t like kids and won’t date people with kids.
That’s just fine. Not everyone wants to be a parent. Perhaps you’re still raising your kids or your kids are grown and have left the nest. Whatever your reasons, it’s perfectly fine to have parameters on who you feel will be a good fit for your lifestyle.

Ladies, this one's for you. If you've ever wondered how you can compete with all the other pretty faces on your dating site (and c'mon, you can admit you scoped out the competition, got upset, and poured yourself a big glass of wine - we've all been there!), then be prepared to learn the ways of a plain Jane who was never short on dates.

Your profile text is what's going to make guys REALLY want to get to know you. Sure, your face will help. But when those guys read an amazing profile, they'll be clambering to write you about how interested they are. (And, bonus: you'll easily be able to pick out those who read the profile and those who just sent a form email!)

Toot your horn!
Many women underestimate themselves in their profiles because they're afraid of coming off like a... witch (hey, it's almost Halloween!), or uppity or high maintenance. So instead of being that, they swing the pendulum ALLLLLL the way to the other side and come off sounding like a 1950s housewife. "Oh, I have some interests, but I'd really like to learn about yours, dear potential husband." Ugh!

Seriously, ladies, write about what makes you awesome. Do you climb mountains, write novels, change your own oil, bake the world's best chocolate chip cookies? Tell a story that makes guys want to be a part of your life!

It’s the first thing people see: your online dating profile photos. They are nothing less than your business card and resume and you want to make sure that your potential matches are seeing the best “you” possible. Your smile, your goofy side, you in action during your favorite activities – no matter what the photo shows, it should always show you. But did you know that there are things that your dating profile photos should never show?

Another “date” cropped-out of the picture. I have no doubt that you look stunning in those pictures from the wedding or baseball game you went to with your ex-whomever. Your potential matches want to envision themselves in a picture with you, not try to figure out who’s cropped-out of your pictures.

Your children (if under 18). While they may be the apples of your eye, it is unsafe to have your minor children in your online dating photos. Your photos can allude to the fact that you enjoy family by showing you at the playground or your kids’ sporting events, but no photos of you with your children. People in your life should have to earn your trust prior to being introduced to your most prized companions. Keep them safe by keeping their identities safe. Hundreds of people may look at your profile pictures on any give day, and this puts your children in an unsafe position.

New to the online dating scene? Updating your profile? Looking for new matches in the sea of men? Pictures can make or break your online dating experience. They are not only the first impression your online matches receive – they are the window to your personality! Use these tips when creating or revising your online dating profile – rev-up your profile pictures and rev-up your social life as a result!

Grab a girlfriend and a digital camera. Current pictures are key to a successful online dating experience. Nobody likes the bait and switch, so don’t give any of your dates cause for complaint. Get yourself gorgeous and head out in the earlier morning or later afternoon to your favorite park. Give your girlfriend the camera and have a go! She knows you and knows your personality, so sit on a swing, slide down a slide – whatever your fancy. Make sure she gets shots of your whole body as well as close-ups of you face and smile.

Show a variety of looks. Whether an attorney, freelance writer or nurse, you’re not always in a bridesmaid’s dress from your sister’s wedding or a suit for an appearance in court. Show your potential mates that you’re comfortable looking like you. This doesn’t mean get dressed-up in a cocktail gown if you’re a camping girl at heart. It just means that 10 pictures of you in the same outfit aren’t nearly as powerful as 8 of you with a variety of looks!

Be you. You’re not a twenty-something college coed, but you’re not ready for Shady Acres yet, either. You’re a smart, accomplished and worldly woman, so your pictures should reflect that as well. If your friends refer to you as a complete goof, add some goofy pictures into that profile of yours. Love working with children? Show some pictures of charity work. Whatever your passion, let your pictures say what words cannot: that you’re a mature woman who understands her quirks and embraces them wholeheartedly!

The world of online dating can be daunting. Whether you’ve been in the mix of various online dating sites for awhile or are completely new to the scene, it’s easier than you think to create a profile that will get you more glances than passes.

Building your online dating profile doesn’t have to be in the same category as a trip to the dentist (with apologies to the dentists reading this). Just think about the last time you sat down at a business meeting, a party, or even a date. What was it that you found interesting about the people you were talking to? It probably wasn’t that they liked the color blue or “looked as good in a cocktail dress as they do in a pair of jeans.” More likely, it was the truly unique qualities and experiences they possessed. A recent trip to Nepal, a sense of humor like Jerry Seinfeld or that they just completed their first 100-mile bike ride. Am I right?

This is what your online dating profile should be like! Filled with the truly unique character traits that embody you – from the words you choose to the pictures in your profile, let your profile scream “I’m somebody special!” instead of “Keep looking. I’m just like everyone else.”