If you plan to take your own picture, use your phone, not the camera on your computer—those kind of shots tend to be disastrous. Ideally, a dating website photo should indicate that you are friendly —so choose a picture where you wear your normal smile. For some reason, indoor shots of women seem to be more popular with men on dating sites. Studies have shown that people who upload more than 4 profile pics get a lot higher response rate so put lots of pics in.

Sometimes people put shots of them and their friends and its not obvious which person is the dater in question, so make sure its just you in your cover photo.

Talk without becoming verbose about what interests you. Lying is never the basis for a good relationship. Do not pretend you are single if you are still getting a divorce. The no lying rule extends to photos as well —using a picture that shows you as you looked 10 years ago or 30 pounds ago may get you more initial online responses. But it will only make your first in-person meeting with a potential date extremely awkward.

Avoid writing long essays in your dating profile about your life history, your taste in music, films and television, your political beliefs, or anything else for that matter. Entice potential dates with a few intriguing facts about yourself, but leave a bit of mystery. Studies have shown that people who write less get more responses, and my friend Joe even went as far as to just put a picture his dog and almost no other info and got loads of responses!

Spelling and grammars important so do spell check and read over your profile before you put it live on your chosen dating site. Exercise, reading and music tend to increase the response rate of online dating profiles so if you are interested in these things then put it down with maybe one or examples of what you like but if you are into something very gender specific like romance novels or train spotting or something then leave it out!

This is really important but is a mistake that many people make. So, she headed to the apps, which, in today's digital world, are a widely acceptable, universal, and completely valid way to find love and romance. So, if you've been hesitant to get on the apps, do yourself a favor by releasing any stigma you feel and just allowing yourself to go for it.

Before you even open up a dating app or website, there's another important step to take first, Dineen says. This step involves taking the time to get know yourself and what you really want.

This is especially important if you've recently gotten out of a long relationship. Once you get comfortable with yourself, you can put more thought into who you'll be comfortable dating. Dineen recommends journaling about the question—"Who do I want in my life and who is going to make me feel good about myself? Then, when you're putting yourself out there, "make sure that you're not trying to pretend you're someone else to attract this fictitious person that you think is right for you," she says.

The much better approach, Dineen says, is "just really honing in on what it is that's really important to you and showing up as authentically as you can. Now, on to the actual profile building. One of the most important tips for writing a bio, Dineen says, is trying to think outside the box, because, from her experience, a lot of bios end up looking pretty much the same.

So, when helping clients come up with bios that will make them stand out from crowd, she asks them to make a list in response to the following questions: "What ways would you describe yourself? Once you have that list, you can start to compile a bio that is unique to you.

Just remember to cross out the words "loyal," "kind," and "funny," Dineen advises. One of the main things your online dating profile should communicate—aside from aspects of your personality and who you are—is that you're open to meeting and dating people. it's easy to write a list adjectives that describe you or to list things you like to do on a Sunday afternoon that's boring and yet it's what the majority of people write in their online dating profiles how many times have you read, 'enjoy walks in the countryside, love curling up with a bottle of wine and a good film, have a great sense of humor It's easy to stand out from the crowd if you take some time and create a snapshot of your life, for example write about one moment from your life that represents a turning point of some sort.

It can be funny or serious. It'll be good if it showed a small victory, or growth in insight, wisdom or self-awareness. The extras that make all the difference -- requirements for what you include in your dating profile vary from site to site so here are some extras that you can weave in to make your profile shine:. Skip to Main Content ×.

Main Menu U. News U. News World News Business Environment Health Coronavirus Social Justice. Politics Joe Biden Congress Extremism. Voices Queer Voices Women's Voices Black Voices Latino Voices Asian Voices.

Special Projects Highline. HuffPost Personal Video Horoscopes. From Our Partners The State of Abortion Epic Entertainment Heart Smart. International Australia Brazil Canada España France Ελλάδα Greece India Italia 日本 Japan 한국 Korea Québec U.

Follow Us. Take nothing personally. Have the right positive attitude before spending your time on dating websites. Be businesslike about it. Have fun and enjoy the process. Take your time, don't imagine you'll find your life partner after one connection.

Be clear about what you're looking for before you sign up -- fling, friendship, long-term relationship. Be truthful -- if you're 53, say so, if you're not into keeping fit don't say you've signed up for a half marathon! Ask lots of questions from the lighthearted to the more profound. Don't get disillusioned after a handful of dud dates. Know your values and what's important to you. Be open-minded. Be sensible and safe. Five things I could not do without -- and I'm not talking about world peace or and your children.

you get the idea it gives a little insight into your world. Spectacular photographs -- that show you in action, relaxed, enjoying life

Reentering the dating scene after being in a long-term relationship is hard enough already. But reentering the dating scene and returning to a reinvented, digital-forward landscape that gives "putting yourself out there" a whole new meaning, is another kind of challenging. That's the challenge that Alyssa Dineen—NYC-based editor, stylist, and art director—had to face when she, at age 41, found herself divorced and online dating for the first time.

Dineen, who met her ex-husband before cell phones were a thing, says the concept of online dating was unfamiliar territory to her at the time. In addition to writing the book The Art of Online Dating: Style Your Most Authentic Self and Cultivate a Mindful Dating Life , Dineen also created Style My Profile , a profile styling service for online daters, and offers coaching to clients from ages 20 to To get some of her insight on the modern dating scene, we asked Dineen for advice on the very first step of online dating: creating a profile.

Keep reading for her tips on how to create an online dating profile and how get comfortable putting yourself out there digitally. If you've turned your nose up at the idea of online dating before, you wouldn't be alone. Dineen, after her divorce, said she too was skeptical.

Although she went on one set-up date post-divorce, Dineen says she quickly realized that it would be "slow-going" if she depended entirely on in-person meetings and set-ups from friends. So, she headed to the apps, which, in today's digital world, are a widely acceptable, universal, and completely valid way to find love and romance. So, if you've been hesitant to get on the apps, do yourself a favor by releasing any stigma you feel and just allowing yourself to go for it.

Before you even open up a dating app or website, there's another important step to take first, Dineen says. This step involves taking the time to get know yourself and what you really want. This is especially important if you've recently gotten out of a long relationship. Once you get comfortable with yourself, you can put more thought into who you'll be comfortable dating.

Dineen recommends journaling about the question—"Who do I want in my life and who is going to make me feel good about myself? Then, when you're putting yourself out there, "make sure that you're not trying to pretend you're someone else to attract this fictitious person that you think is right for you," she says. The much better approach, Dineen says, is "just really honing in on what it is that's really important to you and showing up as authentically as you can.

Now, on to the actual profile building. One of the most important tips for writing a bio, Dineen says, is trying to think outside the box, because, from her experience, a lot of bios end up looking pretty much the same. So, when helping clients come up with bios that will make them stand out from crowd, she asks them to make a list in response to the following questions: "What ways would you describe yourself?

Once you have that list, you can start to compile a bio that is unique to you. Just remember to cross out the words "loyal," "kind," and "funny," Dineen advises. One of the main things your online dating profile should communicate—aside from aspects of your personality and who you are—is that you're open to meeting and dating people. Taking shortcuts or being lazy when creating your profile, like leaving your bio blank or making it extra short, can send the wrong message to potential matches, making it seem like you're not interested in pursuing a relationship.

Another profile characteristic that can send the wrong message is focusing too much on your family or kids and not enough on yourself. A photo is worth a thousand words, and the images on your online dating profile will communicate a lot about who you are and what you want others to know about you. Below are Dineen's dos and don'ts for dating profile pictures. A high-quality, shoulders-up photo of yourself should be the first image on your profile, Dineen says.

These photos can come off as low-effort and just, honestly, kind of confusing too. Especially if your profile says you like to spend time out with friends, it's good to back that up with some fun, social photos of you having a good time out of the house. A good selfie is all about practice, Dineen says. While younger generations have grown up learning how to find the right lighting, get their best angles, and take great selfies, it's not something that comes as naturally for people who didn't grow up with smartphones.

It's better, in that case, to use your favorite photos that someone else has taken of you. Life Family Relationships. By Morgan Noll. Morgan Noll. Morgan Noll is an associate editor at RealSimple. She is a lifestyle writer and editor with a background covering a range of topics—from finance and career content to travel, health, and beauty.

Whether thoroughly testing products or digging up the best money advice, she's passionate about providing accurate, current, and resourceful content to readers.

Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines. Share Tweet Pin Email. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Newsletter Sign Up.

military, Jason enjoys sharing his unique knowledge base with the rest of the world. how many times have you read, 'enjoy walks in the countryside, love curling up with a bottle of wine and a good film, have a great sense of humor MORE HEADLINES. Russia says PRIVATE satellites used by America and its allies could become a 'legitimate target' during Are you interested in a casual relationship? Speak positively about what you want and make sure not to be TOO forward about your long-term goals.

Categories:

• Dating website
• Free apps
• Best dating
• Dating sites
• Dating apps