Make the Most of Your Profile

Whether it is friendship, relationship or business, meeting people for the first time is all about selling yourself. That doesn't mean being misleading or dishonest it simply means presenting yourself in the best possible light...naturally!

"You never get a second click to make a first impression" may sound a bit of a cliché but when it comes to online dating it certainly rings true. It can mean the difference between your inbox collecting nothing but cyber dust or catching the cream of the crop.

Now before you start to wonder if you're profile looks more like a rap sheet for a bad relationship resume here's a "hot tip" check list to make sure your putting your best foot forward right from the start.

• Your Photo
• Honesty - still the best policy
• Well written self appraisal
• Get clear on the type of partner you want to meet
• Creative username
• Accurate Spelling
• Get professional help
• Add good photos to your gallery
• Take the GlobalLove profile challenge

Your Photo - Give your self a great head start

Why is it that people are prepared to go almost any length to make themselves look as attractive as possible in traditional meeting places yet 98% of people dating online use profile photos that make there heads look like dropped meat pies?

"Studies show that the first stages of attraction and lasting impressions happen within 3 seconds of meeting someone", this means that in the first few moments of interaction our subconscious primal senses are scanning each other like a barcode through a Woolworth's check out.

Whether you like it or not the fact is physical appearance is a major part of attraction, especially online because you're not there in person to engage them with your stunning charm and wit. Sure you're personal information, like interests, values and lifestyle can go a long way towards help closing the deal but you have to stand out from the crowd to even get some one to bother reading that far.

Online daters are scanners

Part of the reason people are dating online is because they are short of time. To make the most of the time they have they scan. Girls, we all know guys are visual, but guys don't be fooled, girls are scanning profile photos like they're flipping through Cosmo magazines on speed.

So whilst you may not have a head like Brad Pitt or a face as pretty as Angelina Jolie you need to make the most of what you have and present yourself as best you can. If you just realise that most people online aren't bothering to do this, and you do bother then you are automatically ahead of the pack.

If you don't have a great photo of your self, get one. There are plenty of businesses that specialise in taking professional photos especially for online profiles. If you prefer not to pay for it research online what makes a great photo and then ask a friend to take one for you. Read more...

Honesty - is still the best policy

Let's start out by saying if your not prepared to be honest from the beginning then you are on the wrong website. Not only is our core purpose about finding genuine relationships but in being dishonest you're wasting yours and everyone else's time and money.

Eventually dating has to be taken offline and any dishonesty will always come to bite you. If your profile has a photo that makes you look like George Clooney, having more cash then the Rockefellers and the photo of your house makes the Playboy Mansion look like a cabin for weekend camping trips you will soon be discovered. So will any ten year old photos!

Besides if you really are seeking a genuine relationship you need to build a foundation of trust. If you feel that you need to tell white lies about yourself to attract a date maybe you should consider going back to the drawing board and doing a little self improvement.

On the other hand you may need to accept that being your honest self is enough.

We live in a world where media teaches us that we need to as cool as a movie star and as hot as a super model. That's simply not real. So check with friends on your good qualities and present those. Try accepting any shortcomings you think you may have and even learning to laugh at them.

You'll be surprised how refreshing people find it when you don't take your self too seriously and as for honesty is a very attractive quality.

Well written self appraisal

Again the number 1 rule here is being honest. Rule number 2 is keeping it short and sweet, not Too Much Information is the key. The last thing you want to do this early in the process is go carrying on too much and get labelled an over sharer. You can save all that boring stuff for later in the relationship when you're over fed and almost dead and you just appreciate that you've still got your hearing.

Rule number 3 is keeping it upbeat and positive. This is not your chance to complain about the failed relationships, the cheating X or how you're horse got run over by the tractor and the car broke down half way to town. Before you know your life story sounds like a tragic country and western song and you end up all alone on the ranch.

So one or two paragraphs of some light hearted content is a good guide line and if you're a bit unsure about your good points don't be afraid to use your "phone a friend" option to get some help.

If you're genuine about finding that special someone then more then likely you will have genuine friends who are willing to help. Hello mum is that you...

There are also professional businesses that you can search for online who will help you with this.

* Also it's a good idea not to include full personal details. For example you can mention what you do for work but not necessary to say where you work, your first name is okay but we don't recommend using your full name and the same goes for your contact details (email addresses and phone numbers) where you live, mention the region or city but not he suburb or postcode. We have developed all this technology for you to have security so you don't have to reveal this information.

Get clear on the type of partner and/or relationship you're looking for

This is a great idea and it's like a treasure a map that will save you time and gets you to the gold faster.

Not only will it give you clarity on the type of person you want to meet it also helps sort the fool's gold from the real gold.

When you write about this, list things like values and standards you are looking for and then go on to appearance, behaviours, lifestyle goals and aspirations.

It's okay to mention things that you don't want or dislike like in relationships here as well. This helps communicate your boundaries.

Again keep this list fairly short you don't need something that reads like a dictionary where when you look up "too fussy" - there's your username!

Creative username

Like your photo a username can either attract or detract from your profile. Here are a few points to consider when creating your username.

Avoid using the same ID as your email address

Some people use nicknames but we don't recommend it because you have to put yourself in the viewer's shoes and let's face it if your nickname is duggo, robbo, dog or shazza it's not going help your cause much trust me.

Consider incorporating adjectives

Is there a certain positive word that friends often use to describe you? Energetic, vibrant, intelligent? This can be a good place to start brainstorming a list. You may want to check a thesaurus for similar words to add to your list.

You can then always combine a title to that, for example: Mr Outdoors. Miss Beachtime, Dr Adventure, Lady Jane or Miss Energetic. Perhaps you have a favourite character form a movie or a book or a favourite password time that you can refer to.

Do your best to avoid common and overused terms (Example, "PrinceCharming").

What ever username you choose avoid using sexual connotations. They generally give off a bad vibe and are really only appropriate for sites that specialise in that area. Anything too explicit or offensive will be screened by GlobalLove.com or reported to the site moderator by other members and guests.

Accurate Spelling

There's no excuse for poor spelling and it can be veri of putting. Oops! I mean very off putting.

There are a few fundamentals required to maximise the amount of contact you get on a dating site and bad spelling is not one of them.

You may not be able to spell very well and you may be thinking that once your dream boat gets to know you they will over look the fact that you struggle with the word cat. But until then make the effort to check your spelling in your profile. Don't be too proud to ask a friend for help or to proof read it for you.

At least that way when you do manage to snag a catch and you write your first love letter the fact that a few of those four letter words are misspelt might go unnoticed. Play it smart spell it right, right from the start.

Get Professional Help

We're not saying you're a sicko and you should see a shrink here.

What we are saying is there are plenty of companies and free sources of information available online that will help you get a good head start and guide you with any aspect of your profile that you require.

Remember guys it's a competitive game out there, and girls it's a lipstick jungle, so even if you're going to meet your soul mate, twin flame or kindred soul in online dating the least you can do is make sure you look and sound your best if they show up.

Add good photos to your gallery

A picture says a thousand words. Make sure your photos speak the right ones. It's a great idea to put up photos that communicate who you are but again make sure they are great shots. If you don't have great shots, don't put any up. That may mean loosing that photo of you driving the porcelain bus at your 21st birthday party if you catch my drift.

The GlobalLove Profile Challenge

If you think there's a few things here that you could use to improve you profile then we challenge you to make the changes and see the difference in the volume of contact you get. In nearly all cases you find that these small changes make a huge difference.

Have fun with it and let us know how it goes.