Croydon J Hounslow gives some invaluable advice on how to optimise your dating profile for maximum success.

There are a wealth of dating sites currently available on the Internet with a huge variety of niche interest groups, themes, matching methods and approaches to dating. One thing that all of these sites have in common is that they ask you to create a profile telling potential matches about yourself. Writing this profile can be the hardest part of the online dating process and can feel like a daunting combination of writing a CV for a job application and giving a sales pitch for a product. This is certainly not made any easier by the fact that the 'product' is yourself, and the 'job' one of the hardest in the world. Your dating profile is your chance to present a first impression to the world and, as in all things, first impressions count, get it wrong and you could miss out on the chance to meet your dream partner. No one can tell you exactly how to write your profile, after all it's yourself that you have to present, but there are a few basic tips that can help you to be more successful.

1.Upload a photograph – This is one of the most basic things you can do to improve your success rate; online dating users with photos on their profile typically get around 300% more interest than those without. You may be shy about posting your photo online for whatever reason, perhaps you don't want to be recognised or are embarrassed about being seen on a dating site by someone you know; but remember, anyone seeing your picture on a dating site is in the same boat as you, there's no call to be embarrassed as they are in no position to judge you! Please do remember though that the vast majority of dates will want to see a clear, attractive picture of your face; getting your bum out on your profile is probably moving more than a little too fast for most people, and hiding or partially hiding your face may seem mysterious to you, but to others it will look like you have something to hide. In any case the vast majority of dating sites will not allow these kinds of pictures.

2.When filling out sections on the profile that are supposed to give a sense of your general interests, such as your favourite music or favourite films and TV shows, do NOT simply put “too many to list”. This gives people the impression that you are either too boring to have any real interests and are trying to cover this fact, or that you're too lazy to fill out the form properly and are probably not serious about finding a date. Even if you do have 99 favourite bands, try listing just the top 5 or so, you can always put “and many more...” or similar to demonstrate that it doesn't stop there; likewise if you only like one band, or even one song, write that band/song down and perhaps add a sentence or two about why you like it/them so much.

3.The “About Me” section of your profile is definitely the hardest part to write, but you should aim to include some essential info about yourself. When writing this section, think what you'd want to know about someone whose profile you were reading. Try to give an impression of your personality in what you write, but do also try to be positive and try to write to a comfortable length. You don't have to fill all the space given just because it's there(and more importantly you don't want someone reading it to be bored) but you should also try to write enough that you don't come across as dull or having nothing to say. Try to avoid the hard sell if you don't want to come across as egotistical. If you find it really impossible to write this for yourself, trying asking a trusted friend to help you, or even to write it for you, although if you do choose this approach you should be sure to be honest about the fact that you didn't write it yourself.

Above all you should remember that the purpose of a dating profile is to give a TRUE picture of you, although presented in a positive light. Keep in mind that your ultimate aim is to actually meet up with your dates and hopefully to ultimately find happiness. If you give a false impression of yourself, you're only on a hiding to disappointment.