Your profile on a dating site is your opportunity to stand out from the rest of the pack. You need to spark the interest of a guy first in order to start any communication with them. Only by communicating will you get to know the other person to see whether they are compatible with you.

Many people find it difficult to talk about themselves in this manner, but honestly, this is the best method that you have to get him to contact you. Various dating sites will differ in what they will allow on your profile and the size of it etc but in this hub I will assume that we have all the space in the world. From there you need to prioritize your own requirements.

User Name. This is usually an anonymous name. If you wish to use your first name that is okay, but never use your surname in this type of profile. Be careful what you select because this can portray information that may skew people’s opinions of you or attract men you don’t want to attract. For instance if you use some sexual connotation nick such as sexbunny you are portraying someone interested in a lot of sex. If these are the type of men you want to attract then fine, but if not, change your nick. Your nick can also be used to portray something important about you, such as if you have a passion that may define you in some way. An example could be ladycook. So, have a good think about what you want to portray on your profile.

Title. Again this is something that you need to build curiosity and interest over. Don’t just say ‘looking for Mr Right’ because it is way too generic and does not portray anything about you other than what most women are looking for. In as many ways as possible you need to make your profile unique and interesting. An alternative title may be something like ‘wanting to find a life partner with similar interests in healthy living and exercise’. This will attract someone with similar interests to you and at the same time put off couch potatoes. Have a look at other profiles on the site which may give you hints as well. So again, you need to have a good ponder about what it is that you want to portray. You need to be as unique as possible to attract interest.

Honesty. Be defiantly honest. Why lie even a little bit? You want to meet this man and form a permanent relationship in the future. Don’t you think that he will notice that you are 100 pounds over what you claimed you were? Don’t you think he will notice that you look nothing like your picture which was taken over ten years ago? It is not just about weight and looks either, it is about everything. Do you really want to base your relationship on lies that he will discover eventually? There are men out there who will worship you warts and all. Just be patient. Don’t put yourself in the situation where you find yourself falling for this guy and then he rejects you because of some lie that you told.

Picture. Yes you must put a picture up. Men are visual. They need to see you. In fact you should put up several pictures of yourself. As a bare minimum put up a head shot, even if you don’t think it is particularly flattering. A picture such as this is better than no picture at all. Ideally you will be looking happy with a great smile. Next you need to include at least one full length shot and some other pictures that may include your interests such as pets, children, grandchildren, hobbies etc. If you are afraid of the full length photo at all, don’t worry because all men are looking for different body types so be proud of yourself.

Positive. Be positive in your profile. Don’t complain about your life, your work, your last guy etc. If you are positive, you will attract men like a magnet. Also be wary when revising your profile as a result of lessons learnt in the internet dating game. I have seen these types of profiles where the women say things like ‘Can’t you people read? I am not looking for married men. Please do me the courtesy of reading ALL of my profile before contacting me.’ We can all get jaded through the process of online dating, but don’t put it on your profile. It makes you out as quite negative and demanding and may not be an accurate portrayal of who you really are. It certainly won’t attract many matches. Many are likely to think that you would be ‘too hard’ and not contact you at all.

Who you are. You should spend about two-thirds of the profile outlining who you are. Try to make yourself unique and tell stories about yourself. For instance your idea of romance may be visiting historical sites and staying in a bed and breakfast overnight because of …. Don’t say I enjoy moonlit walks along the beach and leave it at that because just about every man and their dog say that one. If that is in fact what you enjoy, go into more detail about why. By giving more details of what you like, you are showing more of your personality and becoming more attractive to readers.

Talk about your profession, your interests, your hobbies and other items that are vital to your life. For instance, if you can’t live without cats, make sure that you mention it. There are men out there who hate cats. If you adore the arts, make sure you mention it as you don’t want someone who is just not into it. Think of all of the things that are really important to you and include them in your profile. Make yourself sound as interesting as possible to men reading your profile.

What you want. Spend about one-third of the profile talking about the man you are seeking. Don’t be afraid to specify the age group, professional status, looks and temperament of your Mr Right. If a particular feature is not absolutely essential for the relationship though, don’t set it in concrete. Allow your description to fit in men that might not exactly fit your requirements. There is no Mr Perfect out there. Don’t set your expectations so high that no one can ever meet it. Conversely don’t set it so low that everyone meets it. There is a balance and you know what you deserve in your life.

Complete all of your profile details. Once you have written your profile and are happy with it, complete all other areas available on your dating site profile. Questions or areas left blank can communicate a lack of true dedication to your search.

Writing and thinking about all of the above information can be exhausting and somewhat stressful. I had to do it myself the other day when I signed up for a site. Actually I was trying to come up with witty titles to stand out and I came across a really nifty site that gives you so many suggestions on how to actually word your heading and your text. I really recommend that you check it out as I am sure you could have hours of fun playing with it.

Also, don't forget to be creative and original. Some sites may allow you to put in video links. Check out the video below from Lindsay Lohan!

Responses to enquiries. Respond to all of the enquiries you get, even if they are not suitable. Make up a line of rejection that you are comfortable with. Be polite in your responses. Don’t just limit your positive responses to the definite ones but also include possible ones. You know from your own writing of your profile that it can be difficult to truly represent yourself. Give the possible ones a bit of a chance. Of course that depends on how many enquiries you are getting as you need to set the bar to what you feel comfortable with.

In summary, you need to be yourself in your profile. Do not try to be funny if you are not that way in real life. Above all, don’t lie about any information that people are using to assess your compatibility. Your online profile will be the way that your man learns about you and decides whether to pursue conversations with you or not. Good luck in your search to find love.