In my years as an owner and operator of online dating websites, I have seen just about every kind of online dating profile you can imagine. From the obscenely vulgar to the sublime, from the deficient to the overwhelming, I’ve seen just about all of them. Where your online dating profile is concerned, close enough is by no means good enough.

To me, the worst profile is the one that lacks a photo or does not have an essay. I have seen so many profiles that say, “I’ll fill this out later,” or sometimes just “later.” When you write things like this in you online dating profile essay, you are telling every potential mate that looks at your profile that you really aren’t serious and don’t care whether you meet someone or not.

That brings me to the subject of this article, that is, the anatomy of the online dating profile.

The online dating profile generally consists of five parts:

• A headline (Many sites don’t include this part)
• A profile photo or photos
• Miscellaneous questions
• An essay
• Photo albums (some sites don’t include this part)

Let’s explore each of these important parts of the online dating profile one at a time.

The Online Dating Profile Headline

Your profile headline (if provided) is one of the first things that a potential mate will see when he or she visits your online dating profile. It is essential that you write a good headline that will grab attention. You may actually want to consider trying your online dating profile out on a different dating website, one which you have little interest in utilizing, prior to publishing what might be a terrible profile on your site of preference.

Your Profile Photo(s)

The importance of the online dating profile photo can not be overstated. I’m going to be very blunt: If you don’t post a photo on your online dating profile, you might as well just delete your profile and forget about online dating. You’re wasting your time.

Miscellaneous Questions

Most dating sites are going to include some miscellaneous questions that will help to add to your profile and tell other online daters what you are like. You should take the time to answer at least some of these questions. They’re usually in the form of check boxes or radio buttons and are easy to go through and answer.

The Online Dating Profile Essay

Although it is accurate that the photos on your online dating profile are worth a thousand words or open up a lot of possibilities, it’s the profile essay that will help you find the best match. The way you represent yourself with this essay will indicate to possible matches exactly how interesting a person you are.

Photo Albums

Some sites offer you the possibility of uploading several photos either in the form of additional profile photos or in photo albums. Either way, you should take advantage of that opportunity. Try to find good photos that show you involved in fun activities or with attractive friends. Avoid photos that show you using alcohol and partying.

You should view your online dating profile as a small book about you. If you were going to write a book about yourself, wouldn’t you want it to be an interesting read? Sure you would, so near enough is not good enough when it comes to your online dating profile.

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