We thought the best way to find out was to ask someone from Older Dating Online about how to set up the perfect profile. Rod from the Dating Show podcast had a chat with Em from Older Dating Online. She told him what to do and what not to do when you're creating a profile for an online dating site in your search for love. To listen to their chat, you can click here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTMy52T3sHY
Or if you fancy reading it through, you can read on below.
E: It's very important to have a good profile on the website because this is your chance to show yourself off to other members before you first speak to them. So, your profile is the first thing people are going to be looking at before they decide to message you. So, if your profile doesn't show you in a positive light, people are more likely to just pass you by.
R: So what sort of things make a good online dating profile?
E:. I think it is important to keep it simple, as people won't be bothered to read a really long detailed paragraph. You don't want to give too much away. The idea is to leave them wanting more and intrigue someone enough to make them want to message you and find out more. All you need to do really is write a little about yourself. So, are you single, divorced, widowed? What do you do for a living? What do you like to do in your spare time? It's also good to let others know what it is you are looking for on the dating website. So, identify whether you want to meet people in a particular age range or with certain habits, like non-smoking for example. And, I would say, a touch of humour in the profile and the photos are always good and go a long way.
R: Ok. And the photo? That's got to be important as well because if you're looking around and you can't see the person then that's going to put people at a disadvantage isn't it?
E: Yes, definitely. I think a photo on your profile is equally, if not more important than writing something about yourself. So, people are a lot less likely to chat to someone with online dating if they can't see what they look like. So, the photos probably the first thing people are going to look at when looking for a date online and people tend to know instinctively if they find that person attractive from their photos. So, yes, it is very important, yes.
R: And how honest should you be with both, because in a way you are trying to sell yourself to try and attract people but should you be totally honest with the photos?
E: I think you should always be very honest with both of them because the truth will come out in the end. Starting an online relationship where you haven't been totally honest with each other won't go very well for a long-term relationship. By all means use a photograph of yourself where you are looking at absolutely at your best but there is a difference between using this and a photograph of a model. R: Now, you work in the customer care team at Older Dating Online. What are the stats on all this? If somebody has got a photo and a profile, how much more likely are they to meet somebody and have a date?
E: Your chances of meeting someone online are 100 times better if you've written something about yourself and have a few good photos. This is definitely true of members who send in their success stories to the office. This excerpt is from October's Dating Show. To listen to that podcast in full, you can click here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KskpXp9k5k
To listen to the latest Dating Show podcast, click here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSpDDFj7xjA
