The How and Why Guide to Online Dating by Nizze Egg - HTML preview

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The Popularity Contest: How to Grab Attention with Your Profile

Many online sites include counters so that you can see how many viewers look at your page every day. Some sites even make this information public—that is, they post the counter on your profile for everyone to see. Now, it goes without saying that the longer you’re a member, the higher your number of views will be. However, you may have noticed that others who seem to be similar to you have countless views every day while you simply get one or two. If you’re serious about online dating, it is important to understand why you aren’t getting a large number of views, and then correct the problems. The more people who view your profile, the more likely it will be that you meet someone with relationship potential.

First off, you need to grab a person’s attention. Be sure that you have a location selected so that when people use search options based on location, your name appears on their list. Find out what information is listed when you perform a search. Many dating websites give users the option to create a “headline” for their profiles, and this, along with age and location (and sometimes picture) is given to the searcher, who can choose to click on your name and continue on to your profile.

Be sure to have a picture uploaded. Many people will only consider contacting people who post pictures. If you do not have a picture on your profile, you arouse the suspicions of other online daters. In short, it seems like you have something to hide. Any picture, even if you consider it unflattering, is better than no picture at all.

Always write a creative headline and always be concerned with your user name. The headline “Looking for a Date” may not get many views based on its generic qualities. However, a headline such as “Anyone want to Go Golfing?” shows that you have specific interests and are up for a possible real life meeting. Your user name works in much of the same way. Joe123 will never get as many messages as EaglesFan2003. Make sure your name and headline say something about you. However, bring attention in a good way—stay away from blatantly sexual names and phrases, which are unattractive to most users and show you in a light that may not be best.

As a final step, reply to the messages you receive, even if you are not interested. Many sites list the percentage of messages that are viewed and how often you reply. Someone who sees that you only view 20% of your messages and even further, only reply to 8% of them may be instantly discouraged from messaging you. However, if you view 100% of your messages and reply to 85% of them, he or she may not be so timid.

Be honest, be responsive, and be creative. With a little hard work, your profile can gain the popularity that you see others have. The more views you get, the more likely you are to meet online daters who have similar interests as you, so it is in your best interest to create an attentiongrabbing profile.