Five Mistakes Guys Make on Their Online Dating Profiles

Guys, looking for love online? If so, creating a compelling profile of yourself is critical on a dating website. As you paint your online persona for the ladies, avoid these five mistakes which could cost you a date!

Online Dating Can Work

Experts report that online dating has become a mainstream method of finding love. The 2008 CBS News article, "Connecting Via Online Dating" reported that there were over 1,000 dating websites, and Science Daily reported in their article, "Internet Dating more Successful Than Thought," that 94% of couples who connected online for their first date, went on to a second!

That percentage seems a bit high to me, but let's assume it's correct. The question I have is, What percentage didn't even get to that first date at all because of a guy's profile? I'll bet that number is staggering.

Five Things to Avoid in Your Online Profile

From my experience, many guys are missing their opportunity to meet a great lady due to some common profile mistakes. Let's face it, when trying to find someone online, your profile is everything, since it may be your one chance to make a positive impression. Here are five things to avoid posting in your online profile:

1. Avoid Cutesy or Negative Profile Names and Headlines:

Don't choose a profile name or headline that will raise a woman's eyebrow. Instead, use them as your personal marketing tools.

With so many choices, when I run across a guy whose profile name is childish or negative, I immediately draw assumptions about him. A profile name like, 'WinniethePoohinPA', makes me wonder about this man's brand. Just as off-putting is the guy who advertises his negativity by using 'NoMoreLies', 'Lonely911", or 'BrokenHearted'. Picture yourself walking up to an interesting lady, extending your hand and introducing yourself using your profile name. ("Hi! I'm Winnie the Pooh in PA.") Do you think that might make her hot for you?

Similarly, if a dating websites offers a headline, why advertise the wrong message? I've seen headlines that said, Getting Desperate, Looking for a Breathing Lady, and No Drama Queens Allowed. A headline that screams desperation or hoots a macho mantra might cause a woman to just skip to the next profile. Write your headline to attract a great lady, not to make a social commentary. And remember, men, it's just those new single ladies who will read your profile, not your buddies or ex-wife.

2. Avoid Filling Your Dating Profile with Too Little or Too Much

Completing a dating website's profile template can be daunting for a guy who doesn't like to talk about himself. But don't shortchange yourself by rushing through it. There are lots of dating profiles in cyberspace that provide a sentence or two about the guy followed by, "If you are interested, I'll provide more information". But I ask you this: Why should any lady waste her valuable time on a guy who can't take fifteen minutes to complete his profile? Additionally, how can she possibly know if she is interested without enough information?

On the opposite end of things, a boastful guy can use a dating site's profile as his platform to pound his chest and list every accomplishment since high school. This type of profile says to a woman that it's all about you, you, you. Try not to sound like too much of an Alpha Male! Additionally, don't be too specific about the woman you want. A gorgeous redhead with long legs may pass you up if you seem too focused on buxom blondes.

Guys, it's important to strike a balance between enough and TMI! We girls want a little insight about who you are but not your life story according to the God himself. Give us girls four, five max, light-hearted paragraphs, filled with the positive aspects of your life and a few key traits you are looking for in a woman.

3. Avoid Adding a Bad Picture or No Picture

How long would you date a lady who is hidden in a room and all you can do is hear her voice? Similarly, why should a woman want to get to know you based solely on your humorous written repartee? It's not about being superficial, it's reality. Physical attraction is just as important as a mental connection, so don't limit your chances by posting a dating profile without a picture. Don't use fuzzy photos or one with you standing a hundred yards away. Get someone to take a few good pictures of you that show your face clearly, and even though they make you look cool, no sunglasses!

4. Proof Your Dating Profile and Avoid a Negative Tone

Carry through the positivity into the body of your profile. In a non-bragging manner, tell the ladies about your good traits without getting carried away. Don't list the things you don't want, but focus on what you do. And please don't state the obvious! When I read, "I don't want a gold-digger or a woman who can't commit", I think, Oh, good, I was worried you might be looking for a money-hungry woman who sleeps around!" Besides, stating that will not keep that type of women away anyway!

A pet peeve of mine is a hidden-negative catch-all requirement, such as, "I want a woman who takes care of herself." Like a guy would be hoping for a bag-lady? What does that mean anyway? That she eats her veggies? That she looks both ways before crossing the street? If your narrow definition of the right woman is one who works out and gets pedicures, be specific!

Most women will also be turned off if a guy's profile is full of typos or misspellings, is void of punctuation, or is WRITTEN ALL IN CAPS. Please show us that you are smarter than a third-grader! Ask for help, if you need it.

5. Avoid Promoting Your Business on Your Dating Profile

Your online dating profile should be advertising YOU, not your business pursuits. Don't use it as a dual platform to find love and promote a book you are selling. There's nothing wrong with showing pride in being an artist or a businessman, but don't make a girl feel she is caught in a sales pitch. If you must, promote your business on a blog or through Facebook, but doing so on your dating profile is so garish!

If you are single, online dating may be the best method for you to find your soul mate. But, remember, even though this approach may seem more direct than hitting the club scene, you still need to impress a lady before you'll get a chance to win her heart. Right or wrong, there are things women find a turn-off, and a poorly-written profile on a dating website is one of them. Dial down the attitude, and write a quality profile if you want to find a quality woman. Then be patient and accept what we girls have known for a while; that you'll have to kiss a few frogs before you meet your Princess!

Resources:
CBSNews.com
Sciencedaily.com