Writing the Perfect Online Personal Ad

Pop quiz: How long do you spend getting ready to go out? If you're a single woman, it can take an hour or more to prepare for a night out, hoping to meet a great guy.

Now, how long would you spend writing a profile for an online dating site? Five minutes? Ten at the maximum?

When you consider that you have only minutes to impress someone and stand out from the rest of the crowd in the online dating scene, don't you think you should spend a bit more time and effort into your online profile?

If you're an online dater, you know that the first thing that most look for are profiles with photos. Next are profiles that people have actually taken the time to write something informative about themselves. If your profile doesn't have any of this, you shouldn't be surprised that you're without messages!

There are a few great tips any online dater needs to know about writing a fabulous profile that will be sure to catch attention of potential dates and will keep you supplied with a full mailbox!

Hate writing about yourself? Afraid you're going to get writer's block? It's a great idea to enlist the help of a good friend. The best type of friend for this sort of thing is the friend that always tells you that they just can't understand why you're still single. Ask this friend about your star qualities. They're sure to come up with a countless list of things about you that you never would have thought of to say about yourself.

The profiles that get the most attention are ones with photos! Choose a clear-quality photo that shows you in your best light. And smile!

A fun username is a must for any dating site. To protect your privacy, do not use your real name. And don't use a provocative or offensive username. Remember that this is the name which will set you apart from other members on the dating site and will be "your name" to other members. Choose a name that is fun and reflects your personality.

Online dating sites have made it easy for daters to complete their online profiles by offering drop-down menus for basic questions. However, there are also spaces where you can write something about yourself. This is where you have your opportunity to make your profile stand out. Use this space wisely to provide a detailed description about your personality, interests, and the type of person you're looking for. Be confident and remember - you want people to say "I have to meet this person!"

Don't leave any spaces blank! You want to be sure to have everything covered. Leaving a blank space or a message such as "ask me" will make other members believe that you're not serious about dating your that you can't be bothered to put effort into a profile. If you can't take the time to write a profile, what kind of effort would you put into a relationship?

Be honest! If you lie, you'll attract the wrong type of people and can waste your time and theirs. Be honest from the start. Answering all questions honestly will make finding that perfect match so much easier. The same applies to your expectations. You should tell people the type of relationship you're looking for. Don't say you're looking for marriage if all you really want is a casual fling.

There's a difference between writing a detailed description of yourself and writing an autobiography. Save your life story. Write short bursts of information. The best way to think of it is like writing a paper in high school English. It should be like a good skirt - long enough to cover everything, but short enough to catch and keep attention.

Most importantly, do not include any personal information in your profile. Your email address, home address, telephone number, and work information should remain private. A trustworthy dating site will remove any personal information before it appears on the site. This will ensure that they provide you with a safe online dating environment.

Once you've completed your profile, read through it. Ask yourself: would you reply to this person? If your answer's yes, way to go! If the answer's no, look at the areas where it can be improved, and work on it until you're satisfied. It may take longer than just a few minutes - it could take a few days or more - but the results that come with your fabulous profile will show up in your inbox and will be worth every moment you spent on the profile!