Dating websites are probably the best place to go if you’re looking for love in this day and age, we’ve shifted from the more traditional methods of finding a partner and now rely on swiping right, good angled selfies and creating profiles that detail our best attributes.
But there are certain things you should never, ever, ever do on these profiles mainly because they just make you look a bit daft. Here are 10 things to avoid at all costs, while filling out those numerous text boxes:
- Use an old picture
Look, we can tell how old you are from that profile picture because you’re wearing an 80s shell suit and have a mullet. Your picture is important so don’t try and trick people into thinking you’re in the prime of your youth with grainy, scanned in photos. Just take a selfie and pick up the right people from the start.
- Post topless pictures
Nipples are a definite no-no when it comes to online dating profiles, obviously a woman will just get chucked off the site but there are plenty of guys out there who think a profile picture of them in the gym, displaying their tiny pecs in all their glory, is going to get the ladies lining up. And if it’s a holiday picture of you with a strong tan in your budgie smugglers lounging on a yacht, definitely do not put it up.
- Leave poor grammar on your profile
There is simply no excuse for this, simply because it takes ten seconds to use spell check before hitting publish on that online dating profile. You might not think it’s important but bad grammar and poor spelling will be quickly noticed, encouraging more people to avoid you than if you ran around the high street in your underwear rubbing yourself in peanut butter. A study recently revealed that 96% of women think good grammar is essential and men are the main culprits when it comes to errors in their profile.
- Feature pictures with other people
Or another member of the opposite sex, even if it’s a sibling. Your online dating profile is about you, so try to avoid pictures with other people that might confuse those viewing it. Oh, and don’t upload images from your wedding day or with an ex, no matter how good you look in them. That’s just wrong on every level.
- Be scarily enthusiastic
Exclamation marks and proclamations that you ‘Love life!’ ‘YOLO!!!’ and ‘Live for the moment’, must be avoided at all costs. Calm down, back away from the keyboard and think long and hard before you type anything.
- Have pictures of children
Sure, you’re a nice person who loves kids but do you need to have ten pictures of them on your dating profile? Especially if they’re not your own! So leave the cute pictures of you with your nieces, nephews, friends kids, etc, on Facebook and off your image feed.
- Include lengthy paragraphs
It’s a dating website, not a dissertation guys.
- Talk about sex
Yes, we all know sex is a natural factor in every relationship but featuring the words ‘I can make you feel good,’ or ‘Let’s take this to the bedroom’, in your profile just makes you look like a giant pervert with one thing on their mind. And fine, that might be the case, but at least pretend to be normal and you might get more interest.
- Be a walking talking cliché
Is your music taste varied/eclectic? Do you like going for walks? Italian food? Jetting off on holiday? Tell us something we don’t know.
- List what you’re looking for in someone
If you have a detailed list of the criteria that makes a good match it’s time to delete that online profile altogether and revaluate. You are never going to find that ‘perfect someone’ (spoiler, they don’t exist) and detailing what you expect from a date in a bulleted list is a real turn off.