What to put in your online dating profile

If you are looking for love online, a great profile is key. Of course you need compelling photos, but those who are looking for a real relationship will look beyond a pretty face to find out what you are about. It would be nice if everyone could give you the benefit of the doubt and magically see what a fascinating, unique, loving person you are, but that's not how online dating works. A generic profile that doesn't say much or says the wrong things will be overlooked by the very people you truly hope to connect with. There are lots of quality singles online.

While the act of constructing a successful dating profile may initially appear to be somewhat daunting, the payoff is worth the action. With the right template and a concrete plan, a great profile can actually be composed in 60 minutes or less. Unfortunately, many guys rush through the profile writing process. This results in a lack of interested women and — more important — a lack of interested attractive women. Luckily though, this lack of interest can be turned into visitors upon visitors, match upon match, and dates upon dates. But what if just sacrificing one hour — even less — to write a dating profile could make you get the girls like Donovan, Draper, and Moody.

Figuring out how to portray yourself on a dating app is hard, especially when you're trying to match with the kind of people you actually want to date. Since I need some major help on that front, I reached out to dating and relationship expert Alexis Sclamberg for tips on how to present the real you online no compromises! A bio can only tell you so much. A clever question on your profile can help intros flow more easily between you and your matches and could also help foster intimacy quickly. It's such a simple way to spark better conversations that a new app called Sweet Pea has its users add an icebreaker question to their profile at signup.

In this extract from Digital Etiquette , tech-journalist Victoria Turk schools us on the art of romance in the modern world and tells us what to absolutely not put on your dating profile. Writing a dating profile is hard. Start with the basics.